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Page 10 Fullerton Observer EARLY-MARCH 2009 “Homeless in Fullerton” from a photo series by Mike Magoski of the Violet Hour Studio & Gallery, 225 W. Santa Fe Ave., Fullerton 92832 (near Highland) 714-441-1504 Helping Fullerton’s Homeless by Tracy Wood They’re school teachers and police officers, business owners, lawyers, accountants, teens, grandparents, college students, corporate executives, a professional caterer, a nutritionist and four generations of the same family. And they have one thing in common: they volunteer regularly to help Fullerton’s homeless. Dozens of Fullerton residents are parttime chefs for the six area churches that serve a hot meal almost every day to those in need. Other volunteers serve in the temporary shelters provided by religious groups for singles or couples who are employed or job hunting, but have no place to live. More help stock food banks, volunteer at the National Guard Armory during the winter, or make and deliver sandwiches to the hot meal centers so the homeless have food to take with them when they leave. And as the economy worsens, the need is growing, according to those who run several of the food programs. “We’re seeing increases across the board,” said Judi Bambas, executive director of Fullerton Interfaith Emergency Service (FIES). In past years, she said, almost everyone served by FIES had very low incomes, but in recent months, she said, with layoffs and employment cutbacks, formerly middle income wage earners have become homeless, faced with the choice “do I pay my rent or feed my family?” Those helped by the services aren’t just the fulltime homeless. In the current economy, seniors on fixed incomes, the working poor and the temporarily unemployed seek help. The task of caring for them falls to three main groups: Fullerton Interfaith Emergency Service (FIES), which helps homeless families and individuals find homes and jobs and operates a foodbank; Mercy House, which runs the National Guard Armory on Brookhurst as a winter shelter, and the churches that serve regular hot meals and sandwiches. Funding comes from county, state and federal programs, corporate donations, private foundations and the core churches and synagogue that are part of FIES. Orange County homeless statistics for 2009 won’t be available until late spring, but in 2007, according to county estimates, there were 35,065 “episodes” of homelessness. The term episode is used because a family or individual may have been homeless more than once during the year. Overwhelmingly, those without homes were families with children, said Kelly Lupro, Homeless Coordinator for the county’s Homeless Prevention Division. There are no official statistics for cities, but Sgt. Mike MacDonald, spokesman for the Fullerton Police Department, said on any given day, between 125 and 150 people in town are believed to be without a home. FIES Foodbank Founded by Barbara Johnson and Fullerton religious leaders in 1975, FIES began as an emergency food bank, according to Barbara Jennings, president of its board. Located on South Ford Avenue near Richman Elementary School, the food bank is open six days a week and supplies a family of four for two days. Families can use the food bank eight times a year. A food bank also has been run from First Lutheran Church for nearly 30 years. Seven years ago members of the church took over its operation and food is available every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to noon. Many of those who need the food supplies, said volunteer Janet Shellenberger, aren’t homeless, but they don’t have enough money for food and their numbers are increasing “drastically.” In mid-February, she said, roughly 140-150 individuals, many from the near-by Fullerton City Lights low income Religious organizations that support FIES include: Brea United Methodist Church, Church of Today, Congregational Church, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, First Baptist Church, First Christian Church, First Church of Christ Scientist, First Lutheran Church, First Presbyterian Church, First United Methodist Church, Holy Cross Melkite-Greek Catholic Church, Mount of Calvary Non-denominational Church, Morningside Presbyterian Church, Orangethorpe Christian Church, Orangethorpe United Methodist Church, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Temple Beth Tikvah, Unitarian Universalist Church Corporate sponsors include: The Boeing Company, The Children and Families Commission of Orange County, The City of Fullerton, The Croul Foundation, The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, LA Times Family Fund, a McCormick Tribune Foundation Fund, The Pacific Life Foundation, The Phelps Foundation, The R.C. Baker Foundation, The Target Foundation, The Wells Fargo Foundation housing complex, received enough canned goods, produce, milk, eggs and cheese in a week to make a total of 500 meals. The food bank is in addition to the hot meal served to the homeless and needy at First Lutheran each Tuesday night. A new food bank opened downtown this winter. Although not a part of FIES, the Wilshire Avenue Community Church began distributing food bags in December and serves 40 to 80 families each Sunday, said the church’s Ministry Manager, Marcela Montijo. And members of other churches and civic groups help build the stocks of food. For instance, the Unitarian Universalist Church makes food collection for FIES part of the regular Sunday service. For more resources, including those available in other Orange County cities, call 2-1-1 or visit http://www.infolinkoc.org. Much of the food distributed by Fullerton food banks is purchased from Second Harvest, an Irvine distribution center created by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Second Harvest, according to its web site, acquires and distributes food donated by grocery stores and supermarket chains, food manufacturers and distributors, the government, restaurants, trade shows, gleaning efforts, food drives and private individuals. It buys in bulk staples that are in high demand but not usually donated, like pinto beans, rice, tuna fish, peanut butter and dry milk. But sometimes, supplies from all sources run short. Several volunteers mentioned periodic shortages of cereal. And sometimes there are lots of canned goods, but no produce or meat. Then there are the bonuses. First Lutheran’s food bank had an unusually good stock of frozen meat the last week in February, so, said Shellenberger, those needing help got to choose chicken or hamburger and even steak. SHELTER Ten years after opening its food bank, FIES added a shelter program. The Interfaith Shelter Network can accept eight to 12 residents at a time. Participants must be drug and alcohol free, said Bambas, the FIES executive director, and adults must be able to find employment if they aren’t already working. And when they are working, they must save 80% of their adjusted income to help them get started with a new place to live. Continued on page 11 FIES FACTS Fullerton Interfaith Emergency Services (FIES) Web site http://www.fies.us/ The Fullerton Interfaith Emergency Service, FIES, is a non-profit organization that provides food, transitional housing and support services to the hungry, homeless and less advantaged in North OC. Programs include: HOT MEALS •Mondays, 6pm-6:30pm: Orangethorpe Christian Church, 2200 W. Orangethorpe Ave., Fullerton •Tuesdays, 6pm-6:30pm: First Lutheran Church 215 N. Lemon St. Fullerton •Wednesdays, 6pm- 6:30pm: -First Christian Church, 115 E. Wilshire Ave., Fullerton •Thursdays, 6pm-6:30pm: Placentia Presbyterian Church, 849 N. Bradford, Placentia •Fridays, 6pm-6:30pm: St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 1231 E. Chapman Ave., Fullerton •Saturdays, 10:30am to noon: St. Angelea Merici Roman Catholic Church, 585 E. Walnut St., Brea FOOD, SHELTER AND OTHER EMERGENCY HELP •FIES Distribution Center: 611 S. Ford Ave. (off Highland Avenue, next to Richman Park), Fullerton, Monday- Friday 1pm.-4pm and Saturday 9am to 11am (food only) 714- 738-0255 •Fullerton Police Dept: 237 W. Commonwealth, weekends and weekdays after 4:30pm for FIES crisis food and lodging vouchers. 714-738-6715 or 714-738-6800 •Caring Hands Food Pantry: First Lutheran Church, 215 N. Lemon St., Fullerton, Monday 6pm-7pm and Wednesday 12 noon - 2pm SHORT-TERM LODGING (3 DAYS) •Salvation Army: 818 3rd St., Santa Ana - Lodging for single men and women, 4:30pm line-up. 714-542-9750 •Orange County Rescue Mission: 1901 W. Walnut, Santa Ana- Lodging for single men - 4:30pm check-in. 714- 835-5795 LODGING •FIES New Vista Transitional Living Center: Fullerton-Lodging (up to 90 days) for qualified homeless families with children, 714- 680-3691 •Anaheim Interfaith Shelter: Lodging for homeless families, 714-774-8502 •H.I.S. House-Lodging for homeless families, 714-993- 5774 •Interfaith Shelter Network: Lodging for singles/couples, 714-738-0534
EARLY-MARCH 2009 Continued from page 10 Each homeless adult is assigned a professional case worker to help with job and other issues. The homeless can remain in the program for three to four months and they must get a job within 30 days. However, said FIES board president Jennings, the 30-day requirement can be extended “because the economy is so rough right now.” If the adults in the FIES program have no children, they can find shelter at participating churches that provide dinner, breakfast and a place for the homeless to sleep inside their buildings for two to three weeks. After that, the homeless adults in the FIES program move to another church that provides the same services. In Fullerton, the churches are First Christian, St. Paul’s Lutheran, Orangethorpe Methodist and First Presbyterian. St. Angela Merici Roman Catholic church, just across the border in Brea, and St. Paul’s Episcopal in Tustin and First Presbyterian in Garden Grove also are part of the program. Other churches and organizations often prepare meals and help out with the shelter program, organizers said. Temple Beth Tikvah housed the homeless as well until last year and members still are actively involved in helping FIES and those in need. One special role the Temple took on was providing shelter specifically over Christmas to give the Christian denominations a break during the time of celebration. Volunteers at the temple brought in a potted Christmas tree that the homeless decorated and held a small party. The tree later was planted on the temple’s grounds where it still grows, said Miriam Van Raalte, the temple’s administrator and education director. Their volunteers regularly take food to the shelter churches and work at the armory, continuing the tradition of taking the Christmas shifts so that Christian volunteers can go to church and be with family members. “The temple always steps up to the plate,” said Jennings. Thus the name, “Fullerton Interfaith.” The interfaith spirit of cooperation and support is what holds FIES together, said a number of volunteers. And although the organization is faith-based, “we do not evangelize,” said Bambas. For homeless families with children, FIES works with government agencies to assign motel vouchers or house up to 12 families at a time (roughly 48 to 50 people) at the New Vista Transitional Living Center, where caseworkers help families get back on their feet. And when money is available, said Jennings, FIES offers help with rent and utility payments. In the long run, she said, it is less expensive to keep a family in its home and help the adults find jobs, than to let them become homeless, bounce children in and out of schools, and force them to start all over. All of this costs money and the support agencies are seeing donations flatten in the same way the economy is causing individuals to cut back. The religious groups continue to support FIES, along with some government grants, donations from PTAs, staff at the Fullerton School District and many other organizations. The Phelps Foundation has offered a $15,000 challenge grant and FIES has a year to match it. The Armory The National Guard Armory can house 350 and is open from Dec. 5 through at least mid-April, said Lawrence G. Haynes Jr., executive director of Mercy House, which runs the shelter under a contract with the county. The county began opening the Armory to the homeless during bad weather about 20 years ago, but this is the first year Mercy House has held the contract. All homeless can come in, get a hot meal, sleep on a cot and have a continental-type breakfast. “This is open to people who are living on the streets,” said Haynes. Ongoing volunteers helping out with the program include members of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Fullerton. Hot Meals Monday through Saturday, the homeless and others in need can find a hot meal at one of six Fullerton-area churches. Business is booming at Orangethorpe Christian Church where Debbie Campbell, co-director of the Hot Meals Program estimates the 16-year-old weekly dinner program now draws an average of 200, many of them elderly or low-income residents of nearby apartments. The numbers are up from the 150 a year ago who came on Monday nights for turkey pot pie one week, sloppy Joes another or maybe enchilada casserole. Along with the main course there’s a vegetable, salad, bread and butter and dessert. Four generations of Campbells serve those in need, Debbie’s mother Edna Skeen, who’s lived in Fullerton 56 years, Debbie’s daughter Christina Campbell, the co-director of the Hot Meals program and Debbie’s granddaughter, 7th grader Adena Bentley. The congregation at Orangethorpe puts on the dinner one week during the month and the other weeks are sponsored by other churches in the area: Yorba Linda Presbyterian, Anaheim Freeform, Orangethorpe United Methodist and the Korean congregation at Orangethorpe Christian. Albertson’s and Trader Joe’s frequently donate food and Panera on Sunnycrest sends bread. Supplies also come from Orangethorpe’s sister church, First Christian, which offers its weekly hot meal on Wednesday nights. The hot meal program isn’t a part of FIES, but the churches that host the dinners generally are members. One of the oldest weekly hot meal programs began in 1988 when 15-year-old Brian Coleman and other members of the Youth Group at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church were studying homelessness and poverty in the third world. After the class, they headed across the street toward the Carl’s Jr’s. But, said Coleman, now an Episcopal priest in Battle Creek, Michigan, as they crossed the church parking lot, he noticed “in the doorway of the church hall there was a homeless man curled up in a ball, sleeping.” Coleman bought the man a hamburger. “It got us to thinking. There are people right here who need help.” So Coleman and classmate Cindy Freeland organized a hot meal for the homeless program at St. Andrew’s. Today, it serves about 130 people each Friday night, according to volunteer director John Mignot. Albertson’s and Henry’s provide the bread and desserts and the church and its members donate the food. “Fullerton is a caring community because if you need to, you can eat every day,” he said. Volunteers for that hot meal program also come from Morningside Presbyterian Church. Members of First Presbyterian Church make up sack lunches—two sandwiches and fruit—for the homeless and others to take with them to make sure they have something to eat later on. by Anthony Columbo Homelessness could be remedied if society increased its togetherness and improved its methods of offering support. The homeless are fragile not only because of their inability to defend themselves, but also because they are so easily dismissed by society. For the month of January I have volunteered with the Mercy House working at the Army National Guard Armory, 400 S. Brookhurst in Fullerton, and my job was to fold blankets that the homeless slept on during the night. The first morning, I left my house at 4:22am. For breakfast, I had a piece of zucchini pound cake. I arrived at the dark Armory and it was already swarming with homeless people entering, leaving, smoking cigarettes, and just sitting around. A JFK transportation bus arrived and some loaded in. I was greeted by two security guards; one was busy speaking Spanish to a lady in a wheel chair. The Armory consisted of an empty grey cement floor, and a roomful of people sleeping, getting dressed, or packing their belongings for their departure. I was immediately introduced to Gino, a skinny young man who wore a green beanie, and Albert, a middle aged, tall man with a thin mustache. They are both paid employees that supervise the Armory for the winter months. Albert directed me to a task of folding the sleeping blankets so the laundry service could retrieve the blankets, wash them, and return them for the next morning. Gino and I folded a total of 140 blankets, stuffed them in duffle bags with ten to a bag. The bags would be counted and picked up by the laundry service. We had 14 duffle bags, and one trash bag full of towels. Albert noted that 141 people had slept in the Armory that night, and one blanket had gone missing. As I was folding the cotton blankets, I noticed that some of the blankets were still warm. After I finished the folding task I took a broom and swept the cigarette butts and trash outside. I begun sweeping cigarettes when I heard an older woman’s voice, “Are you American?” I turned. There was a small lady no more than 5’3”, with a huge birth mark on her face. “Yes, what are you?” I replied. “Chinese. Do you know when the bus is coming? Does the Armory give out bus passes?” She asked. “I don’t know, let me find out.” I turned and went back inside the Armory. I found the security guard and he told me that two buses come, one at 5:15am, and the other at 5:30am. The current time was 5:41am. I returned to the lady, “The second bus already left, I’m sorry.” “Do you know where I could buy a bus pass?” She inquired. “Yes, 7-11 sells them, Ralphs sells them, and I think you could buy them from the bus driver if you have two bucks.” She was staring at me blankly. I felt as if I was shouting into an empty cave, but not hearing an echo. Was she understanding me? I wasn’t sure. She then explained her story to me. Her parents were immigrants who died and left her without a place to go. She’s had a few jobs here and there, rented a place in Fullerton, but as of recent times she is left without a job, and no home. She talked a lot about money. One thing she distinctly said was, “See when I was paying rent, time would go so fast, but now, time goes too slow. Tonight,” Fullerton Observer Page 11 What It’s Like to Be Homeless she shook her head, “tonight felt like eight days.” I just stood and listened to the lady. Albert sent me home at 6:36am. When I returned home, I fell asleep before I could wash my hands. The second morning I arrived at the mercy house a little late, around 5:21 am, and looked for Albert. He was already in a busy rush trying to organize the cleaning of the coffee area, the folding of the blankets, and the organization of the sleeping mats. I was assigned to load the sleeping mats on a pull cart, and stack them in a cargo bin outside, which was locked each night. Chris, my spotter, helped me lift the mats and move them into the cargo bin. I asked the manager Albert, “how many people did you have spend the night last night?” He said, “151”. “About what were their age?” I questioned. “Most of them were between 22 and 35,” he paused, “we had some close to seventy, and another that was a junior in High school.” What causes homelessness? I think the Chinese woman was indirectly telling me the answer. In fact, I think she had a death in the family (both her parents), and struggled finding a decent job that provided for her needs. She was an immigrant that spoke English with a thick Chinese accent. She mentioned money, “if I had money, I could pay rent...” and also she mentioned, “and traveling all the time, it is tiring.” Homelessness is change of circumstance that takes its affect on a person down on their luck. People think homelessness only effects people who are struggling with no means of assistance; some lack proper identification, social security cards, or driver’s licenses, but statistics from the OC Health Care Agency show that a majority of the homeless work full time but cannot afford to pay rent on what they are paid. Others have been laid off and with unemployment rising past 7.2 percent perhaps the task of “getting a job” is much more difficult than imagined. The promises of America are to stand for justice, equality, and holding close the “tired, weak and weary.” But, sadly, there is even a debate as to whether helping the homeless is a right thing to do; the common perception against not providing alms to the poor is either because they are substance abusers, or they need to empower themselves in order to “stand on their own two feet” and “get a job”. In the month of January, a total of 3,842 homeless people stayed at the Armory. The overall age group of the people staying the night ranged from 18 to 60 years old with the median group age between 30 and 40 years old. This does not include children who stayed with their parent or parents. We can change that if each of us does our part. If You Want to Help the Homeless or Know of Someone Who Needs Help, Contact: • www.mercyhouse.net or contact volunteer coordinator Ashleigh Camba at 714-836-7188 •www.fies.us or call 714-871-3032 • www.211oc.org or dial 2-1-1 or (888) 600-4357 • www.officeonaging.ocgov.com (714) 567-7418 •www.ocpartnership.net (714) 288-4007
Page 1 and 2: PUBLIC MEETINGS Fullerton City Hall
Page 3 and 4: EARLY-MARCH 2009 More Bad News Pick
Page 5 and 6: EARLY-MARCH 2009 800 Attend Meeting
Page 7 and 8: EARLY-MARCH 2009 OBSERVERS AROUND T
Page 9: EARLY-MARCH 2009 Fullerton High’s
Page 13 and 14: EARLY-MARCH 2009 REVIEWED by Joyce
Page 15 and 16: EARLY-MARCH 2009 Maestro Dean Ander
Page 17 and 18: EARLY-MARCH 2009 Orange Empire Barb
Page 19 and 20: EARLY-MARCH 2009 LOCAL ONLY CLASSIF

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