Several times a week, they provided health care and screenings to residents across the shelter.Įntering July of 2020, Father Joe’s Villages faced the challenge of adjusting and increasing services during the summer months when donations to Father Joe’s Villages are typically leaner. Additionally, the Street Health team brought their services to the Convention Center. When a neighbor was exhibiting flu symptoms, the team was able to connect them to shelter for safe isolation and provide medical services. In 2020, the Street Health team brought critical health information about COVID-19 and on-the-spot screening to people on the streets. “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. 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. 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.įather Joe’s Villages’ Street Health program provides urgent medical services directly to people living on the streets of San Diego. In the Virtual Learning Lab, Dove and Kodah each have their respective sides of the room where they can “plug in” and learn. Gabe and his kids use the Distance Learning services at Therapeutic Childcare each morning. “There’s no place to separate like they would in an apartment or house.” It helps us quite a bit because at the shelter we all share one room,” he explains. He is grateful to have a quiet space for Dove and Kodah to concentrate on their education. These services came as a relief to Gabe who continues to utilize the Distance Learning Lab with his kids. 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. When the San Diego school districts began limiting classroom teaching, he was worried his kids would fall behind.Īware 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. Even through the family’s struggle with homelessness, Gabe knew that his children’s education was vital to their future success. 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. I now have what I need to do what I want.” “I wanted to give back what I was given from Father Joe’s Villages. 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. With a stable job, Avery was able to move out of our shelter and into a permanent home of his own. “The Culinary Arts Program at Father Joe’s Villages gave me a sense of worth,” he said.Īvery 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. It was through CAP that Avery gained a sense of confidence and ambition he hadn’t felt since before he was homeless. He excelled in the program and found that he had a passion for cooking. 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.ĭuring his time in CAP, Avery poured his energy into his culinary creations, spending 12-hour days training both in class and in the kitchen. 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. Incredibly, once Avery had a safe place to stay, he was able focus on rebuilding his life. Avery lived on the streets of San Diego for years before moving into Father Joe’s Villages’ Emergency Shelter.
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