Homeless to Housed

06/14/2021

John will be missed! I am so sorry we as a county did not do more to better serve John. Homelessness in Johnson County is a real thing! The truth is people are living in homelessness in Johnson County daily and sadly John is another example of another person dying in homelessness in Johnson County. Johnson County, KS the wealthiest county in Kansas. Why are we not talking about this? Why are we not seeking out solutions for this? Rest in Peace John with your sly smile and hopeful optimism. ❤

06/06/2021

"Why is it so difficult to help people who are homeless?"

“Why does that foundation make local homeless agencies compete against each other for money? And, then they say that we don’t get along with each other.”

“Why do we have to hire a full-time employee just to process reports for a government funding agency? That money could be used for more on-the-ground outreach.”

This week has been a heavy week! I have been pondering the question: "Why does this work have to be so hard?" So, I googled that question because I thought maybe by some chance, someone on the internet has come up with answer to that question. This is the article I came across, that perfectly answers the question "Why?". Excellent Read!

Fifteen years ago, I was working with a newly hired PATH employee who had just graduated from our local college. We were tasked to persuade a neighborhood and its political leaders that a homeless shelter we wanted to build would help, not hurt, the community. After countless, and frankly, excruciat...

05/22/2021

Heard today that Shalom House Shelter in KCK is closing their doors! 😭😭😭 Working to verify! If this is true, we will have no year around male shelters in the KCK area! Though shelters are not a replacement for permanent housing solutions, they do hold a significant part in providing a full level of care approach in homelessness services!

04/29/2021

Olathe Housing Authority's Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) waiting list is opening up for folks to get on the list! Remember one must not be experiencing category 1 homelessness to apply for this program.

04/11/2021

How to get a replacement social security card if you don't have an ID.

This is a video that describes the steps to help an individual secure a replacement social security card using a certified medical record if they do not have...

04/10/2021

Thank you Kansas City! 💜

04/10/2021

This is the part of the story, working for partnership and solutions ...rather than just trying to keep up a fight!

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — People living in tents in Westport have been relocated after camping at a site for weeks. It’s all part of the city’s plan to help people experiencing homelessn…

04/10/2021

Glad there has been a start of a resolution! Being down in this area for the past several week, has opened my eyes to a situation that I thought I had a good bit of knowledge about but now realize I was not evening close!

From the sidelines I was able to witness unity but also hostility. I was able to witness some who had the desire to bring forth resolution and others who were just overcome with the desire to fight. No solution (no matter the solution) was going to be good enough, because it was no longer about solutions, it was about the desire to keep the fight going!

Allies could be turned into enemies real quick if they offered an opinion that was contradictory to the narrative those who just wanted a fight, were trying to spin. What I learned is there is definitely 2 sides to every story and the story I have witnessed, was an eye opening one and a sad one from both sides!

I got caught up in a situation at Camp 6ixx this week. Disliked how I was treated but that really does not matter. My biggest regret was the way I allowed myself to respond as I was being yelled and cussed at by so called advocates for this population. I allowed myself to get triggered and become part of the narrative they were trying to present.

You see, I am not upset about the initial response I took because in this work, I believe that it is okay to hold folks (no matter their housing situation) to certain expectations. How belittling would it be for me to believe that because a person is experiencing homelessness, society as a whole can no longer expect that person to have the desire and moral integrity to be a law abiding citizen? Like a housing crisis should determine a person's character! Isn't that the stereotypes we are trying to fight against not enable?.

My regret is that I allowed it to get to me! I allowed myself to feel as if I needed to defend my actions! To defend the support I have been providing for folks experiencing homelessness for the past 5 years. I allowed the environment to get to me! I became a part of the very same hostility that was surrounding me. That I am sorry for!

Again though, it was a learning experience. It has allowed me to really see first hand, that what we see on the surface of a situation may be very deceiving.

What I need to remember is to show kindness always. This does not mean stop believing that people can't do better, it is about remembering to stay kind even when they don't so better! I make mistakes as well and my hope is to be able to learn from them. 💜

04/06/2021

So I took a break from posting and blogging the last couple weeks to focus on a new adventure, I am super excited about. Also, got a little backlash from my last blog in reference to my questions about how available VATS were to access for guests staying at the Project 10-20. Trying to focus on if I want to be the one asking hard questions or just stick to the videos helping to navigate services for our friends experiencing homelessness.... Never been very good at refraining from hard questions. 😝

I would love to report though that since that since that blog, some amazing homeless providers stepped up from both Salvation Army and ReStart to go to the shelter before it closed for the season and get these VATS completed. Now some of the most vulnerable experiencing homelessness are on the county's prioritized housing list to receive the opportunity to connect to housing!!!! ❤❤❤

Ya'll tell me what is more beneficial "How to Videos" or "Real Talk Blogs"?

03/17/2021

This money can be used for homeless prevention and homeless response!

Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance

03/14/2021

Last week was a full and awesome week, being engulfed in this work! ❤

I am so grateful for all the people who have been reaching out to me to invite me to be a part of the work they are doing with the homeless population. I am also very grateful to those who contacted me with questions and wanting to learn more about resources. To be able to continue learning so that I can better serve this community, is my ultimate goal!

Monday:
Assisted a couple of folks that reached out to me through FB needing to know more about community resources.

Tuesday:
Met with a provider at The Kansas Homeless Coalition to learn more about what new programs they are starting to better connect with those experiencing homelessness in the rural areas of Kansas, where there are not a lot of providers and services.

Wednesday:
1) Had the opportunity to go out and complete community outreach in KCK at some of the campsites, with some amazing service providers from agencies in KCK and KCMO (I am writing a blog on this experience).
2) Then I had the opportunity to speak with some awesome folks on a project they are working to develop in the Kansas City area to provide a housing program that promotes not just permanency and stability but also connection (Which is so important!).

Thursday:
I was invited to speak to and share community resources to some employees of the City of Gardner who were wanting to know what the best steps they should take when they come in contact with an individual/family experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless. I absolutely love that people are wanting to know how they can help and serve others around them.

Friday:
My youngest kiddo agreed to spend the day at Project 10 ❤20 with me to complete volunteer case management with the guests staying there and working on exit plans.