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SHALMonthlyReportOctober2016 1
SouthernmostHomelessAssistanceLeague,Inc.P.O.Box2990,KeyWest,FL33045-2990•www.shalkw.org JohnMiller,ExecutiveDirector PatricePelletier-Sanders,Chair502-876-5092•[email protected] ChristineTrovato,ViceChair TiffanyCurry,SecretaryEliciaPintabona,OutreachDirector RichardCasey,Jr.TreasurerMikeTolbert,ShelterDirector AlanTeitelbaum,PastChair
SHALMonthlyReport
October2016SHALNewsB
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HomelessMyth#5(of7)#5 “If they have a choice to get services, they will choose not to. Why wouldn’t they?”
Experience has shown that very, very few people would choose to be homeless over having permanent housing. And while some may not voluntarily choose to use services to address medical, behavioral or other issues immediately, experience has also shown that formerly homeless individuals do avail themselves of needed services promptly.
Walgreens,HealthDepartmentGiveFluShotstoHomeless
AlocalWalgreensdrugstorehasvolunteeredtoprovidefreeflushotsonNovember10thand17thtoresidentsoftheSHALhomelessShelter.WalgreensjoinswiththeFloridaDepartmentofHealthinMonroeCountywhovisittheSheltereachmonthtoprovidefreeflushotsandotherservicesforresidentsoftheShelter.SHALisinvitingitsunshelteredclientstotakeadvantageoftheprogramaswell.
Flushotsareimportantforhomelesspeoplebecauseoftheirgenerallyloweredimmunesystems,whichmakethemmorelikelytobecomeinfected.Flushotsarealsoimportantforthecommunitybecausevaccinatedpeoplearelesslikelytopasstheflualongtoothersinhigh-riskgroups(babies,elderly,pregnant,thosewithrespiratoryconditions,etc.)
Inanattempttobeagoodexample,SHALExecutiveDirectorJohnMillerhasvolunteeredtogetthefirstshot!
SHALMonthlyReportOctober2016 2
SHALSHELTEROPERATIONSShelterUsage
TheClientTrackdatabaseshowsthattherewereabout106clientssleepingintheShelteronanaveragenightinOctober,andtherewere312different(non-duplicated)individualsstayingattheShelterduringthemonth.AlongwithSHALOutreach,SHALservedatotalof350unduplicatedhomelesspersonsduringthemonthofOctober.SHALwasheseverysheet,towelandblanketusedeveryday,sothewearandtearonourlaundryequipmentisextensive.AtthecurrentShelterwehavetouseresidentialqualitywashersanddryers,andsotheydowearoutfrequently.Thisweekwehavelostadryer,soanyonewhomighthaveausedonetodonate,pleasecontactJohnMilleratexdir.shal@gmail.comor502.876.5092.Sincenutritionissoimportanttoescapinghomelessness,SHALShelterDirectorMikeTolbertworkedhardtoaddSt.Mary’sSoupKitchenservingtoSHAL’sregularbreakfastduringOctober,withthemorningofferingfundedinparttoagrantfromtheCommunityFoundationoftheFloridaKeys.Thismonthwehavepurchasedanothernewfreezer(thedonatedonegaveuptheghost)inordertostoretheexpandedbreakfastservingsaswellassomefoodfromSt.Mary’sSoupKitchen.Volunteersarealwaysneededasfood“schleppers”tobringthewonderfulmealsfromSt.Mary’stotheShelter.Thetripiseasyandtakesnotimeatall,butithelpsimmensely.ContactJohnMilleratexdir.shal@gmail.comor502.876.5092forinformation.MikealsoreportedthattherewereseveraldonationsoffoodfromlocalrestaurantsandcaterersthismonththatweaddedtotheeveningmealsfromtheSoupKitchen.Thesetypesofdonationsarewonderfulandhelpusserveamoredeliciousofferingtoourresidents.SHALworkstomakeimprovementslikefood,aswellasenhancementsinsafety,cleanlinessandotheroperationalchangessothatmorehomelesspersonswillutilizetheshelter,helpingtointegratethemintoSHALprogramsandCaseManagement,andmovethemmorequicklytowardself-sufficiency.Webelievethatapersoncannotovercomehomelessnessiftheyaretiredorhungryorsickorhavenoincome.
TherewerenoEMTcallsmadeforShelterclientsinOctober.Clientswithnon-urgentmedicalneedsaretransportedviaautomobile,savingtheCitythecostofanambulancerun.
SHALMonthlyReportOctober2016 3
SHALOUTREACHServiceSummaryReport•October2016
SHALOutreachprovided600servicesto105differentclientsinOctober.Thisincludedservicesto48Shelteredand57unshelteredhomelesspersonsinKeyWest&Marathon.Althoughtherewereanumberofrequests,noOutreachclientswererelocatedbacktothemainlandandotherstates,wheretheyhavehousingand/oremploymentawaitingthem,inOctober.TheMonroeCountyHSABBoardclaimedthattheSHALbusticketprogramwassomehow“duplicatingservices,”sowehavebeenforcedtosuspendtheSHALreunificationprogramasoftheendofSeptemberuntilwecanreplacethatfunding.SHALcontinuestogetclientrequestsandevencallsfromotheragenciesforrelocationmoney,whichmakesthe“duplication”argumentevenmoreridiculous.Ingeneral,nootheragencyrelocatesshelteredorunshelteredhomelessbacktothemainland.SHALhasprovidedandpaidforover350busticketsforhomelesspersonssince2014.
TotalServices:600HealthCareServicesReferred:14MentalHealth:1CoordinatedAssessments:13.
OtherServices:CaseManagement:122InformationServices:110CellPhones:21Food/Clothing:2
BirthCertificates:22FoodStamps:16 MailingAddress:127LongDist.Relocation:1*
ID/ResidencyServices:67SSIssues:3*SHALsolicitedalocalbusinessownertopayforaticketforawomanabandonedbyherhusband.
SHALOctoberSuccessStories
SHALOutreachsuccessstoriesforOctober: •SHALhelpedamaleclientgetareplacementdirectexpresscardsohecouldrelocatehimselfbacktoClearwaterwherehewillreceivethemedicaltreatmentheneedsandhousingwithafriend.
•WepurchasedamonthlyLowerKeysbuspassforamaleKOTSresidentsohecouldgetbackandforthtoajobatamarinainSugarloafKeypayinghim$18/hour!•SHALhelpedamaleclienttofinallygetapprovedforSSDI,withabackpayof7years!HeiscurrentlyhospitalizedinMiamiandweareworkingintogettinghimintoanAssistive
OtherHighlights-Continuedshowerservicestounshelteredclients.
-ContinuedtoprovidetemporarymailingaddressforSS,FoodStampsandBirthCertificates.
-ContinueexpandedservicestothemiddleKeys.
-Assistedclientswithscabiesobtaintheirmedicalappointmentsandprescriptiontreatments.
-ContinuedmeetingwiththeSubstanceAbuseCouncil,whichisalsoprovidingsomevaluableinsightandnetworkingtootheragenciesandpotentialservices.-ContinuedcommunicationwiththeSheriff’sDepartmentregardingadiversionprogramandalsoabetter-integratedcareplanforreleasedinmatestoreceivefollow-upcasemanagementassistance.
SHALMonthlyReportOctober2016 4
LivingFacilityupthere.•SHALpurchasedsomenon-slipshoesandpantsforamaleclientsohecouldstartworkatalocalrestaurant.Hehasbeenworkingfulltimeeversinceandissavingforhisownplacetolive!•LastmonththeExecutiveDirectorandOutreachstaffhelpedaclientgetintotheDomesticAbuseShelter.Thismonthwepurchasedbirthcertificatesforbothofherchildren,helpingthemgetenrolledinschooldownhere.Wealsoprovidedpaperstohelphergetanaddresschangesoshecouldgetajob.Herchildrenhavesuccessfullybeeninschoolfor3weeksnowandshehas2jobs!•AndSHALShelterhelpedawomanstayingintheshelterbecauseshewasabandonedbyherhusbandtogetabustickethome,paidforbyalocalbusinesswoman.TheCountyHSABBoardcutSHALofffromrelocationfundingandHousingFirstfunding,sowearecurrentlysearchingforsourcestoreplacethatvitalmoney.Donationsforthiscanbemadeatshalkw.org.•MikealsoreportsthattheShelterfoundjobsinOctoberforanumberofclientsatlocalhotelsandrestaurants.OutreachDirectorEliciaPintabona,andcasemanagersAmyYancichandChanningLamararereachingnewheightseachmonthtohelphomelesspersonsreachself-sufficiency.
