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Mrs. Claire Reiss has been a major supporter to the mission of Father Joe’s Villages for the past 25 years. Claire’s devout faith and love of neighbor turned her attention and years of support to Father Joe’s Villages and her impact has been significant. Claire’s commitment to Father Joe’s Villages is rooted in her belief that the path out of homelessness is a journey no one can make successfully on their own.
“I believe that Father Joe’s Villages is the most proven and successful path out of homelessness for our neighbors in need,” Claire said. “The programs and services they provide our homeless neighbors are comprehensive and treat the many and different reasons why someone likely became homeless in the first place.”
In acknowledgment of her incredible impact, Claire received the Bishop Maher Award, which is presented at our annual Children’s Charity Gala to honorees, who, like the late San Diego Bishop Leo T. Maher, put the needs of the poor first.
Avery lived on the streets of San Diego for years before moving into Father Joe’s Villages’ Emergency Shelter. Incredibly, once Avery had a safe place to stay, he was able focus on rebuilding his life.
When he began looking for work, his Housing Navigator recommended he enroll in Father Joe’s Villages Culinary Arts Program (CAP), an intensive 14-week culinary training program. The Culinary Arts Program not only teaches the skills needed to work in the sought-after hospitality industry, it also teaches the expertise required to apply for jobs and succeed in today’s job market.
During his time in CAP, Avery poured his energy into his culinary creations, spending 12-hour days training both in class and in the kitchen. He excelled in the program and found that he had a passion for cooking. It was through CAP that Avery gained a sense of confidence and ambition he hadn’t felt since before he was homeless.
“The Culinary Arts Program at Father Joe’s Villages gave me a sense of worth,” he said.
Avery was so successful in CAP that he was hired on as a full-time Line Cook in Father Joe’s Villages’ kitchens after he graduated. With a stable job, Avery was able to move out of our shelter and into a permanent home of his own. Then, during the COVID-19 crisis, Avery was able to assist the Food Services team with increasing meal times and locations to better serve people experiencing homelessness and hunger.
“I wanted to give back what I was given from Father Joe’s Villages. My future feels secure. I will never be back on that street. I now have what I need to do what I want.”
When Gabe found himself facing homelessness, he moved into Father Joe’s Villages’ Family Living Center in the Joan Kroc Center with his daughter, Dove, and son, Kodah. Even through the family’s struggle with homelessness, Gabe knew that his children’s education was vital to their future success. When the San Diego school districts began limiting classroom teaching, he was worried his kids would fall behind.
Aware that distance learning could worsen education disparity between housed and homeless children, Father Joe’s Villages Therapeutic Childcare pivoted services to meet the needs of families. This included providing technology tools, an Educational Coordinator to help families navigate the educational system, and a Distance Learning Lab where children and families could focus on online classes and schoolwork.
These services came as a relief to Gabe who continues to utilize the Distance Learning Lab with his kids. He is grateful to have a quiet space for Dove and Kodah to concentrate on their education.
It helps us quite a bit because at the shelter we all share one room,” he explains. “There’s no place to separate like they would in an apartment or house.”
Gabe and his kids use the Distance Learning services at Therapeutic Childcare each morning. In the Virtual Learning Lab, Dove and Kodah each have their respective sides of the room where they can “plug in” and learn. These services remain critical to helping children in need like Dove and Kodah catch up to their housed classmates and build a future of success.
Father Joe’s Villages’ Street Health program provides urgent medical services directly to people living on the streets of San Diego. The Street Health Program allows Father Joe’s Villages to build relationships with these patients and connect them with additional resources to move off the streets for good.
“What makes our Street Health Program different is that we are leveraging our decades of experience with outreach to identify the people on the streets who need our help right then and there — without any barrier to receiving life-changing care,” says Dr. Jeffrey Norris, Chief Medical Officer.
In 2020, the Street Health team brought critical health information about COVID-19 and on-the-spot screening to people on the streets. When a neighbor was exhibiting flu symptoms, the team was able to connect them to shelter for safe isolation and provide medical services. Additionally, the Street Health team brought their services to the Convention Center. Several times a week, they provided health care and screenings to residents across the shelter.
Father Joe’s Villages’ Turning the Key initiative continues to make progress toward the goal to create 2,000 units of affordable housing in the San Diego community, on top of the over 400 units already offered by the organization.
The first project in the initiative, Benson Place, opened in August 2020 to provide 82 studio apartments for people experiencing homelessness, including those with significant challenges such as mental illness and physical disabilities.
Furthermore, Saint Teresa of Calcutta Villa, which broke ground in January 2020, is projected to be completed in early 2022. Construction timelines have remained on track, despite COVID-19. This 14-story affordable housing building will provide 407 units of affordable housing for more than 500 neighbors in need.
When Alicia’s landlord raised her rent, she could no longer afford the apartment she and her four young children had called home for two years. Due to the low vacancy rates and high rent prices in San Diego, she was unable to find a new apartment she could afford. That’s how Alicia and her family became homeless.
“Being homeless is stressful, tiring, and depressing. It’s hard to wake up each day and find the motivation to go on. But I wanted more for myself and my kids.”
After seeking assistance from Father Joe’s Villages, Alicia and her children were quickly moved into the Golden Hall Bridge Shelter. There, Alicia felt she could receive the support she needed to get back on her feet again. However, just one month later, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a nationwide shutdown, and Alicia and her family were transferred to a federally-funded hotel for unsheltered families.
Meanwhile, Alicia’s Housing Navigator from Father Joe’s Villages, Katina, continued to search for housing for Alicia. Katina was able to secure a 2-bedroom apartment for Alicia through Father Joe’s Villages’ Rapid Rehousing Program. Through this program, Alicia was matched to affordable housing, supportive services, and short-term assistance to help her and her family achieve lasting success.
“I could see the happiness in my kids’ faces. I was really happy to move into a safe home. It was a blessing for us.”