Featured in Spectrum News!

Featured in Spectrum News!

In a recent segment on Spectrum News, journalist Rachel Menitoff toured Union Station Homeless Services’ Adult Center and Admin Center to get the inside scoop on how inflation is affecting our organization. In her tour, Rachel gets a recipe for an affordable and nutritious meal prepared by Chef Lawrence. Watch the segment here:

LAist Articles About the Effects of Inflation

LAist Articles About the Effects of Inflation

Inflation has hit a 40-year high and is affecting the ability of homelessness service providers to provide basic needs like food and shelter.

Over the last 12 months, from May 2021 to May 2022, food prices have risen 10.1%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This means food budgets aren’t going as far as they used to and providers, like Union Station Homeless Services, are having to get more creative, even resorting to creating Amazon wish lists for donations.

Union Station Homeless Services’ Chef Marisa said she is doing an economic version of the show “Chopped” to work with the food they have and combat rising costs and meat shortages.

“Everything is getting so expensive that I have to find creative ways to create a dish where the people won’t miss the meat,” Chef Marisa said. This approach led to her creating a new potato chicken cheesy taco dish. “They notice the difference but in a positive way.”

Read the full story on LAist.

Weekly Lunches for Unhoused Residents Aim to Fight More than Hunger at Garfield Park

A small group of compassionate activists has been doing on a weekly basis at Garfield Park in South Pasadena. Anne Bagasao and Fahren James — who are cofounders and members of the South Pasadena Tenants Union and Black Lives Matter South Pasadena respectively — conceived the idea in early January, after successfully hosting large-scale food & donation drives last year during the holidays. “When I saw how grateful and how happy the folks that we were serving (were), it just occurred to me that I could do more,” Bagasao tells the South Pasadenan News.

She reflects that when she started, it was worth it “to cook a hot meal for several of the guys or make sandwiches and take (it) to them once a week.” It wasn’t just enough, she says, to show up on Thanksgiving and Christmas and tell them “you’re own your own for another 12 months.” Bagasao then conferred with local unhoused residents to agree on Mondays to meet at the park.

Marina Ella Rodriguez, Union Station Homeless Services housing navigator.

 

Also present was Marina Ella Rodriguez, a housing navigator for Union Station Homeless Services who oversees both South Pasadena and Arcadia. “I do outreach in those two cities, case management & referrals, and housing plans for individuals who are experiencing homelessness,” Rodriguez explained. Performing outreach weekly through conduits like Shower of Hope and programs at Holy Family Church, her relationship with many of the citizens in attendance preceded the lunches in the park.

 

Establishing trust is essential and Rodriguez hopes to build a rapport and continue to fortify those relationships, her end goal being getting them closer to housing. Gathering vital information from those in attendance, she expressed gratitude to the organizers, “I think it really helps individuals who are experiencing homelessness feel like a part of the community, it makes them feel welcome and accepted… that makes a huge change in terms of their motivation.”

 

Shawn Morrissey Promoted to Senior Director of Advocacy and Community Engagement

Union Station Homeless Services announces the promotion of Shawn Morrissey, to the Senior Director of Advocacy and Community Engagement, as a senior member of the organization’s Executive Team.

In this role, Shawn continues to lead the advocacy work of Union Station, advocating for best practices and policies around homelessness, service provision, housing, and accessibility and sustainable housing.

“Shawn brings extensive knowledge of the issues involved in addressing homelessness, with 17 years of experience in the field of homeless advocacy, service provision and social justice,” – Anne Miskey, CEO.

News About Beloved Employee, Elena Ledford

We are shocked and devastated by the sudden and tragic death of Elena Ledford, who worked for Union Station for the past three years. Elena was more than a beloved employee and coworker, she was a member of our Union Station Family. We are thankful for the support of law enforcement agencies in their investigation of Elena’s death. We extend our deepest sympathies to the Ledford Family for this unfathomable loss, and we are thinking of Elena’s parents, daughter, sister, and her friends and family during this terrible time.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-11-27/pasadena-park-victim-outreach-worker?fbclid=IwAR0VnaJTs3GTwT_gpgmpmR1AKTNlCrFY7TtBxH6CIHMGKR2b7-4u-_vK3YI

How Do You Relate to Homelessness?

By ANNE MISKEY 

The following article was originally published by Los Angeles Business Journal in conjunction with their Women’s Leadership Series and Awards. Union Station Homeless Services CEO, Anne Miskey, was nominated as a CEO who is leading through these chaotic times. The Awards and Keynote will be taking place virtually on October 21 from 2-4 pm.  

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If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it is that home equals safety. We are told to stay home to stay safe. Many of us have turned our dining room tables into offices, some have converted closets into creative school spaces for their kids. We’ve all learned to Zoom!

Most of us have been able to stay safe. But what about those without homes, living in shelters or on the streets, those who can’t stay safe at home? Unlike Dorothy, in the Wizard of Oz, they can’t just click their heels three times and say “there’s no place like home,” and suddenly be safe in a place of their own.

It takes a lot more than three clicks of our heels to help people find a home, something we know well at Union Station Homeless Services. Our staff work tirelessly and constantly to meet people where they are – whether they’re living under an underpass or in their car, and help them find a place that they can call their own.

But finding affordable rental apartments in Los Angeles County is easier said then done. Los Angeles has one of the highest cost housing markets in the country. Add to that the “not in my backyard” NIMBY mentality of many residents who don’t want “those (homeless) people in their communities” means that finding housing for people requires determination, ingenuity and a “never give up” attitude.

Fortunately, these are all things my staff have in abundance. So, how have we dealt with some of these challenges? How do we find homes for people experiencing homelessness?

LANDLORD ENGAGEMENT

We know that to find apartments, we first have to find landlords. But the question is how to convince a landlord to rent to us – at often below market rent, for an individual or a family who has been living on the street or in their car? Well, the answer was relatively simple. It is about relationships!

Our staff spends much of their time getting out to meet and to know landlords, explaining how we work and introducing them to our clients. Our staff goes beyond what they need to do. They are available 24/7 if there is a concern or a problem. We immediately take action if someone is late on rent, or is making too much noise. We work with the client, and the landlord, to make sure the experience – and the housing – works for both parties.

As a result of these relationships, we are working with over 120 landlords – and so far only one has stepped back from renting to us (they needed to reclaim the apartment for a family member). Instead, our landlords tell others about how great it is to work with us and what a difference it makes to them.

Next is dealing with those who object to housing people in their neighborhoods? We discovered that connecting people within the neighborhood truly makes a difference. To do this we launched our award-winning Community Allies program, a program that brings together community volunteers with individuals or families who have been recently housed. When people get to know people, see each other as fellow human beings with the same needs, hopes and dreams, it changes both hearts and minds. Now, instead of saying “not in my neighborhood” people say, “welcome neighbor.”

“Here was something I could actually do, something where I could really make a difference,” said Dr. Monique Margetis about the Community Allies Program.

At the end of the day, finding housing for people requires determination, ingenuity and fostering relationships by connecting to humans in new, creative and authentic ways. Won’t you be part of the solution to ending homelessness by welcoming new neighbors into your committee?