Getting in the system

So now It’s time to figure out what specifically I want to do with and for the homeless of Tallahassee. Sure the BBHC can probably give me tasks they need done, but I’m going to get some direction first. One thing is research- look into data and programs to make recommendations to the BBHC. This is an example of what volunteers can do in the Volunteer Manual. The second thing I want to try is to raise awareness. For example, maybe someone interested in this area who doesn’t know where to begin will find this blog and get a head start. A bigger goal is to reach out to the high schools. Third, actual on-site work I do will probably involve tutoring kids/childcare.

I went to the Sheriff’s office to get a background check as part of the volunteer application. The office is off Pensacola street and on my way there… I passed the BBHC! Apparently their headquarters are right next to the Sheriff’s office so after I got the paperwork done I paid them a visit. Not much the lady at the desk could tell me since she was only an interim administrator (she said). But it was exciting to be somewhere- it felt like the first real step. She explained that we the BBHC didn’t have a full-time volunteer coordinator but only two volunteer volunteer coordinators, and that is why it takes so long for them to reply to e-mails.

They have mandatory volunteer orientations. I missed the one on May 27th and there’s an upcoming one on June 19th. That’s in a while; hopefully I can start sooner. Anyways, five days later I pick up my background check (clean!), tack it onto my application, and turn it in to the BBHC. Now I’m at the BBHC talking to Stephanie Shepherd herself (she is really pretty) who says my application will be sent to LeMay DeVane, HOPE director. Apparently most volunteers are sent to HOPE (rather than the BBHC offices) to help that program.

So I have a way to get into the system, but the process has been really slow because the volunteer coordinators are probably really busy. I might pay another visit to the BBHC office to see if they have any oddjobs I can do. I wish I had someone in the BBHC to mentor me or actively guide me through the process! I can’t go to them and ask if they could hurry up please. So while I wait, maybe I’ll look into the other organizations and information I wanted to get.

Consulting the list of services, there are nine emergency/transitional housing sites which are probably worth listing- The Shelter, Haven of Rest Christian Home for Men, Capital City Youth Services (for runaways/homeless 10-17), Refuge House (sexual and domestic violence victims), ECHO’s Bethany Family Apartments, Brehon House (pregnant women 18+ or who have one child three years or younger), Lutheran Social Services’ Inn Between Program, HOPE Community, and Promise Land Ministries. There are lots of other services (medical, food, clothing… ) but for homelessness I can start with those shelters. Refuge house and Brehon house probably aren’t as relevant as The Shelter, Haven, ECHO, and HOPE. CCYS- do we have a lot of runaways and independent homeless children? Maybe I can go to those and learn about how they work and if they communicate with the BBHC. Does the BBHC provide them with funding?

Anyways that was the service part; the information part would be pretty much interviewing the homeless. But that would only be the street homeless, many of whom are chronically homeless. Remember, there’s a big difference between the chronically and the transient homeless. Transient homeless are of much greater number but also, it seems, much easier to lead to permanent housing. The chronically homeless include the mentally ill and addicts. Can I go and just chat with them? Sounds like a pretty regular college adventure. Maybe I’ll save some money for food, find a central homeless hangout, and have a big cookout or something to meet everyone. Burgers would only require buns, lettuce, cheese, tomato, ketchup, mustard, paper plates, and trash bags, right? And some friends to help set it up. Would we get in trouble with the police?

So finally, I am still working on balancing all homeless benefit organizations in Tallahassee. There are a lot that seem to work independently and provide roughly the same services, i.e. an emergency shelter for a few people and meals. For example, the Good Samaritan Network was pretty hard to find online, and where else am I going to look than the internet? I haven’t yet looked into government funding and programs, but when I do I’ll probably start at Talgov.com. Also, I briefly found this thing called TEAM Tallahassee, an alliance of faith-based organizations that collaborate on Tallahassee’s social problems. But they don’t have any information about their findings or conclusions online, so maybe they will respond to my e-mail letting me know how to get in the loop.

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