Retraining the Village

1.   Client A has made some bad choices in the past–drug use and a checkered work history. But with a renewed mind set and determination, he has managed to remain sober for 10 months, and counting. He has returned to work and wants to work full-time. 
2.  Client A has been caught in this cycle of work then stop twice in the most recent calendar year. He is trying to save enough to move into permanent housing, With stable housing in place he has been gainfully employeed at Stanford University  
3.  Client B was sleeping in his car and after deciding it was really necessary, visited the local health clinic. His condition required immediate emergency hospitalization and surgical intervention to save his life. After three weeks in intensive care, he was released to the nearest shelter that provided rehabilitation and recuperation for homeless patients, in Santa Clara County. In order to continue to receive the prescribed medications he needs to survive, he had to transfer the government provided health coverage to that county. After staying in the rehab shelter for the maximum allotted period, he was released and returned to his city of origin in San Mateo County. Still requiring the 22 pills he needs daily for a heart condition that will shorten his life, he had to transfer the medical coverage back to his original jurisdiction. Unfortunately, he was hit by a triple wave of delay–end of the fiscal year, the introduction of the Affordable Care Act and an upgrade of state computers. The ensuing bureaucratic jiu-jitsu resulted in delays in filling his prescriptions. This in turn led to two more emergency room visits and another surgical procedure within 4 months. He is still homeless and is awaiting an official determination that he is “disabled”…

  Retraining The Village provides a home environment–no more scrambling for a shelter bed after coming from work, or trying to find work. “Transient,” as a noun, is shorthand for “a homeless person.” As an adjective it also describes how our unhoused peers live–not having a set place to be for a certain period of time. We provide a place for the homeless to stand in place. Our clients can then deal with those aspects of daily life that require certitude of location–mail, auto registration, public benefits, employment. There is also someone to help, to listen, to understand, to care. We allow Client A the time to save for housing costs while his work status is stabilized. We give Client B a place to go while recovering from surgery. We provide programs that ensure that any graduate deemed “RTV certified” is self-sufficient and would be a responsible tenant and employee.