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Battling the harsh desert sun is one thing, but dealing with the heat without knowing where you and your family are going to lie their heads at night is a whole new challenge. This is just one of the many hardships individuals and families struggling with homlessness face in El Centro California.
Each day those who struggle with home security live in a constant state of unknowing. There are services available but what do they do? Do the services focus specifically on providing everything homeless individuals need to begin a new start? How are these services making a positive change within the community?
A team of student journalists went hands on with the El Centro community to answer these questions regarding services handling homelessness.
The city of El Centro, aware of this issue, is seeking to support the city’s police department, according to the homelessness task force. El Centro's police officers said that they actively look to help residents in need helping them with access to resources in the community.
The city of El Centro and several of its departments, such as the Police and Fire Departments, are part of the Imperial Valley Continuum of Care Council and have contributed to the development of the Imperial County Homelessness Strategic Plan that seeks to "eradicate homelessness from the region."
“It's important [homelessness] because we need to recognize that there are individuals that need some dignity and state that they have a roof over their head to be able to interact with society again, because many have become disengaged. And so, hopefully, with the resources that come along with helping them get help and or receive the help that they need to get back on their feet is why it's important to us to help them to assess their lives, to redo their lives” Councilmember Cheryl Viegas-Walker said.
According to members of the task force, their three goals are to prevent and divert new households from becoming homeless, designing and operating a functioning coordinated entry system, and ending homelessness in Imperial County by moving those without a home into permanent housing as quickly as possible.
Police officers said that they have encountered challenges trying to help the community. However, they have identified various different groups throughout the homeless community: those who don’t want the help, those who struggle with mental or addictive illness, those who have a criminal record, those who want more than just a home or additional services, and those who are not permanent individuals in the city.
“A lot of problems related to our homelessness is education. I don't think people understand we don't need a shelter,” Sgt. James Thompson said.
With collaboration with the people from the community, the city's task force, and the city council; they are strategizing ways to prevent homelessness to become a bigger issue than it already is. “If they do it the same way for every city, it doesn't work well,” Thompson said.
Wayne, a homeless person who asked to keep his last name for privacy, said that he was spending a few weeks in El Centro before moving to Baja California, and emphasized his desire for a drug-free, tranquil environment where people may simply be, especially during the extreme weather. Wayne emphasized how tranquil it had been because there had been no disruptions for the majority of his stay, and whenever police checked in, he appreciated the frequent encounters he had with officers.
WomanHaven
WomanHaven is a non-profit organization that offers shelter services that are specifically for women, children, and men that need assistance that have suffered harmful effects of domestic violence, stalking, and human trafficking. They provide fully furnished rooms equipped to care for families in need.
Additionally, there is a confidential 24/7 crisis line where specialized bilingual operators provide crisis intervention, support, and referral to callers. WomanHaven’s goal with this service is to help survivors rebuild their lives, be safe, self-sufficient, and independent through various services such as; case management, counseling, advocacy, educational classes, employment assistance, support groups, food, clothing, legal services, court accompaniment, housing assistance, wellness services, children services, and transportation services.
"We have four to five housing programs, three of them are for those who need help regarding domestic violence and the others are for those suffering of homelessness for other reasons," Executive Director Gina Vargas said.
Their Wellness Program provides services to anyone in the community suffering from anxiety, depression, irritability, aggressiveness, feeling of hopelessness, mood swings, among others, or to anyone that has suffered trauma, a loss or is affected by mental illness. Services provided include assessment, plan development, individual therapy, rehabilitation, crisis intervention and case management services.
The program does have specific hours running Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., walk-ins are accepted or individuals can call (760) 337-3915 for an appointment. The management service accepts Medi-Cal and provides services to children, adolescents, and adults.
Legal services are also offered to clients by assisting with crisis intervention, assistance with restraining orders, legal clinic (dissolutions and parentage), referrals based on need, safety planning, family violence education, and court accompaniment.
Violence prevention is another major service found at WomanHaven. Anger management groups are classes offered in English and Spanish for men and women who are batterers of their partners, of their children, or recognize their unhealthy reactions to anger and seek to improve their communication skills. Throughout the courses individuals are educated through lectures, classes, videos, role-plays, exercises and group discussions to reevaluate their communication skills according to their website.
WomanHaven’s housing department helps families who struggle with secure housing. With this service a team case managers create an individual plan for the families needs and obstacles to housing or any other necessities. The goal after a family goes through the service is to have an indefinite home.
"We don't charge for services. Our services are based off those in need, we do ask a few questions to ask about their needs and situation. But there are no fees, our advocates are there to guide them, hold their hand, and help them file information needed," Vargas said.
Lastly, WomanHaven provides a thrift store outlet for those who need a new start. The thrift outlet has clothes, furniture, canned goods and household items.
According to Vargas, WomenHaven constantly involves themselves in the community by promoting different ways to get involved with their programs. For example, for Women’s History month last March the program celebrated women’s success in history, culture, and society. During this month, Women’s Haven encouraged the community to celebrate women's achievements, raise awareness about women's equality.
More recently, an according to the new times, WomanHaven is offering a chat service for those in the El Centro community that need consulting privately.
Catholic Charities
Antoinette Fallon, director of homeless services in San Diego, and Pedro Ramirez, program manager of Catholic charities in El Centro, agreed that the cause to help curb homelessness is moving in a very positive direction. The Catholic Church denomination of El Centro has been working together with homeless services in San Diego to ensure that El Centro is equipped with the best Services possible to help these individuals, both said.
The soon-to-be-opened visitor's center in El Centro will offer a full range of services, providing individuals who are at risk for homelessness valuable resources to avoid pitfalls such as failing to have any valid forms of identification when applying for jobs, Ramirez said.
“The day center is a critical first step for people in terms of accessing services,” Fallon added.
Ramirez described the day center as a sort of small coffee house where people could come in and look at options, talk to employees, or simply have a place to be out of the sun.
Staff will assist individuals obtain import documents, such as personal identification, birth certificates, social security cards, and more Ramirez said. Coaching for job interviews and personal wellness will also be available in addition to basic resources such as water, toiletries, and hygiene supplies.
Catholic Charities also operates a shelter called House of Hope, a safe place for those seeking refuge from the elements. The House of Hope is a bed shelter exclusively for homeless women and children. The organization also runs a men's homeless shelter in Calexico with a 50 bed-capacity.
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Ariadna Rodriguez Perez is a journalism student at San Diego State University.
Liliana Murillo recently graduated as a journalism major from San Diego State University and is currently a producer in residence at WZZM 13, Grand Rapids.
Donovan Holland-Wasson is a journalism student at San Diego State University.
Alani Ayala, Samantha Festin and Fátima López contributed reporting.
This story was produced with the support of the Bilingual Program at the School of Journalism and Media Studies at San Diego State University in partnership with Project Sage.
Credits:
Photos by Samantha Festin and Fátima López.