Background:
People experiencing homelessness spend the majority of their time struggling to find their next meal, shelter and safety. Without a job, rising out of homelessness is nearly impossible. Most homeless individuals experience overwhelming barriers to secure employment. Some common roadblocks include criminal backgrounds, substance abuse, addiction and mental illness. Often it is difficul
t to access the internet to reply to job leads, transportation to interviews or job fairs may be unaffordable and there are few opportunities to use showers and/or laundry facilities to be presentable for interviews or work. Additionally, challenges accessing identification, finding storage for personal belongings and care for beloved pets during work hours create even more barriers to finding employment. For many other community members, who are not experiencing homelessness, it is difficult to understand the reasons behind the complicated issues that surround homelessness. Although there is a plethora of information regarding these issues, locally and nationally, many people have simply been misinformed and thus, have created myths, fears and/or stereotypes regarding those who are experiencing homelessness. To address these two points, PBSG has developed a two pronged approach:
1. Neighbors Experiencing Homelessness:
PBSG will seek and hire workers (Team Members), referred by local churches and agencies, who will be paid to care for the streets of Pacific Beach. Beautification of our community, through the labor efforts of our neighbors who are experiencing homelessness, is a win-win for PB! The neighborhood wins because our town is kept clean and beautiful and the workers win because they are offered the opportunity to serve the community through meaningful, paid jobs. Throughout the process, PBSG teams learn to work in collaboration with each other, their team leader, PBSG volunteers and other community members. They learn to trust and be trusted and are held accountable for their work ethic and work quality. PBSG workers are expected to be prompt, reliable, motivated and willing to be of service. In addition to work hour shifts, workers will be required to attend a weekly meeting to receive their paychecks, discuss work shifts, job related skill training, goals and goal setting. The team meeting is also the time for workers to receive spiritual training and encouragement, hear about available resources, celebrate successes and share their own stories and concerns.
2. Neighborhood Community Members:
Being compassionate and responsive to the needs of neighbors experiencing homelessness requires knowledge and practical training. PBSG will offer education regarding the many facets of homelessness to assist all members of the community to engage in better understanding of the complexity of the issues. To help shift attitudes and change perceptions, learning opportunities will be offered to businesses, groups/clubs, schools, agencies, etc. Topics will include:
- The definition of homelessness
- Causes of homelessness
- Costs of homelessness to the community
- Prevention
- Best practices in providing relief, rehabilitation and development
- Myths about homelessness
- Commonly asked questions
- Practical tips on how to engage with neighbors experiencing homelessness
