outreach

Downtown Louisville Ambassadors save dozens of people stuck because of snow

This news story was originally shared on WDRB.com

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The storm that brought 10 inches of snow to Kentuckiana made for a messy situation in downtown Louisville.

Louisville Downtown Partnership Ambassadors helped shovel snow during a heavy snowfall in Kentucky. (Image Source: video still from news coverage)

Even though many of the businesses were closed, the Downtown Ambassadors were hard at work all day Monday.

They saved dozens of people who were stuck in the snow and helped the business owners who did open clear the snow from their sidewalks if they didn’t have the proper equipment to do so.

They even got someone to a shelter.

Some of the Ambassadors hopped out of their truck to throw salt down if they noticed some corners looked icy.

“It’d be 80 cars stuck right now. We helped a lot of people,” Miracle Thompson, Downtown Ambassador safety team lead said. “It’d still be people on the streets like before the snow came and we knew the bad weather was coming, we was getting people and taking them to shelters to get them off the street because it’s white flag. They can’t turn them away. Yeah they need us. We are very important to downtown.”

The Downtown Ambassadors are out helping people seven days a week from 7 a.m. to midnight.

To hear more and watch the coverage, click here. 

Posted on Tuesday December 31, 2024 by 12 Days of Praise

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The Most Rewarding Work of My Life

Ambassador Theresa says that her work helping individuals experiencing homelessness has been the most rewarding work of her life.

Many of our Ambassadors work to help individuals experiencing homelessness across the country. While the work can be challenging or heartwrenching at times, they are making a real difference in people’s lives.

Ambassador Theresa Patterson in Downtown Grand Rapids, MI, shared two stories that have given her purpose in the work she does.

We’ll let her take it from here. Only minor edits have been made for clarity.

Trigger Warning: This story mentions blood and the loss of life. Please be cognizant if and when you choose to read this story.

My work with people experiencing homelessness has got to be the most rewarding work I’ve ever done in my life. I have so many stories to share, but there are a couple in particular that do stand out.

There was a gentleman by the name of Waldo. He’d been experiencing homelessness for probably about 10 years, is what I was told, if not more. He was frequently underneath one of our bridges that was close to our headquarters.

I had just started hospitality after working in horticulture for the summer month, so part of my job was to check on street residents to make sure that they were OK, just to do welfare checks.

I always walked by Waldo first in the morning. On this particular day, it was late in November and it was very cold out. I saw Waldo on the ground, and I immediately went to check on him. It was not good.

He was reaching his hand out to me, but his skin was bluish in color. I saw that he could not lift his head and he was lying in a pool of blood.

I had such a good rapport with Waldo. He had called me his angel. And perhaps this story is the reason why. I called for help and said that I needed 911 immediately. 911 came, and they took Waldo right away. I was left there in shock of what had just taken place. He was still alive when they took him.

I went back to my headquarters, and I had to debrief myself because what I had come across was very emotional. My Operations Manager and my Operations Supervisor were very good to me while I sorted this out and wrote my incident report.

I did not hear anything that day about Waldo’s condition and was anxious to find out what had happened to him. The next day, my Operations Manager and my Operations Supervisor took me to the side in private and let me know that Waldo had passed away.

I was extremely heartbroken, but at the same time, I know that by finding him that day and calling to get him help, at least I let him go to the hospital where he could be warm with people caring for him instead of just lying on the ground and passing away.

I found out that he had laid on that ground for almost 10 hours and I was probably the first person that stopped to see if he was OK.

This incident had a huge impact on me and I know now why Waldo called me his angel is because that day I found him and let him go to the hospital to keep his dignity as a human being. I will never ever forget Waldo. He stays with me every day.

[The name in the following story has been changed to protect the individual’s privacy.]

The next story that I would like to share also has to do with finding somebody on the ground. I saw a gentleman on the ground, and he was unresponsive. I called and called for him to wake up, and he would not move. I even touched his boot with my shoe just a little bit to see if that would wake him up.

I immediately called for 911, and they came right away. First, the first response firefighters came, and then the ambulance came. They checked on him right away, and his oxygen level was very low. And he was unresponsive to them as well.

One of the firefighters knew him and told me his name was [John] and that they had already had an encounter with him. It appeared that he had been beaten up because he had a very big lump over his eye with bruising starting; somebody had probably hurt him.

When the EMTs arrived, the firefighters did let them know that his oxygen was very low, so they got their oxygen tank out. I heard the EMT tell me that they were gonna give him 100% oxygen to see if that would wake him up.

It sure did, but he woke up swinging, and he was trying to fight the firefighters and the EMTs, but they did calm him down. And then they whisked him away to the hospital. With this gentleman, I did not know the outcome of what had happened to him as nobody knew enough about the situation to tell me.

However, several weeks later, I did run into [John], and he was sober and looking good. He had a bit of the bruising still left on his face. I called to him and asked him how he was doing. I told him that another one of our Ambassadors and I had found him that day. And I told him how worried I was for him.

He gave me a big hug, and he said that I saved his life, and I believe that I did. He said because of that incident, it had encouraged him to seek some help for his alcohol abuse, and he had been sober ever since that had happened.

He said he would never forget what I did by calling help for him because he said that nobody ever does anything to help him. He said that he had taken a beating from somebody, but that was because he wasn’t doing the right thing.

These two stories have touched my heart, and there are so many more stories that I could share, but these ones I think about: that I saved Waldo from dying on the street with nobody caring for him and I saved [John] by getting him to the hospital on time and getting him the treatment that he needed, waking him up to become sober.

Thank you for letting me share my stories.

Posted on Monday December 30, 2024 by 12 Days of Praise

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Fixing a Part of Me

As we celebrate some of the greatest stories we’ve heard across our programs this year, we turn to Denton, TX, and Ambassador Gabrielle Rupe. Gabrielle shared with us a story that illustrates her passion for the work she does every day, and we are eager to share that story so that it may inspire others.

Here is the story as she told it to us, with minor edits made for clarity.

Gabrielle’s passion for her work shines through in everything she does.

The story I’m about to tell begins when I started working for the Ambassador Program here in Denton, Texas. My name is Gabrielle Rupe, and I’m 21 years old. Sounds like I might not have many years to my name to have such a passion for what I do, but age can be quite deceiving.

When I first joined the program, I was a bit nervous about big changes. I was also questioning if the loss of my mother and her addiction, along with homelessness, would affect my duty to help people. What I didn’t realize was that this job would become a calling—something deeply personal and transformative for both myself and the people I’ve been fortunate to meet along the way.

One particular day stands out vividly in my mind. It was a sunny afternoon, the kind where the streets were alive with activity. Amidst the lively hum of downtown, I noticed a man sitting on the curb, visibly distressed. His hands trembled as he held his head, and he seemed to be battling a storm within himself.

As I approached, I could see the fear and pain in his eyes. He was muttering softly to himself, overwhelmed and lost. Without hesitation, I knelt beside him and gently introduced myself. “Hi, I’m Gabrielle,” I said, keeping my voice calm and steady. “Are you okay? Can I help you with anything?”

At first, he didn’t respond. But as I stayed there, patiently waiting, his breathing began to slow, and he looked up at me. He admitted he was having a rough day, struggling with his mental health and feeling like the world had forgotten him. My heart ached for him because I knew that feeling all too well.

There was a time in my life when I felt lost, when every day felt like a fight just to stay afloat. I’ve also seen loved ones grapple with these same struggles, and I’ve watched how easily society overlooks people who are hurting. But I’ve also experienced the healing power of compassion, and that’s what I wanted to offer this man at that moment.

Together, we walked to a nearby bench under the shade of a tree. I encouraged him to take deep breaths and reminded him he wasn’t alone. He began to share pieces of his story—his struggles with homelessness, his fight to manage his mental health and his feelings of isolation. I listened without judgment, just as others had once listened to me when I needed it most.

By the time our conversation ended, he seemed calmer, more grounded. He thanked me with a shaky smile, saying, “You don’t know how much this means to me. I didn’t think anyone cared.” His words brought tears to my eyes because I knew how powerful it was to feel seen, to feel human again.

This moment wasn’t just about helping him—it was about healing a part of myself too. My past has given me a deep understanding of the struggles people face, and this job has become a way for me to give back. Every conversation, every small act of kindness, feels like a step toward mending not just others’ lives, but my own.

Being an Ambassador isn’t just a job for me. It’s a way to connect, to listen and to remind people—and myself—that no matter how hard life gets, there’s always hope. The path I’ve walked has taught me that we are all capable of rising above our challenges, especially when we have someone willing to stand beside us, even if just for a moment.

That day, I realized that while I may have helped him find calm, he gave me something far greater: a renewed sense of purpose and gratitude for how far I’ve come. Every day, I get to go home to my family and talk to them about how I was able to give back to someone. I wish the people I’ve been so lucky to meet know that they’ve fixed a part of me.

Posted on Thursday December 26, 2024 by 12 Days of Praise

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The Difference Familiarity Can Make

The following was written by Outreach Specialist Brittani Stidham from Downtown Oklahoma City (OKC). Only minor edits have been made for clarity.

 

While I have many stories to tell, one really has stuck out for our team here in Downtown OKC due to the teamwork and community believing in our work.

We had a known unhoused gentleman who did not want to utilize our resources, but our team continued to check on him daily and make sure he had somewhere warm to go.

He had refused to go to the night shelters, and it was below 25 around this time of year. Our Ambassadors had tried to provide him with blankets and clothing to assist him in staying warm at the least. Although he was very cold, he would not take our helping hand respectfully.

Brittani and Martin helped an unhoused resident get the care he needed.

The gentleman was so cold one night our team approached him and had to take him to the hospital. Our fantastic, kind-hearted Ambassador Lola was able to convince him to go. He stayed several days as he had frostbite on a couple of his toes. Afterward, we had not seen him for about a month with the assumption that he had found a warm place to go and had received assistance. I continued to check the area for him as it was still freezing temperatures.

He finally popped back up, not because our team had spotted him, but because a business across the street had called our Hotlines Team Lead Martin, who contacted me for assistance. The business and a few residents had already contacted police, but due to the response time, they had not made it to him yet. This is where the good old saying comes into play: “Green Team to the rescue.” We pride ourselves on being community heroes.

Martin and I responded within 10 minutes and went right into outreach and welfare check mode. The police arrived as well. Because the unhoused gentleman had a great trusting relationship with our team, he was very reluctant to receive help from the police. He was trying to put socks on and needed shoes. What no one noticed except for Martin and me was a familiar smell of infection and burnt-like skin. The man was trying to cover up the severe frostbite that covered his feet to his calves. He was also missing a small portion of his foot because of the infection from the frostbite.

The officers made several attempts to get him to go to the hospital as they had dispatched for Emergency Services. I stepped in with Ambassador Martin and we asked them to stop engaging with the man. While we knew they were trying to help him, we also knew him and that the interaction was triggering his mental health issues. We could tell he was not comfortable going with them. Using our outreach communication skills and being extremely mindful of his situation, Martin and I were finally able to convince him to go to the hospital. He only agreed because he trusted us. Once they were able to start treating him on-site, they disclosed to us that he was so severely frostbitten and the infection was so bad that they were shocked he was still alive and able to talk and attempt to even walk.

While this was happening, I was able to contact his worker because that very day, he was due for a housing intake that I had been working on. I was able to assist with getting him rescheduled. He did not know how to go about missing his appointment and was mainly reluctant to go to the hospital because he knew he had to get to his appointment for housing. He was not worried about his health. He simply wanted to get into his home for the first time in many years of experiencing being unhoused.

Unfortunately, upon checking on him at the hospital, he did not have family to be by his side. He had put me down as his emergency contact. The hospital told me he was in surgery, and he had to have his feet and calves amputated because of the severity of the frostbite and infection traveling through his body. He would not have made it another night in his state. The news was heart-wrenching, but we were just thankful we were able to convince him to go. We were extremely grateful to have assisted in getting him to the hospital, but even more so that he was in good hands, safe and out of the cold.

After a month of being in the hospital, he was still in need of getting into housing as he had missed his appointment for housing, and the facility was not willing to reschedule. Thankfully, I was able to get him into a shelter that specifically works with unhoused individuals experiencing disabilities or who have long-term disabilities. He was able to connect with his worker and transition to his new way of living in his wheelchair.

Our team still checks on him, and he often tells people about us. The police, residents in the area and businesses have gained an even more positive perspective of our team. We don’t often wear our crowns, capes or shields visibly, but as soon as we start our shifts…we are the superheroes! I love our Downtown OKC Green Team and our Downtown OKC Partnership.

“With pride, we make public spaces friendly and vibrant for the communities we serve.” Block by Block’s mission is what we go by daily and why we truly do what we do!

Posted on Tuesday December 17, 2024 by 12 Days of Praise

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SLC Ambassador Offers Helping Hand on One Man’s Journey Home

Ambassador Lillian helped Michael Black on his journey home.

“It has reminded me that at any time, you never know when you will be part of something MUCH bigger than yourself,” Salt Lake City Ambassador Lillian Logani said. “It makes my heart warm and gives me motivation to continue doing what I do and continuing doing the next right thing.”

Lillian was one of a handful of individuals 91-year-old Korean War Veteran Michael Black encountered on a multi-day, 200-mile hitchhiking journey that spanned three states. Michael suffered from dementia, and his wife was desperate to find him.

The day before Thanksgiving, Lillian came across Michael, who was looking confused as he came out of a building. She spoke to him and found out he had been staying at a shelter but didn’t know where it was or how to get back. She made a few calls, discovered he had been housed at The Men’s Rescue Mission and offered to take him there since it was a good distance away.

“On our way down to The Mission, he told me stories of him being in the Korean War,” Lillian said. “We got to know each other, and when we reached the shelter, he recognized the place and began to cry. He thanked me for helping him find his way.”

Lillian had a feeling the man might be suffering from an age-related mentally debilitating condition, so she spoke to the shelter staff and asked them to keep a special eye on him.

On Saturday, Lillian turned on the TV to see the man she had helped just a few days earlier: he was a feature story. Through a series of fortunate events, Michael’s wife Avril spotted him in the background of a news segment. A local station featured the shelter (the one that Lillian dropped him off at) hosting their Thanksgiving dinner. As some b-roll spanned across the crowd, there was Michael. Avril called it her “Thanksgiving miracle” and quickly made the journey from Wyoming to Utah to pick up her husband.

But, as fate would have it, just days after Michael got home, he became sick with a cough that became influenza. After a short stay in the hospital, he was released on hospice and passed away at his home.

Avril expressed her gratitude to everyone who helped Michael on his journey and was thankful she was able to spend his final days with him.

The news station that had originally aired the story about the shelter’s dinner continued coverage even after Michael’s passing.

“If you had not shown that on the TV and I hadn’t put it on. He wouldn’t have gone in peace. Maybe he would’ve fallen in a ditch somewhere,” Avril told the news station. “It was his time, it was his time, and he had an adventure, and he enjoyed his little adventure. That’s life, I guess.”

After finding out about Michael’s passing, Ambassador Lillian was sad but grateful that he was able to get back home.

“It makes me emotional; however, I am at peace knowing that his wife was able to spend the last days of his life with him,” Lillian said.

To learn more about this story, visit:

https://www.live5news.com/video/2024/12/06/wife-spots-missing-husband-news-segment/

https://ksl.com/article/51206360/missing-husband-dies-after-miraculously-being-found-on-ksl-tv-news

https://www.gofundme.com/f/michaels-final-days-avril-needs-your-help

Posted on Friday December 13, 2024 by 12 Days of Praise

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Outreach Ambassador Gets Family Housing In Time for the Holidays

Outreach Ambassador Q helped find an unhoused family of six housing just in time for the holidays.

While bright color uniforms have come to be a staple of Block by Block Ambassador Programs, due to the nature of their work, Outreach Teams often do not wear any uniform at all.

These Ambassadors dedicate their working hours to helping individuals experiencing homelessness get connected with essential services. And, over time, we’ve found that they make more connections when they aren’t in uniform, as a uniform can be intimidating.

One of our Louisville Downtown Partnership Outreach Ambassadors, Quinton “Q” Thompson, has worked with us for one year, but in that short amount of time has dedicated himself to helping the Louisville community. He began as a Safety Ambassador but quickly found that he had a passion for outreach. Q can be seen confidently patrolling Downtown Louisville in his street clothes, making connections and meeting people with the purpose of helping get them off the streets into better circumstances.

Through a local initiative with the City of Louisville and Volunteers of America, the Louisville Outreach Team was approached to help find unhoused families who could move off the streets into a brand-new, block-wide campus that has both a shelter and permanent affordable housing built in.

“The family shelter has room for 15 families, and after seeing it on the tour, we were all excited and eager to do our part in helping to fill it and get families off the streets,” Q said.

Often, a challenge that Outreach Ambassadors face is finding street residents who want help or are willing to take help. But, just as Q was looking for families to move into this new facility, he serendipitously met a couple with four children who had recently moved to Louisville. Although they were unhoused, the parents were actively looking for work.

“Upon arriving here, they fell on hard times…I would never have even seen them had they not been out looking for work to improve their current situation,” Q said.

After meeting the family, Q knew instantly that they were a prime candidate to move into the new development. And, with his assistance, they were able to do just that. Right before some frigid Kentucky nights, Q helped get this family off the streets.

“For me to be in the right place at the right time to help someone who was trying to help themselves made it feel less like work and more like the right thing to do,” Q said.

Thanks to Q, this family will be celebrating the holidays with a warm place of their own.

Posted on Thursday August 1, 2024 by Waikiki BID

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Waikiki Ambassadors Unite to Locate, Identify Missing Juvenile

Our Waikiki Ambassadors are making waves again! (Pun intended!) This time, their cross-team collaborative effort led to locate a missing juvenile and help with his safe return to his family.

BBB Waikiki Safety, Aloha and Outreach Ambassador Teams operate out of one Operations Center, allowing for open collaboration and communication across teams. In this facility, Operations Manager Taylor Sole has made it a point to have a wall dedicated to posting flyers of missing children and juveniles (under age 18), which he says is a problem there.

During a recent patrol, Safety Ambassador Wisdom saw something unusual – a young male teen living on the streets by himself. Wisdom radioed Outreach Ambassador Susan, who followed up to check on the young man, making sure to take a photo of him before they parted ways.

Outreach Ambassador Susan (Left) and Aloha Ambassador Saul (Right) helped identify and locate the missing juvenile.

While Block by Block Outreach Ambassadors primarily work to connect individuals experiencing homelessness with resources available to them, they can also help with family reunification if someone is known to be looking for a missing family member.

When Susan made it back to the Operations Center, she checked the teen’s photo against the missing flyers wall and found a match. Following protocol, she reached out to the Attorney General’s Missing Juvenile Department and the reunification process began.

With the help of Aloha Ambassador Saul’s keen eye, the Honolulu Police were able to locate the young man a second time and returned him safely to his family.

The Ambassador Team and The Waikiki Business Improvement District received accolades from Amanda Leonard from the Attorney General’s Office following the reunification.

In a letter to the District President, she said:

“The successful recovery of a 14-year-old juvenile who had been missing and endangered for nearly eight months would not have been possible without the vigilance, determination and swift action of the Aloha Ambassadors. I would like to specifically commend Susan, Wisdom and Saul for their crucial roles in this positive outcome. Their reporting and interactions with the missing juvenile significantly increased awareness for law enforcement and ultimately led to the juvenile’s safe recovery in Waikiki by the Honolulu Police Department.”

We are so proud of these three Ambassadors for their combined efforts to locate and identify this missing young man, helping him get back to his family! Stories like this really help remind us that at the core of everything, including service delivery, is a human factor. Thank you, Wisdom, Susan and Saul! The work you all do each and every day really does matter!

“Try to stay positive.” The lives of our homeless neighbors in downtown Wilmington

WHQR | By Kelly KenoyerMadeline Gray  |  Published July 22, 2024 at 5:29 AM EDT
This article has been partially shared from: WHQR

 

For several months, WHQR has been following the lives of homeless individuals in Wilmington. All have faced significant challenges, but many of them work together to stay safe, and share information about how to get by. Here are some of their stories.

 

This reporting project was made possible by a grant from the Fourth Estate Fund.

Nearly 1 million people experienced homelessness for the first time in 2023, according to the National Association to End Homelessness. Still more experienced it for a second, third, or fourth time. With a rising cost of living and high rents, more and more Americans are teetering on the edge. Here are the stories of some of those who’ve fallen through the cracks — and are trying to claw their way back up: Chelsea Alicia Sterling, Victor Quillen, Theresa Shively, Leroy Lyons, and Cindy (who asked that we only use her first name).

As Victor told WHQR’s Kelly Kenoyer, despite the trials and tribulations he’s faced, “I try to stay positive. You gotta keep the hope up. If you lose that — you ain’t got nothing.”

A sign inside the space that Vigilant Hope uses behind the Lake Forest Baptist Church. Vigilant Hope along with many other faith-based organizations provide a wide variety of services including meals, laundry services, and free mobile showers.
A sign inside the space that Vigilant Hope uses behind the Lake Forest Baptist Church. Vigilant Hope along with many other faith-based organizations provide a wide variety of services including meals, laundry services, and free mobile showers.

Numerous organizations in town work to care for the homeless population. Several church organizations, including Vigilant Hope, Anchor Church, First Fruit Ministries, and Living Hope Day Center, work together to provide meals and respite almost every day of the week.

(Left to right) Red, Russ, Pastor Jamie Thompson, Leroy, and volunteer Janice Fladd share breakfast at Anchor United Methodist Church in downtown Wilmington. Leroy makes coffee, helps serve the meals, and cleans up each Sunday. Various volunteer groups provide meals for those experiencing homelessness.
(Left to right) Red, Russ, Pastor Jamie Thompson, Leroy, and volunteer Janice Fladd share breakfast at Anchor United Methodist Church in downtown Wilmington. Leroy makes coffee, helps serve the meals, and cleans up each Sunday. Various volunteer groups provide meals for those experiencing homelessness.
Donald rests his head on the table during a service at the Anchor United Methodist Church in downtown Wilmington. Pastor Jamie Thompson offers a sermon there every other week.
Donald rests his head on the table during a service at the Anchor United Methodist Church in downtown Wilmington. Pastor Jamie Thompson offers a sermon there every other week.

The unsheltered community in New Hanover County trade in information: many of them are happy to tell new faces in the streets where they can find more help or their next meal. Camping spots, however, are often kept close to the chest. Large numbers of people congregating together at night can draw unwanted attention.

Chelsea holds her mother's ring close to her chest outside of the Living Hope Day Center in downtown Wilmington. Her mother passed away in 2009 and she found the ring, one of the only remaining physical reminders of her mom, just last year. Chelsea, who has struggled with addiction, has three children who currently stay with relatives. She lives in her car with her partner and hopes to show her children that they can be proud of her even if they can't be together right now.
Chelsea holds her mother’s ring close to her chest outside of the Living Hope Day Center in downtown Wilmington. Her mother passed away in 2009 and she found the ring, one of the only remaining physical reminders of her mom, just last year. Chelsea, who has struggled with addiction, has three children who currently stay with relatives. She lives in her car with her partner and hopes to show her children that they can be proud of her even if they can’t be together right now.
Chelsea Alicia Sterling: Chelsea has been through a lot in her 30 years of life, but she is fully confident she’s on the upswing. She has to get to a better place so she can be there for her children.

People who become homeless at some point in their lives almost always have adverse childhood experiences in their backgrounds. That trauma can lead to a higher likelihood of suicidal ideation, maladaptive behaviors, and addiction, among other problems. If you, or someone you know, is coping with thoughts of suicide, call or text the national suicide hotline at 988.

Victor sits across the street from City Hall where he often sleeps outside. He admits that years of alcohol abuse led him to burn bridges with much of his family. A tattoo on his arm holds the names of his former wife and children. When he and his wife split up, Victor no longer had a place to stay and he ended up homeless.
Victor sits across the street from City Hall where he often sleeps outside. He admits that years of alcohol abuse led him to burn bridges with much of his family. A tattoo on his arm holds the names of his children and former wife. When he and his wife split up, Victor no longer had a place to stay and he ended up homeless.
Now Victor says, he tries to keep a low profile and keep his mind occupied so that he isn't tempted to start drinking again. He often attends Sunday services at the Anchor United Methodist Church where he helps to clean up.
Now, Victor says, he tries to keep a low profile and keep his mind occupied so that he isn’t tempted to start drinking again. He often attends Sunday services at the Anchor United Methodist Church where he helps to clean up.

Pastor Jamie Thompson of Anchor Church says her congregants treat the restaurant they borrow each Sunday with reverence and respect. She says they feel a “shared ownership of the space,” and many of them donate the limited money they have to keeping it going.

Jennifer Shively, center, sits outside the tent that she shares with her two sons Patrick, left, and Dorian, right, as well as with her sister Theresa Shively. The sisters had been living with their dad but when he passed away, they were forced to move out. They bought a camper van but when it broke down, it was stolen with little hopes of recovering it. The family has been sharing a single tent as they try to find more permanent housing.
Jennifer Shively, center, sits outside the tent that she shares with her two sons Patrick, left, and Dorian, right, as well as with her sister Theresa Shively. The sisters had been living with their dad but when he passed away, they were forced to move out. They bought a camper van but when it broke down, it was stolen with little hopes of recovering it. The family has been sharing a single tent as they try to find more permanent housing.
Victor Quillen: Victor grew up around alcoholism and domestic violence, and turned to the bottle to avoid that pain. Now that he’s in the streets, he’s trying to leave his substance abuse behind.
Sisters Jennifer and Theresa Shively eat a free meal at the Living Hope Day Center which is open every Monday and Wednesday. A patchwork of community and faith-based organizations help to meet the basic needs of people in the Wilmington area who are experiencing homelessness.
Sisters Jennifer and Theresa Shively eat a free meal at the Living Hope Day Center which is open every Monday and Wednesday. A patchwork of community and faith-based organizations help to meet the basic needs of people in the Wilmington area who are experiencing homelessness.
Theresa Shively looks for apartments online as she plays bingo at the Vigilant Hope community center. Theresa recently applied for subsidized housing for herself and her family, but was rejected because she does not make enough money. The family continues to all live together in a tent in the woods despite soaring temperatures, fear for their safety, and having to ride the bus or trolley everyday to find food and water.
Theresa Shively looks for apartments online as she plays bingo at the Vigilant Hope community center. Theresa recently applied for subsidized housing for herself and her family, but was rejected because she does not make enough money. The family continues to all live together in a tent in the woods despite soaring temperatures, fear for their safety, and having to ride the bus or trolley everyday to find food and water.
Homeless family: The Shivelys: A death in the family, disability — everyday tragedies can lead an entire family to homelessness. Getting out of it is much harder.
Theresa Shively hugs her service dog Luna after she was able to pay the fine to have Luna released. The family also has another dog and a cat named Raven, all of which are an important lifelines. The family prioritizes caring for their animals even over caring for themselves. When Theresa and Jennifer have a difficult time finding food, they still make sure their animals have something to eat. Having pets also makes it difficult to find housing in shelters, many of which do no allow animals.
Theresa Shively hugs her service dog Luna after she was able to pay the fine to have Luna released. The family also has another dog and a cat named Raven, all of which are an important lifelines. The family prioritizes caring for their animals even over caring for themselves. When Theresa and Jennifer have a difficult time finding food, they still make sure their animals have something to eat. Having pets also makes it difficult to find housing in shelters, many of which do no allow animals.

Social workers often find their clients at the Living Hope Day Center and take it as a chance to help them move their cases forward. Getting out of homelessness can be a challenge: many people in the streets have their possessions stolen, and losing one’s ID can become a major roadblock to getting Social Security, food stamps, or Medicare/Medicaid. For the able-bodied who can work, a lack of documents can prevent them from securing employment, getting a bank account, or renting an apartment.

Leroy talks to Cindy on the steps of the First Baptist Church while the Living Hope Day Center is open to serve free breakfast and lunch. Leroy, 68, sleeps on the church property.
Leroy talks to Cindy on the steps of the First Baptist Church while the Living Hope Day Center is open to serve free breakfast and lunch. Leroy, 68, sleeps on the church property.
Leroy has lived in Wilmington for the past 25 years and spent four decades in the construction business. As rents went up, he lost his apartment and was forced into homelessness.
Leroy has lived in Wilmington for the past 25 years and spent four decades in the construction business. As rents went up, he lost his apartment and was forced into homelessness.

Unsheltered people like Leroy are particularly hard to serve: many are forced to move around, making them hard for social workers to find. And their exposure in the streets makes them vulnerable to theft, violence, or arrest, which can create barriers to housing.

To read and listen to the rest of the article, click here: https://www.whqr.org/local/2024-07-22/try-to-stay-positive-the-lives-of-our-homeless-neighbors-in-downtown-wilmington

Posted on Monday February 26, 2024 by Downtown Santa Monica

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Bridging Gaps through Empowerment, Resources and Compassion

Headshot of Outreach Coordinator Donovan“It’s brought very sincere moments for me that have opened my eyes and makes me really love the work that my team and I do,” Downtown Santa Monica (DTSM) Outreach Coordinator Donovan Wilkes said reflecting on his work with individuals experiencing homelessness.

Through determination, repeat interactions and immense patience, Donovan and his team of Outreach Ambassadors in DTSM make a real difference in the lives of people who are unhoused by connecting them with community resources.

Every day, Donovan loads his backpack with supplies to serve street residents in DTSM and then hits the streets on foot. His typical walking route includes Downtown’s Promenade and other hotspots where he finds some familiar faces — the regulars of the street community — hanging out. His goal each day is to meet and greet people who are unhoused, offer them connections to resources and generally form relationships with them.

When speaking to someone, he always asks if they “know anyone” who might be looking for services. By asking if they know someone and not if they need the services themselves, the people he talks to don’t feel pressured by his presence. If they’re interested in information, Donovan will share it, but if they’re not, he’ll just carry on with his walk and plan to try again another day. For the regulars, he’ll just see how they’re doing or if anything new is going on.

These conversations are generally light and friendly. As he makes his way through the district, he radios his other team members or messages them on their WhatsApp group to see what is happening in the other areas covered by the team. He keeps a lookout for other social service providers to say hello or join forces and walk together to nurture a working relationship toward a common goal of providing solutions for people on the streets.

Donovan has worked with Block by Block (BBB) off and on since 2015, first as a Safety Ambassador in West Hollywood and later an Outreach Specialist for Westwood in 2017. At Westwood, he got the Outreach Program up and running and was promoted to Operations Manager within two years, where he stayed until 2020. After a brief hiatus working in the non-profit field, Donovan returned to BBB in 2022 and began working with DTSM as an Outreach Coordinator, where he leads a small but mighty team of three Outreach Ambassadors.

Headshots of Ambassadors Amy, Michael and Marc

The Outreach Team and the Area They Cover

BBB’s dynamic Outreach Team led by Donovan consists of three dedicated Outreach Ambassadors — Amy, Michael and Marc — who all worked in community outreach before they joined the team. Their experience and pre-existing relationships with social service providers have helped prepare them for the work they do each day.

The DTSM Outreach Team efforts are focused on downtown and three parks: Palisades, Reed and Tongva. The parks offer an enticing environment for members of the street population with places to sit, lay down or hide — all with less enforcement than downtown. Palisades Park also faces the ocean, providing a scenic view for transients just passing through the district and local street residents alike.

Beyond this core team, BBB provides the added resource of an experienced outreach expert in Director of Outreach, Chico Lockhart. Chico has an uncanny ability to mix humor and fun with serious, informative, real-world training. He is an asset to all BBB Outreach Teams nationwide, providing valuable insight, direction and advice. He travels to check in with BBB Outreach Programs across the country and meets with the teams virtually every month for essential mental health training, collaborative discussions and more.

“The [DTSM] team has a great leader who is very knowledgeable about services and how to get people help in the community.” Chico said. “Donovan is also spearheading meetings with the city/DTSM to discuss system gaps and trying to find ways to collaborate.”

One way Donovan illustrates these gaps in services is through data. Data plays a large role in understanding the unhoused crisis and working toward solutions for service providers, urban placemaking organizations and stakeholders alike. While the real impact is on the lives of individuals being served at the street level, data is essential to prove the value of the work being done each day by the team and to illustrate why additional services might be needed in the community. Some of this information can also be added to BBB’s proprietary SMART System to produce data and reports for district stakeholders detailing the impact the team has on the community.

The Outreach Team utilizes SMART System’s “Persons” tool to track the Top Ten people seen and interacted with in the district. Outreach Ambassadors will go over the Top Ten list monthly, making sure the team is aligned with how they are engaging with the individuals they see most frequently. Data can also show if there are any shortcomings in community-wide service delivery, if businesses have repeat incidents with the same people, the number of individuals seen using drugs in the open, interactions made and other pertinent figures.

An Outreach Worker speaks to a woman sitting down.

Outreach Ambassador Amy speaks with a street resident.

The Things They Carry: Snack Packs, Flyers, Narcan and More

Each member of the DTSM Outreach Team carries a backpack with essentials for whatever they might encounter on their daily walks. In their backpack, they have what they refer to as “Snack Packs,” a prepackaged drawstring bag that includes water, an electrolyte drink, protein shake, tuna or chicken salad, chips, granola bar and, most importantly, Donovan’s business card.

These packs help get people essential vitamins and nutrients they may be lacking while informing them of local resources and service organizations that are listed on the back of Donovan’s card. Their purpose is to show individuals on the street that our team is here to help them find long-term service solutions that can guide them from Point A to Point B.

Also in their backpacks are gloves and first aid supplies, hygiene kits and service flyers. The flyers share information on different providers in the area and the specific services they offer, as well as schedules for available services. Donovan stresses the importance of not only putting information in their hands, but making sure information is accurate. Having the right information, Donovan says, is one of the secrets to a successful Outreach Team.

“A very big difference that my team makes for the community is we provide accurate and supportive information to those at the street level,” Donovan said. “They do know where to go and we are constantly motivating people. The information that we provide, but also the drive we provide to people who are on the streets, letting them know, encouraging them to get ahead of the system and not fall victim to the system.”

One final item that Outreach Team Members carry is a lifesaving tool called Narcan. Narcan is a medicine that can quickly reverse a narcotics overdose. All team members have been trained to use Narcan. Since they have started carrying it in their packs and storing it at podiums throughout the district, they have responded to six overdoses, five of which they were able to successfully reverse with the medicine.

In fact, on the same day Marc was trained to use Narcan, he reversed an overdose by himself —quite likely saving the person’s life.

“Overdoses are happening at alarming rates, not just in Santa Monica,” Donovan said. “Being able to actually respond to someone experiencing an overdose—I commend my team very much. I applaud my team for that–being able to take action in times that are life and death, giving [people] a second chance to kick addiction.”

According to The American Journal of Medicine, from 1999 to 2020 overdose deaths in the US more than quadrupled from 6.9 per 100,000 deaths to 30 per 100,000. The US also had more overdose deaths from May 2022 to May 2023 than any other 12-month period in history. Narcan is a powerful resource that helps BBB Outreach Ambassadors fight this fatal problem at the street level.

A man in a suit holds an award in front of a Santa Monica Police Department logo.

Donovan received The Citizen Impact Award from Santa Monica’s Police Department for his assistance reversing an overdose in 2023.

To read more about Donovan and his work in DTSM, click here.

Getting The Right Information: Advocacy and Nurturing Relationships with Community Providers

Outreach workers are key to helping connect those on the streets with services throughout the city, so those referrals need to reflect accurate information. If a member of the team were to give out incorrect information on services, that could spread quickly through the street population and the team could lose their credibility and respect.

“DTSM’s Outreach Team not only focuses on relationship building for those experiencing homelessness, but also with the local service providers,” Donovan says. “By building these relationships, a sense of trust is created instantly when making warm handoffs from DTSM’s Outreach Team to the local service providers.”

The team often goes into the field alongside workers from various community organizations to meet new people together, make recommendations for services or connect individuals they may already know with the other’s resources.

When not in the field, Donovan spends time researching new resources available to individuals experiencing homelessness. If he finds a new resource, he’ll reach out to the provider to begin fostering a relationship with them, asking to meet for coffee so he can learn more about what they do.

Some of the community partners DTSM Outreach currently works closely with includes:

  • The People Concern – a leading housing provider
  • The Salvation Army – provides a meal program almost daily and assists people going through detox
  • Safe Place for Youth – for youths to get into housing quickly, sometimes even within a week
  • St. Joseph Center – another leading housing provider
  • West Coast Care – focusing on family reunification by helping individuals find their families and problem solve together
  • Department of Mental Health – take on clients who have more severe mental health issues
  • Chrysalis – a non-profit assisting with employment
  • Clare Matrix – a treatment program for people battling substance abuse
  • SMPD’s HLP Unit – an initiative that provides special training and awareness to police regarding people who are experiencing homelessness

“DTSM’s Outreach Team has established strong relationships with those experiencing homeless in DTSM,” Donovan says. “These relationships have resulted from the team continuously checking in with the unhoused and being knowledgeable of resources in the area. By creating these relationships, the Outreach Team is recognized as a reliable support of the [unhoused] community with the [unhoused] population now referring others to inquire about services with DTSM’s Outreach Team.”

BBB Outreach Members are able to work in tandem with social service providers through use of Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), a local information technology system used to collect client-level data and data on the provision of housing and services to individuals and families at risk of and experiencing homelessness.

Social service providers across the country enter data on specific individuals experiencing homelessness into HMIS, including providers they are working with, medical history, where they are from or were last located, whether someone is looking for them and much more. Chico was instrumental in getting DTSM’s Outreach Team access to HMIS, which is usually only given to social service providers.

“It’s typically places like shelters, mental health providers, substance abuse treatment, housing providers and outreach workers at nonprofit agencies,” Chico said. “This is a way for them to track who is helping people and also helps get more funding for those agencies based on metrics…We are not service providers like entities within the Continuum of Care, so we act as a referral source, and we are able to document who is on the streets to keep them on the radar for housing.”

Chico continued, “HMIS is a game changer because it allows our Outreach Workers to get our unhoused people on the housing list without having to depend on other entities. It also allows us to see where our clients are in the process, whether they’re in shelter, case management, substance abuse treatment or housing. We can also see if they have been approved for housing, so we are able to then find our client and do what is needed for the housing before the voucher window expires.”

Donovan’s Team can assess resources they should recommend to a person, add notes, photos or documentation into the system and even help locate missing street residents.

In February of 2023, Donovan’s Team was instrumental in locating someone who was considered “lost.” The Consulate of Sweden came to DTSM looking for a Swedish citizen who had been living in the US for three years as a street resident. In collaboration with the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) and BBB’s DTSM Ambassador Program, Donovan was able to locate the missing man.

“[The citizen] was transported to and put into a motel by DTSM where SMPD was able to transport [him] to and from The Consulate’s office to prepare his passport and flight tickets. [He] has since returned to his home in Sweden,” Donovan said.

An Outreach Worker squats while speaking to a street resident.

Donovan speaks to a member of the street population.

Perceptions and Realities in DTSM

The City of Santa Monica conducts a yearly “Homeless Count” to determine the number of individuals experiencing homelessness. Between 2022 and 2023, the number of individuals living on the street increased 15%. Donovan co-led the 2024 count, and he said early results appear similar to or slightly higher than the numbers from 2023. He said while data has shown that people experiencing homelessness are finding housing, there are also many individuals exiting housing back to the streets.

“Affordable housing isn’t the most affordable.” Donovan says.

Housing rates have increased, the cost of living is not cheap and there is not enough affordable housing in Los Angeles or Santa Monica. He says that these factors, mental health and drug abuse are major contributors to the number of people living on the streets.

“Even spending a week on the street, your mental health will decrease drastically; living on the street puts you in survival mode,” he said.

When asked about the perception of individuals living on the street versus reality, Donovan says many people just want to be left alone and aren’t necessarily a problem to the public.

“There are a good amount of people who have mental health [concerns] and mix that with substances, can be frightening. Many people are just living their lives and don’t want to be bothered,” he said.

Because the Outreach Team has relationships with individuals living on the street, they are often called to de-escalate “scary” situations. They can address the person who might be causing a scene or other incident by name and ask them what’s going on, putting onlookers at ease and finding a resolution without police involvement.

Donovan recalls a time when his team was called to help with a “notable character” in the district suffering from mental health struggles.

“He did not engage well. He was racist…He did not do well with women either…so, there were gaps with engaging,” Donovan said. “He had severe mental health issues and was a high functioning substance user.”

While he wasn’t the nicest, he did want to get off the streets. So, the team was determined to help him. At one point, they managed to secure him housing, but he was kicked out for his behavior, making it unlikely he would be offered housing again. The team worked tirelessly with him to change his ways and, ultimately, were able to encourage him to take the medicine he had been prescribed to help with the mental health issues he was experiencing.

“He took the medicine [and] his behaviors changed drastically.” After that, Donovan said, he was admitted to housing and is still there today.

What’s Next for DTSM Outreach?

Donovan has many goals for his team in 2024 beyond connecting those experiencing homelessness to local service providers. First and foremost, he wants to build an even stronger relationship with The City of Santa Monica to make the best use of their investment in street-level outreach — ensuring the Human Service Department and DTSM Outreach efforts are in line with one another. To do this, Donovan aims to meet with Santa Monica’s Human Service Department, share DTSM Outreach success stories and plan collaborative events.

Another hope for the future? To get at least one dedicated bed in a local shelter where the team can send a person in need. Currently, the Outreach Team must work through other providers to get individuals in shelters. Donovan dreams of his team being able to directly provide that service to at least one person.

The Big Takeaway

When faced with a problem as large as homelessness, it is hard to imagine a way to effect real change. Donovan and his team are the boots on the ground doing just that — putting in the time, building relationships and trust with people living on the streets and guiding them in the right direction to live better lives.

What Donovan finds rewarding about his work is these relationships he builds and the growth he sees in many thanks to the help of the right connections. He watches and reflects on each person’s journey from those first interactions when they may be down on their luck, to those moments when they are housed and on the other side.

While the work may not always be easy, Donovan and his team are dedicated to making a real difference in DTSM. More than anything, Donovan wants people to know his team’s purpose: “To bridge gaps in communities by empowering people and promoting resources with a compassionate approach.”

An Outreach Worker squats to check on a sleeping street resident.

Ambassador Marc checks on a street resident.