| 5/31/2013 |
| Kern County Now Boasts 49 SOAR Case Workers! |
One year ago, the Kern County Homeless Collaborative was still waiting to find out whether we would receive a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration training grant to implement the SOAR Project locally, to better assist homeless persons with mental illness and co-occurring substance use disordersin applyingfor Social Security disability benefits.
Today (5/31/2013), just 11 mont
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| 5/23/2013 |
| Once Homeless, 2 KCHC Colleagues Get SOAR Training |
The Kern County Homeless Collaborative (KCHC) will hold its second SOAR Training next week (May 28-31) at Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, to certify 21 local case managers and benefits specialists on a best-practices method that expedites access to Social Security disability assistance for homeless persons with serious mental illness and/or co-occurring substance use disorders.
Among tho
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| 5/23/2013 |
| Welcome Home, Barry Tatum--Thanks to Home First! |
Barry Tatum, 53, is living proof that it takes a collaborative to house a homeless person—and keep him housed.
A little more than a week ago, Barry moved into his own apartment thanks to the Home First Project of the Kern County Homeless Collaborative – our local contribution to the 100,000 Homes Campaign, which aims to house the most vulnerable street homeless in America before they
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| 5/10/2013 |
| Transport Meeting Draws Solid KCHC Participation |
A localfeedback meeting to help update Kern County's Coordinated Public Transit/Human Services Transportation Plan, with an emphasis on the needs ofolder adults, disabled persons, and low-income individuals and families--including the homeless--drew strongattendance from members and partners of the Kern County Homeless Collaborative.
TheMay 10 noontime meeting, held at Greater Bakersfield Legal A
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| 5/9/2013 |
| Delano Outreach Helps 83 At-Risk Families |
Eighty-three rural families from northern Kern—including a number of elderly and disabled persons—received valuable information and direct services from the Kern County Homeless Collaborative’s Homeless Consumers and Service Providers Committee on Wednesday, May 8, at the Delano Community Connection Center’s food distribution outreach.
As they stood in line for one to two
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| 5/7/2013 |
| County Announces ESG Funding Opportunity |
The County of Kern Planning and Community Development Departmenthasreleased a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)ofclose to $115,000 in U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Emergency Solutions Grant funding for eligible private nonprofit organizations and general units of localgovernment that can deliver Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing (HPRP)-relatedservices.
The applic
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| 5/7/2013 |
| WeConnect Health Fair Still Seeking Volunteers |
All hands on deck!
WeConnect, afree, all-day resource fairthat aims to link local homeless and poor individuals and families to public health insuranceand other benefits and services, is less than two weeks away and still seeking volunteers--especially those who are bilingual in English and Spanish.
The event is scheduledto last from11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, at the Kern County Fairg
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| 4/17/2013 |
| Housing, Art, Laughter and Tears at W. Columbus |
More than 100 people crowded the courtyard and Community Roomat The Residences at West Columbus today (4/17/2013) for the Grand Opening of this affordable housing project, and the "Home. Street. Home" Art Exhibit to benefit the Kern County Homeless Collaborative.
This much anticipateddual event--whichwas generously coveredby most local media--is sure to holdlots of memorable moments fo
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| 4/12/2013 |
| 'West Columbus': A Precious New World Called Home |
Construction, site improvement, structures and other hard costs of the Residences at West Columbus, which celebrates itsGrand Opening on April 17: $9 million.
Total development costs, including architect,attorney, environmental study, lender and other fees for this affordable housing project of Kern County Homeless Collaborative member Golden Empire Affordable Housing Inc. (GEAHI): $13 million.
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| 4/10/2013 |
| KCHC Seeks Rural Outreach Committee Participants |
The wildflowers are not the only thing blooming in rural Kern these days: There is a new budding effort of theKern County Homeless Collaborative (KCHC)to establish its first ever Rural Outreach Committee--and when it blossoms, it will help to fill a huge gap in housing and services for homeless persons outside of Metro Bakersfield.
Actually, a Rural Outreach Committee of the KCHC has been a long
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| 4/10/2013 |
| NAEH: The State of Homelessness in America 2013 |
The National Alliance to End Homelessness' "State of Homelessness in America 2013" report, releasedyesterday (4/9/2013),highlights significant reductions in chronic and veteran homelessness, while calling attention to troubling economic, demographic and household trends that may signal increasedhomelessnessamong families and the working poor.
For its report, NAEH used data fromthe U.S
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| 4/5/2013 |
| 'WeConnect' Health Care Enrollment Fair Coming! |
Kern County is gearing up for an important health insurance enrollment and social services event on Saturday, May 18th, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.at the Kern County Fairgrounds, and Kern County Homeless Collaborative members and partners are urged to spread the word so that no eligible homeless or at-risk person in our community is left out.
“WeConnect” is a free, all-day event that was
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| 4/3/2013 |
| The Mission's New Transitional Living Project |
Kern County Homeless Collaborative member The Mission at Kern County inaugurated 15 additional transitional housingbeds in a dormitory-style setting for menyesterday (4/2/2013), with an open house andrefreshmentsenjoyed by fellow KCHCmembers andothers from the community.
Called the Transitional Living Project, this new endeavor of The Mission will allow men who have completed a 12-month disciples
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| 3/30/2013 |
| 'Home. Street. Home.' Art for the Homeless’ Sake |
The title of the upcoming art show, Home. Street. Home. is as simple--and deep--as the hope held by the artists who put it together on behalf of the homeless: Home means thathomeless people once had a home; Street represents the fact that, through an unfortunate series of life events, they now find themselves on the street; and, again,Home expresses the desire that they might have aplace to call h
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| 3/26/2013 |
| Hola, Kernhomeless.org! Bonjour! Konnichi wa! |
Our website, www.kernhomeless.org, has beaten down amultilingualbarricade in thebattle against homelessness, thanks to a new Google Translate feature that has been added--compliments of our web designer Interactive Educational Services (IES), Inc.
Arigato gozaimasu! Muchas Gracias! Muito obrigado! Xie-Xie,IES!
You can easily find the Google Translate feature on the upper right-hand corner of th
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| 3/26/2013 |
| Facebook.com/fohkern Feed Live on Kernhomeless.org |
The Kern County Homeless Collaborative's website, www.kernhomeless.org,now features
a live feed from its Facebook page,
Faces of Homelessness (www.facebook.com/fohkern).
This new feature can be found at the bottom center of the Home Page under "Faces of Homelessness."
As with the Google Translate feature, this, too,is a complimentary additionto the functionality of our website court
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| 3/16/2013 |
| BC 'Poverty 101' Workshop Rich in Pearls of Wisdom |
(Editor’s Note: This is the THIRD of three web posts on the heroic work of theBakersfield College Student Government Association (SGA)to assist hungry and financially insecure BC students and their children, while raising community awareness about students’ and other community members’ struggles with hunger, poverty and homelessness.
-You can access the FIRST web post, about the
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| 3/14/2013 |
| Home First 12: "Like a Normal Day of Living" |
Everybody calls her "Miss Gloria." Not to put "Miss" in front of her hame somehow doesn't seem right.
Maybe it's becauseGloria T.is so gracious and poised.
Maybe it's becausethe 59-year-oldkeeps her apartment so immaculately clean and welcoming.
Maybe it's because in her own soft-spoken way sheknows how to communicate exactly what she wants. Her Case Manager, Vicki Sykes of
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| 3/13/2013 |
| UW Event Yields Inspiration, Hefty Door Prizes |
Lots of Kern County Homeless Collaborative members joined KCHC Fiscal Sponsor United Way of Kern County Tuesday, March 12,2013, for its 23rd Annual Professional Development Conference for Nonprofits at The Marriott at the Convention Center in downtown Bakersfield.
Many walked away with new ideas for much-needed positive change in our community from the wide range of workshops offered, as well as
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| 3/13/2013 |
| HUD Renews $2.1 Million of KCHC Program Funding |
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today (3/13/13) that it is renewing funding for Continuum of Care (CoC) Programs to help end homelessness in 7,000 communities around the nation. Included among them is CA-604: our local jurisdiction which encompasses programs in all of Kern County.
The following existing Continuum of Care Programs in Kern received renewal funding:
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| 3/13/2013 |
| Homeless Count, Website Put KCHC on National Map |
The Kern County Homeless Collaborative's 2013 Homeless Point-in-Time Count (Homeless Census)results are now featured on an onlineinteractive map tool ofthe National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH). The interactive map tool can be accessed byclicking here.
Thishas been possible thanks to the KCHC's answering a call put out in February by the NAEH to Continuums of Care on Homelessness (CoC's)ac
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| 3/10/2013 |
| BC’s Renegade Pantry Serves a Noble Cause |
(Editor’s Note: This is the second of three web posts on the heroic work of the Bakersfield College Student Government Association to assist food insecure BC students and their children, while raising community awareness about students’ and other community members’ struggles with hunger, poverty and homelessness.
-You can access the FIRST web post, about the BC Oxfam Hunger Ban
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| 3/9/2013 |
| BC Oxfam Hunger Banquet: Great Food for Thought |
(Editor’s Note: This is the first of three web posts on the heroic efforts of the Bakersfield College Student Government Association to raise community awareness about poverty, hunger and homelessness issues confronted by BC students. The second web post is about how the Bakersfield College Renegade Pantry helps BC students in need--and their children! The third web post is about the 3/15/13
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| 3/5/2013 |
| Homeless Client: Can You Hear Me Now? |
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)passed a resolution last Thursday (2/28/2013) allowing certain cell phone service providersto roll out a federalassistanceprogramthat willmake limited cell phone talk/text free for extremely low income and homeless mobile users in California.
The basic plan offers a cell phone +250 talk minutes + 250 text messages monthly free, with affordable upgr
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| 3/4/2013 |
| KCHC Reaches AHAR Reporting Milestone |
Data may not be a very sexy sounding word, but it is one that helps the Kern County Homeless Collaborative (KCHC)present astrong case before theU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)about 1) the need for federal funding for homeless programs in our community, and 2) our performance as a collaborative in helping to reduce homelessness locally.
Each year, the KCHC is required to rep
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| 2/28/2013 |
| Fair Housing Now "iFairHousing" Thanks to New App |
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today (2/28/2013), through its list serve, that it has unveiled the first ever housing discrimination mobile application (app) for iPhone and iPad.
According to a HUD press release (click here to read it in its entirety), the app was developed by HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) and Hewlett Packard (HP)
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| 2/20/2013 |
| 2013 Homeless Census: Press Conference a Success |
The Kern County Homeless Collaborativesurprised the community andthe media yesterday(2/19/2013) with very positive news ata well attended press conferencewherethe findings of the 2013 Point-in-Time Homeless Count of Jan. 23-24 were revealed.
The eight-page report that was handed out to some 50 to 60attendees at Baker Street Village Community Center,and which can be downloaded by clicking here, co
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| 2/12/2013 |
| SOAR: First Application from Kern County Approved! |
The news came in a series of e-mailsbetween Tiffany Pierce, theOperations Support Bureau Chief of theSierra Branch of the Social Security Disability Determination Services Office (DDS)and Kern County Homeless Collaborative SOAR Co-Lead Gerald Cantu of Stewards, Inc.
"I talked to Tiffany,"Cantu wrote in a Jan. 29 e-mail."She took the occasion to inform me that the first SOAR applica
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| 2/11/2013 |
| Homeless Count: Mayor's Thanks & Press Conference |
It's not an everyday thing to get a letter from the mayor of one's city or county seat.
But the 140 or so volunteers who helped the Kern County Homeless Collaborative (KCHC)survey and count our county's homeless on Jan. 23-24, no matter where they volunteered or where they live in Kern County, got just that: a personal "Thank you" letter signed by Bakersfield Mayor Harvey L. Hall, who
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| 2/7/2013 |
| Website/Home First 12 Share Same-Day Milestone |
The 12th housing placement under the Kern County Homeless Collaborative’s Home First 12 effort to house the 12 most medically vulnerable homeless persons in Bakersfieldhappened on February 2, 2013—the one-year anniversary of our website, kernhomeless.org.
Two KCHC milestones that will always be celebrated on the same day!
TheKCHCexperienced a year of much growth and accomplishments i
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| 2/7/2013 |
| Introducing New 2-1-1 Kern County Online Directory |
Service providers working with homeless and at-risk clients: Have your dialing and typing fingers ready for a hands-on demonstration of the new 2-1-1 Kern County Online Resource Directory on Monday, February 11, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., at 5055 California Ave., Suite 210, in Bakersfield.
You'll have a chance to tour the new2-1-1 Kern County Facility;meet Call Specialists, Staff and Program Par
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| 2/4/2013 |
| Home First 12: KCHC Rescues Man from Death |
Seven months ago, the Kern County Homeless Collaborative held its Home First 12 Registry Week (June 18-22, 2012) as part of the 100,000 Homes Campaign to house the most vulnerable street homeless in America by mid-year 2014.
At the time, the plan was to house the 12 most medically compromised of Bakersfield’s street homeless. Ninety-two percent of them, 11 of the 12, have been housed succe
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| 2/1/2013 |
| Jewish Community Says "Shalom" to KCHC |
As the Kern County Homeless Collaborativecontinues to celebrate the One-Year Anniversary of our website, Kernhomeless.org, we highlight the successess achieved over the last year.
Certainly, 2012 was a year of new partnerships for the Homeless Collaborative, including with such organizations as the Kern County Community Corrections Partnership Committee and Meth Reduction Task Force; Griffith Ave
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| 1/31/2013 |
| Oildale PIT: Humor, Beautiful Teeth & More |
By Mary Sawyer
President & CEO
Portfolio Properties
I was allowed to be a part of the Kern County Homeless Collaborative’s 2013 Census of Sheltered and Unsheltered Homeless Persons on Weds.-Thurs., Jan. 23-24. After laughing, crying, shivering, and praying through it all, I am humbled to be able to share some of my experiences with you.
I pulled into the Bakersfield Homeless Center W
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| 1/30/2013 |
| HUD Fresno Rep. “Honored” to Partner with KCHC |
By Dr. Toulu X. Thao
Senior Management Analyst
U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD)
Fresno Field Office
I am sharing this exciting moment with you as you celebrate your website’s First Anniversary. I salute you from Fresno.
I am honored to have the opportunity of working with the Kern County Homeless Collaborative (Bakersfield/Kern Continuum of Care in HUD’s te
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| 1/30/2013 |
| Volunteer/Reporter Writes About Census Experience |
Valerie Cassity was one of the Kern River Valley area volunteers who assisted the Kern County Homeless Collaborative with this year's Point-in-Time (PIT) Unsheltered Homeless Count, which took place throughout Kern on Thursday, Jan. 24. (The Sheltered count had taken place the night before at the various emergency shelters, domestic violence shelters, and transitional housing programs for the home
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| 1/29/2013 |
| Attorney/SOAR Lead Helps Enter Point-in-Time Data |
By Neda Mashayekhi, Supervising Attorney, Community Homeless Law Center Project, and Kern County SOAR Lead
Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance
Since I started working with the Kern County Homeless Collaborative as the attorney for the Community Homeless Law Center Project with Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, I learned the purpose behind the hard work of the community to conduct the Point-
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| 1/29/2013 |
| Happy Birthday, Kernhomeless.org! |
The One-Year Anniversary of the launch of our Kern County Homeless Collaborative (KCHC) website, www.kernhomeless.org, is coming up Saturday, February 2, 2013, and to celebrate, we will be posting some success stories provided by our Collaborative members, friends and clients.
However, the website's First Anniversary Celebration officially began today (1/29/13) at the monthly meeting of the 10-Ye
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| 1/26/2013 |
| TBC/El Popular Highlight HUD Guest in PIT News |
Two local newspapers, English daily The Bakersfield Californian (TBC) and Spanish weekly El Popular, highlighted the participation of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Representative Dr. Toulu Thao in their coverage of Kern County's 2013 Point-in-Time (PIT) Homeless Count--El Popular on the front page of its Jan. 25 edition, including a photo.
Dr. Thao, who works at the HUD F
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| 1/25/2013 |
| HUD Calls KCHC SOAR Launch "Incredible Journey"! |
In a nationwide OneCPD (Community Planning &Development)e-mail list serveRequest for Applications forthis year's SOAR Technical Assistance Opportunity for Continuums of Care,the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development highlights the accomplishments of CoC's that have recentlycome on board with the SOAR effort, including...you guessed it, the Kern County Homeless Collaborative!
But th
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| 1/25/2013 |
| 2013 Census Count Augurs Reduced Homelessness |
Blame it on the rain, or attribute it to the great homelessness fighting efforts and growth of the Kern County Homeless Collaborative over the last couple of years, but the raw data coming in from the Point-in-Time Homeless Count surveys taken throughout Kern on Wednesday and Thursday this week (Jan. 23 – 24) seems to indicate a two-digit decrease in homelessness over the last full count of
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| 1/25/2013 |
| Marketing Director Humbled by Census Experience |
By Jan Lemucchi, Director of Communications and Marketing
United Way of Kern County
Driving to the Bakersfield Homeless Center as a volunteer for the Kern County Homeless Collaborative Census Count Wednesday night (1/23), I was a bit apprehensive.
How was I going to handle the duties given me? Was I actually going to be the one asking questionsof the homeless? Exactly what was I going to have
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| 1/25/2013 |
| FLOOD Board Member's Reflections on PIT Count |
By Caroline Reid, Board Member
FLOOD Bakersfield Ministries
Every time I participate in some activity related to the homeless, I realize that what they need is not another impersonal program with lots of rules and regulations, but a human being, preferably smiling, giving their situation complete attention while respecting their dignity.
I am proud to be living in a county where great value is
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| 1/25/2013 |
| Crisis Responder Gets Homeless Reality Check |
By Vicki Roenspiess, State Farm Insurance Employee
Volunteer Crisis Responder for Victim Relief Ministries
As a crisis responder with Victim Relief Ministries, I come into contact with the homeless fairly regularly at Kern Medical Center. I very often meet people there who dispel the stereotypes. I am blessed on a regular basis.
Yesterday (1/24), my team was initially deployed to the Bakersfiel
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| 1/25/2013 |
| Kern River Valley Latches on to KCHC Vision |
The Kern County Homeless Collaborative (KCHC) appreciates the generous support it has received from all of its rural partnersin conducting the 2013 Countywide Point-in-Time Homeless Count (or Homeless Census). Nevertheless,a special shout out must be given to our friends in theKern River Valley.
It's fair to say that as recently as last September, not many people in the Kern River Valley knew ve
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| 1/23/2013 |
| 2013 Kern County Homeless Count Begins |
With the help of dozens of volunteers, many from Kern County Homeless Collaborative partners, the 2013 Kern County Point-in-Time Homeless Count began in earnest tonight (1/23) at the various facilities that provide shelter or transitional housing to local homeless individuals and families.
At The Mission at Kern County, which started its count at 4 p.m., 125 men occupying emergency shelter beds,
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| 1/22/2013 |
| Homeless Census: Minus 24 Hours and Counting! |
The final training for volunteers of the2013 Kern County Point-in-Time Homeless Count took place today at the Mountain CommunitiesFamily Resource Center in Frazier Park.
Two leaders from that agency, Anne Weber and Kim Murray (R and L in the photo, respectively)were trained face-to-faceon the useof the CensusSurvey Form bythe Kern County Homeless Collaborative'sHomelessness Project Manager, Loui
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| 1/18/2013 |
| Bako/Kern SOAR Efforts Acknowledged Nationally |
Our partners at the SOAR(SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery)Technical Assistance Center of Policy Research Associates, Inc. submitted a news item about the Kern County Homeless Collaborative'srecent SOAR Training, that wasfeatured in the January 16 issue of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessnesse-newsletter. Click on this link to access the USICH publication, which has national reach, th
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| 1/18/2013 |
| HUD Rep to Assist in Kern County Homeless Count |
United Way of Kern County has been a beehive of activity all day today (1/18/2013), with 18 volunteers, mostly from Teen Challenge, helping United Way Office Manager Paula Fadel (bottommost photo) put together 2,000 incentive packets for the homeless who will be surveyed during theKern County 2013 Point-in-Time Homeless Count on Jan. 23 -24.
The Kern County Homeless Collaborative, together with
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| 1/10/2013 |
| 1/11 - 1/14 Cold Weather ALERT for Bako/Kern |
TheKern County Fire Department Office of Emergency Services reports that the National Weather Service is predicting acold weather event for our area from Friday – Monday, 1/11 - 1/14/2013 as follows:
• Kern CountyMountainsand Desert areas:Gusty winds of 50 mph or higher and 1-3 inches of snow (above 2,000 feet)which may cause hazardous travel and isolated damage;very low wind chill rea
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| 1/8/2013 |
| History-Making Mayor a True KCHC Friend |
As the Honorable Harvey L. Hall took the oath of office Monday night (1/7/2013), he became the first mayor to serve four consecutive terms in Bakersfield’s 115-year history.
City Council members, local mediaand well wishers--including the Mayor’s family; personnel from his company, Hall Ambulance; religious leaders and Kern County Homeless Collaborative members--packed the City Counci
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| 1/3/2013 |
| The Californian: Homeless Census Opinion Piece |
Click here to read a Community Voices opinion pieceon the upcoming Point-in-Time Homeless Count by Kern County Homeless Collaborative Homelessness Project Manager Louis Medina, of United Way of Kern County. The piece isfeaturedin today's (1/3/2013) edition of The Bakersfield Californian.
Thank you to allthe volunteers who are helping to make the upcoming Jan. 23-24 count of the homelessa reality
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| 12/18/2012 |
| SOAR Co-Lead Helps Cancer Survivor Get Benefits |
With the first SOAR (SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access & Recovery) training just finished less than two weeks ago, Kern County Homeless Collaborative SOAR Co-Lead Gerald Cantu of Stewards, Inc. was simply trying to practice submitting Social Security Applications in anticipationof when he eventually starts turning them in on behalf of the homeless using the SOAR method.
What ended up happening&mdash
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| 12/7/2012 |
| United Way Awards Half a Million+ in Grants |
Kern County Homeless Collaborative (KCHC) Member and Fiscal Sponsor United Way of Kern County today publicly announced awardstotaling $540,000 in Community Impact Grants to 16 local programs focusing on Hunger and Homelessness ($275,000), Education ($170,000), and Social Service Referrals—2-1-1 Kern County—($90,000) in 2013. A $5,000 Community Impact Opportunity Fund has also been set
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| 12/6/2012 |
| Meet Bakersfield/Kern's First SOAR Training Grads |
Thirty-one case managers and benefits specialists from 15 agency and business partners of the Kern County Homeless Collaborative (KCHC) received their SOAR(SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access & Recovery) certificates upon completing the Bakersfield/Kern community's first ever Stepping Stones to Recovery training today (12/6/2012).
The practical knowledge they learned in the two-daytraining held at KCHC
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| 12/5/2012 |
| And They're Off--And SOARing! |
The much-awaited first ever two-day (12/5-6/2012) SOAR training for Kern County Homeless Collaborative members and partners took off today with the participationof 31 representatives from 15 agencies/businesses.
SOAR Lead AgencyGreater Bakersfield Legal Assistance's large conference room was filled withcase workers, benefits specialists and others who gathered to learn the SSI/SSDI Outreach Acces
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| 12/2/2012 |
| AB109 Funding: KCHC Members Get Half the Money |
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The Kern County Homeless Collaborative (KCHC) congratulates members New Life Recovery & Training Center and Hearthstone Community Services for having been recommended to receive AB109 (California Safety Realignment Act) Grant Funding from the Kern County Community Corrections Partnership (CCP). These KCHC agencies together were recommended for awards adding up to 49.9% of the total $983,304.
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| 11/20/2012 |
| FLOOD Outreach Receives TBC Foundation Grant |
Kern County Homeless Collaborative (KCHC)member Flood Bakersfield Ministries has received a $5,000 grant from The Bakersfield Californian Foundationto help with the purchase of incentive items such as snacks, toiletries, bottled water and blanketsfor unsheltered homeless individuals reached through its U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-funded StreetOutreachProgram.
Flood was
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| 11/19/2012 |
| Bako Rapid-Rehousing gets HUD National Attention |
The City of Bakersfield has received a great honor today, by being highlighted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developmentamong just a fewnational "success stories" in the implementation of President Barack Obama'sAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act-funded Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program--particularly the Rapid Re-Housing Component.
A write-up about
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| 11/16/2012 |
| Local Media Highlight Recent KCHC Rural Outreaches |
The Kern River Sun highlighted the Kern County Homeless Collaborative's Nov. 7 presentation to Kern River Valley Revitalization, Inc.regarding homelessness and the upcoming Jan. 23-24 Countywide Point-in-Time Count of the Homeless. Here is a link to the online posting of the Nov. 14 article by writer Valerie Cassity, who, by the way, has signed up as a 2013 Homeless Census volunteer through the Vo
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| 11/16/2012 |
| Transition Age Youth Residences App. Period Opens |
Kern County Mental Health formally announces the opening of the application period for the Transition Age Youth (TAY) Permanent Supportive Housing Program at the Residences at West Columbus.
Expected to open by mid-March 2013, the Residences is a 56-unit rental apartment complex managed by the Housing Authority of the County of Kern.
Of the 56 units, 20 rent-assisted, one-bedroom units are
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| 11/14/2012 |
| Close to 100 Delano Families Reached by KCHC |
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Homeless Consumers & Service Providers Committee Chair Imelda Ceja-Butkiewicz of Kern County Public Health was happy.
So were the representatives from the 10 Kern County Homeless Collaborative (KCHC) partners present.
Why wouldn't they be?
Some 80 to 90 struggling households -- that's more than 100 people, one to two dozen of them children -- had been reached over a two-hour period.
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| 11/8/2012 |
| Kern River Valley's Fight vs. Homelessness/Hunger |
At 8,200 square miles, Kern is huge: the third largest county in California.
But because the majority of servicesfor Kern's homeless andat riskare concentratedin Bakersfield--includingthe county's only two full-service emergency shelters, Bakersfield Homeless Center and The Mission at Kern County (formerly The Bakesfield Rescue Mission)--rural communities often must make due with very littleto tr
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| 10/31/2012 |
| 100 Lunches Run Out at First KCHC 'Dale' Outreach |
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The Kern County Homeless Collaborative's first ever outreach in Oildale, held today (10/31/2012) in partnership with Riverview Assembly of God Church, was such a success that all 100 lunches that had been prepared by the church for the homeless and at-risk ran out, according to Pastor Terry Murtagh.
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| 10/24/2012 |
| Rapid Re-Housing Funding Opportunity from City |
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City of Bakersfield, California has issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for RAPID RE-HOUSING PROGRAM SERVICES from qualified service providers.
The City is seeking qualified service providers to submit proposals to provide Rapid Re-Housing services as defined in the Homeless Assistance and Rapid Transition to
Housing Act (HEARTH). The City desires Rapid Re-h
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| 10/17/2012 |
| GET Bus Blues |
The Kern County Homeless Collaborative's officialinformational flyer states that one of our main activities is to become a voice for the voiceless by advocating on behalf of the homeless.
That is exactly what some of the leadership of the Homeless Collaborative did yesterday (10/16/2012) at the Regular Board Meeting of the Golden Empire Transit District (GET Bus), echoing the concerns of many hom
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| 10/15/2012 |
| Kern Co Mental Health Posts RFA for AB109 Services |
The Request for Applicationsto the Grant Program for AB109-Related Services, wherein up to $930,000 is available to community-based organizations for projects to assist AB109 (California Safety Realignment Act) clients in Kern County, was posted today (10/15/2012)on the home page of Kern County Homeless Collaborative Member Agency Kern County Mental Health Department. Please click onthis link to r
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| 10/12/2012 |
| Faces in the Crowd at the 2012 Vets Stand Down |
By Louis Medina, Homelessness Project Manager
It is one thing to discuss homelessness in abstract, general terms; it is quite another to talk about the parts—the individuals—who make up the "homelessness" whole and to show, up close, the faces of homelessness.
The Kern County Homeless Collaborative (KCHC)always strives to protect the dignity and confidentiality of its clien
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| 10/11/2012 |
| 2012 Vets Stand Down Draws Strength from CVAF |
Kern County celebrated its 14th Annual Veterans Stand Down today (10/11/2012) at Bakersfield's Stramler Park. The day-long social services resource fair is special this year for the Kern County Homeless Collaborative for a very good reason: California Veterans Assistance Foundation.
It is the second year in a row that this KCHC member agency has been at the helm of this event, which is popular am
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| 10/2/2012 |
| City of Bakersfield Notice of Funding Availability |
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The City of Bakersfield's Community Development Department has announced that its Fiscal Year 2013-14 Funding Handbook, which describes the application process for the Community Development Block Grant, HOME Investment Partnership, and Emergency Solutions Grants programs is now available on the City's Website.
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| 9/28/2012 |
| Local SOAR Project Kickoff a Success |
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The one-day Kern County SOAR Kickoff and Planning Forum of Wednesday, September 26 began with an encouraging greeting from Bakersfield Mayor Harvey L. Hall, who also Chairs the Kern County Homeless Collaborative's 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness Committee.
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| 9/21/2012 |
| KCHC Requests Letters of Intent for CoC Funding |
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The Kern County Homeless Collaborative is now accepting Letters of Intent to Submit an Application for U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funding through the 2012 Continuum of Care Program.
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| 9/21/2012 |
| KCHC Makes Friends in the Kern River Valley |
The current and past Kern River Valley Rotarians who gathered at the Elks Lodge in Wofford Heights Thursday night (9/20/2012) to learn about the Kern County Homeless Collaborativemade upa small and intimate group of just ten people.
But among them were some heavyweight movers and shakers in the communities to the east of the Kern River Canyon:
Anna Leon, Marketing, Public Relations and Ou
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| 9/21/2012 |
| CVAF Receives $213K VA Transition in Place Grant |
Kern County Homeless Collaborative Member andlocalVeterans Stand Down organizing agency Calfornia Veterans Assistance Foundation (CVAF)hasbeen awarded a $213,000 grant by the Veterans Administration to temporarily house homeless veterans and then "transition them in place," without having to move them, into permanent housing.
"We are very excited about this new housing opportunity
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| 9/14/2012 |
| SOAR: We are Family! |
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Our Kern County Homeless Collaborative's Dr. Gerald Cantu of Stewards, Inc. and Neda Mashayekhi, Esq. of Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance just finished their Train the Trainer Training Week on the East Coast and are revved up, inspired and newly certified as SOAR Trainers.
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| 9/13/2012 |
| Learning Useful SOAR Tricks of the Trade |
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SOAR Train the Trainer Training in Providence, Rhode Island, continued today for Kern County Homeless Collaborative representatives Gerald Cantu of Stewards, Inc. and Neda Mashayekhi of Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance with useful menomic tools, formulas and slogans to help implement the SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery method successfully.
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| 9/12/2012 |
| GBLA at Heart of Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Victory |
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The Kern County Homeless Collaborative would like to congratulate member agency Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance for its participation in an historic lawsuit against a local landlord who was found to be sexually harassing female tenants.
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| 9/12/2012 |
| A Detailed Look at SOAR Project Benefits |
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Today (9/12/2012) is Day Two of Train the Trainer Training in Providence, Rhode Island, for our two Bakersfield/Kern SOAR Team Leads, Neda Mashayekhi of Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance and Dr. Gerald Cantu of Stewards, Inc.
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| 9/11/2012 |
| From East to West Coast, KCHC Excitement SOARS |
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SOAR Trainer Training - Day One, by Neda Mashayekhi
Day One of the SOAR "Stepping Stones to Recovery" training started today (Tuesday, September, 11, 2012) at 8:30 AM in Providence, Rhode Island.
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| 9/10/2012 |
| KCHC/Meth Task Force Collaboration Begins |
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A presentation by the Kern County Methamphetamine Reduction Task Force to the Kern County Homeless Collaborative's Discharge Planning Committee today resulted in an agreement on both sides to collaborate in an effort to raise awareness about meth use and its devastating effects among Kern's homeless and at-risk.
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| 9/5/2012 |
| Meth Task Force to Deliver Presentation to KCHC |
Dr. Dixie King, Facilitator for the Kern County Methamphetamine Reduction Task Force, will bring her thought-provoking "Kern Stop Meth Now" presentation to the Kern County Homeless Collaborative (KCHC).
Dr. King's presentation isbased on findings from an Impact Study that was conductedbetween 2008and 2009. She is scheduled to deliver ittwice toHomeless Collaborative membersas follows:
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| 8/31/2012 |
| KCHC Goes "Country" -- AND to "The Dale"! |
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The Kern County Homeless Collaborative is expanding its direct service outreach and educational activities beyond Metro Bakersfield and the rural community of Wasco--where quarterly outreaches began in March of this year--to Delano, the Kern River Valley Area and our urban neighbor to the north, Oildale.
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| 8/25/2012 |
| El Popular News Features KCHC Wasco Outreach |
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The Friday, August 24 issue of local Spanish language weekly El Popular features a front-page article about the direct service outreach the Kern County Homeless Collaborative conducted on Monday, August 20, at Griffith Avenue Baptist Church in Wasco.
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| 8/22/2012 |
| Steering Committee Grows from 13 to 27 in a Day |
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The Kern County Homeless Collaborative's Steering Committee, which governs the Collaborative's business and monitors the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-funded Continuum of Care programs that provide housing and supportive services to local homeless, more than doubled in size yesterday (8/21/2012) thanks to a revision of the KCHC Bylaws.
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| 8/16/2012 |
| United Way/KCHC Seek Experienced Data Analyst |
United Way of Kern County and the Kern County Homeless Collaborative seek experienced Data Analyst to work with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-mandated Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) to meet the data quality requirementsof the HUD-funded Continuum of Care. Duties include: Extensive data analysis on local homelessness; Identification of service needs; Identification
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| 8/3/2012 |
| Delano/So. Bako Kiwanis Welcome KCHC Presentation |
In a joint luncheon of the Delano and South Bakersfield Kiwanis Clubs at Delano's historicalHeritage Park, a monument to Delano's pioneers,Kern County Homeless Collaborative Homelessness Project Manager Louis Medina, of United Way of Kern County,spoke to about 25Kiwanis memberstoday (8/3)regarding homelessness and the KCHC, and was invited to return for a breakfast with the Delano Community Allian
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| 7/19/2012 |
| The Verdict: Homeless Court Helps KCHC Clients |
Q: Which of the following do you believe best describes Kern County Community Homeless Court:
A) A cost-free way for homeless people to clear a misdemeanor, ticket or fine off their record by fulfilling a judgment to participate in a program in lieu of doing community service.
B) A special session of Kern County Superior Court, generously offered on a volunteer basis by local judges and clerks t
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| 7/16/2012 |
| HUD Posts HEARTH Act Implementation Updates |
HEARTH Act Implementation Updates
The Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act of 2009 (HEARTH Act), enacted into law on May 20, 2009, consolidates HUD’s competitive homelessness assistance grant programs and names this merger, the Continuum of Care (CoC) Program.
o HUD is posted the interim regulation for the new Continuum of Care Program to the HUD Homelessne
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| 7/14/2012 |
| New Life Center for Men Opens Soon in East Bako |
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DOD Construction's Chief Executive Officer Derrick Dickerson had an empty housing facility as far east as you can go along Edison Highway while still being in Bakersfield.
He also had a vision for men who, like himself, had served time in a correctional institution: "If I can get them here, I can get them trained and I can get them back into society."
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| 7/10/2012 |
| We Love You Back, Mayor Hall! |
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f the members and friends of the Kern County Homeless Collaborative ever wondered just how much Bakersfield Mayor Harvey L.Hall loves us and the local homeless community members we serve, consider this:
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| 7/9/2012 |
| Wasco Outreach on Hot July Day Warms Hearts |
The Kern County Homeless Collaborative (KCHC) conducted its July Direct Service Outreach tothe rural community of Wasco this morning (7/9) at Griffith Avenue Baptist Church, which distributes Fresh & Easy and Save Mart Supermarkets food donations daily.
More than 20 people, including some disabled seniors in wheelchairs, were lined up outside the church kitchenshielding themselves with umbrel
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| 7/2/2012 |
| Home Sweet 'Home First 12' |
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Four of the 12 most vulnerable homeless found on the streets of Bakersfield by the Kern County Homeless Collaborative last month moved into their new homes today.
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| 6/29/2012 |
| CVAF Awarded $122K to Train Homeless Vets for Jobs |
Kern County Homeless Collaborative member California Veterans Assistance Foundation has been awarded a $122,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program to help Kern County homeless vets with job training so they can succeed in civilian careers.
The grant for CVAF is one of 64 awarded throughout the nation this year as part of more than $15 million a
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| 6/29/2012 |
| Changing of the Homeless Census Guard at KCHC |
This month, the Kern County Homeless Collaborative said, not "Goodbye," but "See you around," to an old friend: long-timeHomeless Census Committee Chair Gene Saint-Amand(foreground), who is going to shift gears from counting the homeless and writing multi-million dollargrants to secure dignified, stable housing and services for them, to spending some well-deserved "me"
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| 6/28/2012 |
| Technical Assistance Award Makes KCHC Spirits SOAR |
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The Kern County Homeless Collaborative (KCHC) has been selected by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration as just one of nine Continuums of Care from among 30 applicants across the nation to receive technical assistance designed to help make Social Security disability programs more accessible to the homeless and at risk.
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| 6/23/2012 |
| Home First 12 - Day 5 - A Team Leader's Journal |
HOPE
By Louis Medina, Homelessness Project Manager
This last web post on my Home First 12 Bakersfield Homeless Registry Week experience has no photos. It is a words-only web post.
But in sharing through my words some of the images from this week that are etched forever in my mind, I hope to show you, in a way that is more graphic than photos, some of the things I have been privileged to see an
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| 6/21/2012 |
| Home First 12 - Day 4 - A Homeless Woman's Death |
By Louis Medina, Homelessness Project Manager
The details on decedentDarlene Sue Pengilley, according to theKern County Office of the Coroner,are as follows:
Date of birth: 8/17/1957.
Date of death: 2/18/2011.
Age at death: 53.
Cause of death: Heart disease (a full autopsy was not done, only an external examination, as the Coroner's Officegained accesstothe decedent's medical history from the
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| 6/20/2012 |
| Home First 12 - Day 3 - A Day of Smiles |
By Louis Medina, Homelessness Project Manager
Today, Day 3 of Home First 12 Bakersfield Homeless Registry Week, has been a day of smiles.Our first survey this morning was with Paul Batsford, a 28-year-old originally from New York who has been homeless for 10 years. He joked around with our team and made us laugh. Paul sleeps on the streets and on a roof, he said. He was carrying a backpack and pl
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| 6/19/2012 |
| Home First 12 - Day 2 - A Team Leader's Journal |
By Louis Medina, Homelessness Project Manager
Like most Californians, I jump in my car whenever I need to go anywhere.
The urban landscape I see from my car window is fast-moving and, to a great extent, ordered bywhere I'm going,whether I need to stop or slow down, and where I choose to park. In a word, the urban landscape I'mfamiliar with is edited. By me. I can drive to a nice part of town, s
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| 6/19/2012 |
| Veteran - Team Leader - "Muse" |
Home First 12 Bakersfield Homeless Registry Week could not succeed without the significant involvement of caring volunteers and the dedicated staff of the member agencies of the Kern County Homeless Collaborative. As part of Home First 12 (the local name for the 100,000 Homes Campaign to house the 100,000 most vulnerable homeless persons in America by July 2014) theHomeless Collaborative encourage
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| 6/19/2012 |
| Home First 12 - "Muse's" Husband Also "Muses" |
Home First 12 Bakersfield Homeless Registry Week could not succeed without the significant involvement of caring volunteers. As part of Home First 12 (the local name for the 100,000 Homes Campaign to house the 100,000 most vulnerable homeless persons in America by July 2014) the Kern County Homeless Collaborative encourages volunteers to write about their experiences in providing this life-saving
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| 6/18/2012 |
| Home First 12 - Day 1 - A Team Leader's Journal |
By Louis Medina, Homelessness Project Manager
It would be false for me to say I knew what I wouldfind today as I went outlooking forunsheltered homeless persons as part of the Home First 12 project of theKern County Homeless Collaborative.
I knew what to expect, somewhat: for example, signs of the ravages that years of homelessness, substance abuse, mental illness, diseaseand exposure to the ele
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| 6/18/2012 |
| Home First 12 - "Musings" from a Volunteer |
Home First 12 Bakersfield Homeless Registry Week could not succeed without the significant involvement of caring volunteers. As part of Home First 12 (the local name for the 100,000 Homes Campaign to house the 100,000 most vulnerable homeless persons in America by July 2014) the Kern County Homeless Collaborative encourages volunteers to write about their experiences in providing this life-savin
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| 6/15/2012 |
| Home First 12 Training Draws 80 Volunteers |
The volunteer training for Bakersfield Homeless Registry Weekbrought togetherapproximately 80 participants who hope to makehousing for12 medically vulnerable unshelteredhomeless in our communitya reality through the life-saving project that is Home First 12, a part of the 100,000 Homes Campaign, which aims to house the 100,000 most vulnterable homeless persons in America by July 2014. Home First 1
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| 6/12/2012 |
| Home First 12 Community Voices in The Californian |
The Bakersfield Californian today published a Community Voices Opinion piece by the Kern County Homeless Collaborative's Homelessness Project Manager Louis Medina. You canaccess the article by clicking on this link.You can also read it the "old school way" inthe 6/12/2012printed edition of the newspaper, on page 11.
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| 6/8/2012 |
| Home First 12 - "I'm lovin' it" |
The Kern County Homeless Collaborative today purchased 300 McDonald's $5 gift cards to give out to local unsheltered homeless during Home First 12 Bakersfield Homeless Registry Week beginning Monday, June 18.
That week, the KCHC will make history in the local fight against homelessness by implementing, through Home First 12, the 100,000 Homes Campaign model.The 100,000 Homes Campaignis a nationa
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| 6/4/2012 |
| Baker Street Village "Beautifully" Honored |
The Housing Authority of the County of Kern's Baker Street Village, ahandsome mixed-use developmentat 1015 Baker Street inOld Town Kern that includesaffordable apartments and a community center,has beenhonored by the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce with the 2012 Beautiful Bakersfield Chairman'sAward.
Baker Street Village was "Selected from all nominations submitted, for exemplary act
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| 6/1/2012 |
| VA/100,000 Homes Campaign Partnership Announced |
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs this week announced a partnership with the 100,000 Homes Campaign designed to house 10,000 homeless veterans in 2012. This news is particularly exciting for Bakersfield/Kern because it is a 100,000 Homes Campaign-registered community.
The 100,000 Homes Campaignis a national movement, spearheaded by New York-based nonprofit Community Solutions, whic
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| 6/1/2012 |
| KCHC Friend: Once Homeless, Now CSUB-Bound |
Former Kern County Homeless Collaborative Steering Committee Member and Homeless Consumer Representative Lisa English has received PG&E's Bright Minds Scholarship: a $30,000 investment in her education by the utilities company.
The Bright Minds Scholarship Program is PG&E's biggest scholarship program ever, according to an online announcement posted Wednesday (5/30/2012).
Soon afterthe n
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| 4/22/2012 |
| Project Homeless Connect: Connection Accomplished |
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Project Homeless Connect - Bakersfield, held Saturday, April 21, in and around the Bakersfield Rescue Mission, was truly a time for connecting. This first-ever one-day event, organized for our community by the Kern County Homeless Collaborative, was the catalyst needed to connect some 500 homeless men, women and children to life-changing housing and supportive services.
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| 4/19/2012 |
| Project Homeless Connect Community Voices in TBC |
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The Bakersfield Californian featured a Community Voices piece by Homelessness Project Manager Louis Medina in today's Opinion Section of the paper, as well as online. The article discusses the upcoming Project Homeless Connect - Bakersfield resource fair, and practical ways to destigmatize homelessness. Please click on "Read All" below to access a link to the article.
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| 4/14/2012 |
| Social Security Training to KCHC Members a Success |
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A rainy Friday the 13th of April turned out to be quite the lucky day for the dozen Kern County Homeless Collaborative member and partner agencies that attended a free four-hour training conducted at the Public Health Department by the local Social Security Administration. Please click on "Read All" below to learn more.
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| 4/11/2012 |
| GBLA's First Fair Housing Conference set for 4/24 |
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The Fair Housing Law Project of Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance will host its first ever Fair Housing Conference from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 24, at the East Training Room of Kern County Mental Health, 3300 Truxtun Ave., in Bakersfield. Please click on "Read All" below to read the full announcement and download a conference flyer for this FREE event.
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| 4/4/2012 |
| HUD-VASH Resource Guide Now Available |
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The Department of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Resource Guide for Permanent Housing and Clinical Care is now available online at www.va.gov/homeless. HUD-VASH’s goals are to place homeless Veterans in safe, stable, affordable permanent housing. Click on "Read All" below to go to the link.
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| 4/4/2012 |
| Project Homeless Connect Pre-registration Opens |
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Project Homeless Connect is just around the corner. At this one-day resource fair on April 21, the Kern County Homeless Collaborative aims to serve 500 persons experiencing homelessness. Attendees can pre-register at the Housing Authority of the County of Kern, 601 24th St., M-F 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This will allow them to avoid long lines the day of the event. Click on "Read All" to learn more.
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| 3/27/2012 |
| W. Columbus Project a New World for Foster Youth |
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Homeless Collaborative member agency Golden Empire Affordable Housing broke ground today on its Residences at West Columbus affordable housing development for families and emancipated foster youth. The 56-unit project will boast one-, two- and three-bedroom apartment homes plus a community center, and will house and provide services for 20 aging out youth. Click on "Read All" below to learn more.
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| 3/25/2012 |
| Rockhill Farm's Groundbreaking a Feel-Good Event |
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Rockhill Farm, a faith-based, nonprofit rehabilitation program for former felons, gang members and drug addicts, expanded its organic farming operations yesterday with the groundbreaking of a new 10-acre location at the crossing of David and North Wheeler Ridge Roads in Arvin. Called "Seeds of Change," the event drew community dignitaries and local media. Click on 'Read All' below to learn more.
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| 3/21/2012 |
| Homeless Collaborative Launches Wasco Outreach |
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The Homeless Consumers and Service Providers Committee of the Kern County Homeless Collaborative reached a new milestone today by increasing its "outreach footprint" to the rural community of Wasco. Jim Wheeler, Executive Director of the City of Wasco Housing Authority, a Collaborative member agency, was instrumental in procuring a location for the outreach. Click on "Read All" below to learn more
...more
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| 3/13/2012 |
| $2.8 Million in HUD Dollars for New CoC Projects |
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The Kern County Homeless Collaborative will be receiving $2.8 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for new programs to fight homelessness locally, according to a HUD press release issued today. This local funding is part of $201 million HUD has awarded for fiscal year 2011-12 to Continuums of Care around the country. To learn more, click on "Read All" below.
...more
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| 3/6/2012 |
| Friends of KERNHOMELESS.ORG at UW Conference |
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Some friends of kernhomeless.org attended United Way of Kern County's 22nd Annual Nonprofit Development Conference at the Bakersfield Marriott on Tuesday, March 6. L.A.-based painter Pat Berger, whose images of the homeless are featured on our website, was the lunchtime keynote speaker. Meanwhile, Luis Albertson, Sales Manager for IES Inc., which designed the site, was present at a trade booth.
...more
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| 3/5/2012 |
| HUD Equal Access to Housing Rule Published |
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HUD's “Equal Access to Housing in HUD Programs – Regardless of Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity” Final Rule went into effect today (3/5/2012). Click on the "Read All" button below to read more.
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| 3/3/2012 |
| KCHC Members at 100,000 Homes Campaign Bootcamp |
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Representatives from FLOOD Bakersfield Ministries and United Way of Kern County attended a 2-day bootcamp in L.A. to learn how to bring the 100,000 Homes Campaign to Kern. The 100K Homes Campaign is a life-saving project to house the 100,000 most vulnerable homeless persons in America before they succumb to disease, addiction and exposure to the elements. Click "Read All" below to learn more.
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| 2/27/2012 |
| Continuum of Care Check-Up |
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The Kern County Homeless Collaborative's Continuum of Care, which is the grouping of agencies and programs funded by the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development to provide housing and supportive services to the homeless, is currently going through a self-administered check-up process.
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| 2/21/2012 |
| KCHC Steering Committee Meeting is Moving |
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Beginning with the February 21, 2012 meeting, the Steering Committee of the Kern County Homeless Collaborative will meet at the Baker Street Village Community Center at 1015 Baker St. The meeting time remains at 9:30 a.m.
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| 2/21/2012 |
| Sharp Rise in Number of Food Stamp Recipients |
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In another sign of the difficult financial times we're living in, The Bakersfield Californian reported today that 15% of Americans (45 million) rely on food stamps. In Kern County, CalFresh program participants increased from 35,324 in November of 2008 to a jaw-dropping 54,708 in November of 2011, with students, working parents and college-educated individuals among new recipients.
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| 2/13/2012 |
| Kernhomeless.org "Worth Noting" in The Californian |
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The Bakersfield Californian wrote about kernhomeless.org in the 2/13 issue of the paper. Bakersfield Mayor Harvey L. Hall's personal monetary donation, which made possible the design of the website by local web development firm IES, Inc., was acknowledged in the write-up.
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| 2/9/2012 |
| ESG Implementation Video from HUD Secretary |
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U.S. Department of Housing and Urband Development Secretary Shaun Donovan prepared a video message for Emergency Solutions Grant recipients, Continuums of Care and other HUD partners in the fight against homelessness. His message sets a clear direction for how HUD wants ESG funding to be prioritized: on Rapid Re-housing, CoC Collaboration, and quality data collection.
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| 2/5/2012 |
| Homeless Enjoy Superbowl Party at St. Vincent's |
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Kern County Homeless Collaborative partner agency St. Vincent de Paul Center on Baker Street hosted a Superbowl party for about 80 homeless persons on Superbowl Sunday. This is the second such Superbowl party the center has hosted for the homeless, according to The Bakersfield Californian.
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| 2/3/2012 |
| Equal Access to Housing |
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Today, HUD published its new rule, "Equal Access to Housing in HUD Programs Regardless of Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity." It will take effect on 3/5/12, ensuring that HUD-funded housing is made available without regard to actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or marital status. To read the rule, click "Read All" below, then on "Equal Access to Housing."
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