Speaker 0 00:00:01 <inaudible>
Speaker 1 00:00:13 Welcome to the California table. I'm Betty Yee. We will be meeting people from our diverse regions of California who are creating their own tables to tackle some of the most pressing issues of our time, community voices, gathering, coming together to speak up for themselves, to take charge of their own lives, to fight for themselves. This is the California table.
Speaker 0 00:00:39 <inaudible> homeless,
Speaker 1 00:00:59 A societal label that when ascribed to any adult or child who was unsheltered or facing housing instability has the potential of immediately stripping one's dignity. Traditional responses have focused on the chronically homeless yet more and more governmental and philanthropic supported programs have faced a more complex community of those experiencing housing insecurity and the lack of affordable housing college students, foster youth, transgender youth,
Speaker 0 00:01:36 The working poor, the elderly families, escaping trauma
Speaker 1 00:01:44 Ramps that lack the flexibility and services and funding to address each unique situation.
Speaker 0 00:01:52 The
Speaker 1 00:01:52 Growing inequality in California now exacerbated by the COVID public health crisis. As most of us knowing a neighbor family member, or perhaps it is we ourselves at the edge, or having plunged into housing insecurity still often associated with larger urban areas. Homelessness in California, spares no region.
Speaker 0 00:02:17 The Bakersfield homeless center
Speaker 1 00:02:19 Located at the Southern end of the central Valley serves homeless and at-risk families providing a continuum of services to assist families towards self-sufficiency. These services include basic shelter, food education for the children, permanent housing assistance, job development, and other transitional services. Most importantly, the work of the center rests on the foundation that every individual has value and that condemnation and judgment do not change lives, but love and care do With me today is Louis skill executive director of the Bakersfield homeless center, and several members of his team who together serve around 164 families that include 350 children. Great to have you join us today, Louis,
Speaker 3 00:03:33 Thank you very much for wanting to talk to us and for being so interested in the people we serve.
Speaker 1 00:03:38 I recall during my visit to the Bakersfield homeless center, sometime before the COVID-19 pandemic began, every corner I turned there, there was abundant activity. Describe the Bakersfield homeless center and the services the center provides.
Speaker 3 00:03:56 So the biggest the homeless centers, and it is an entire campus of services. When you think of an emergency shelter, you typically kind of get hung up mentally on just the emergency beds and an emergency meal, maybe thinking about a shower for hygiene. But when you're talking about having an organization that serves the entire family, there has to be an array of services so that you can meet the needs of the individuals going through the crisis. And so our entire facility, of course, has those basic safety net services. So we do have a large dormitory for families and for single women. Um, we do have a kitchen that serves, uh, tens of thousands of meals each year, uh, and a dining hall. Uh, we have a case management department that does an individual intake with each person so that we can assess what caused this crisis of homelessness for that individual in that family, so that we can best put together a service plan for them.
Speaker 3 00:04:54 Uh, we have a licensed childcare onsite for our families because our children deserve a place to grow and be safe and thrive. And instead of kind of the chaos that living in an emergency shelter or living on the street can bring to a child's life. Uh, of course we have a large warehouse, uh, which is a donation center where we receive everything. You can imagine that a family would need from the sheets and the pillows for our emergency shelter, to the formula for little children, uh, just across the board. We have everything in there. Uh, we also have an industrial laundry because we have to take care of making sure that all the clothes are clean, our sheets, towels, et cetera, get cared for. And then after school we have champ camp, which is a program for our school aged kids, where they won't fall behind and they can get assistance.
Speaker 3 00:05:48 It was just an afterschool program, but now with distance learning, it has become a full-time program. And talk about that later. And one of the other services we provide, well, two other one is what we call aftercare. So we stay with our families for quite some time after they've been placed in permanent housing, so that any challenges or crises that come up, we can walk with them through that experience. So they don't have to fall back out into homelessness and they don't have to endure that hardship because every episode of homelessness, uh, on children, uh, is very detrimental. And we want to avoid that if we can. And then finally, the other department we have on campus is our job development program, where we found that there is definitely a myth that if you have a blemish on your record and you do your time, then you get to start again. So we put together a program that goes out and gets labor contracts, and then we hire individuals that others won't hire. And so every space you can imagine on this campus has been utilized. We've converted multiple closets into office spaces, and we just try and serve the people coming through the door.
Speaker 1 00:07:05 Thank you, Louis. This is quite a full service enterprise. And just so appreciative that there is this resource in Kern County, how far away have these families come to be served at Bakersfield homeless center? And the center has the unique opportunity and ability to serve men and children, dads, and children.
Speaker 3 00:07:26 That's correct. There are very few emergency shelters that will take single fathers with children. And it's something that long ago we decided that we would help any father that that is still trying, that is just asking for some help. And so for those dads, we've received referrals of families coming as far away as the Bay area, but for us locally and local for us in Kern County is of course a County, the size of a state on the East coast. It's really easy for someone to have to drive more than an hour just to get to our facility because of the service area that we're responsible for. And so we receive families from all over our County. And as I say, depending on what's available in the safety net throughout the state, they can come from even further. Thank you.
Speaker 2 00:08:19 <inaudible>
Speaker 1 00:08:27 I see that one of your team members has joined us Mark Classico. Welcome. Um, he is the case managers supervisor at Bakersfield homeless center. And I wanted to just pose this question to both of you. The center did not always serve families, men and women with children. Tell us about the site of the center. It's an amazing space. I've had the opportunity to tour it. What was located here before?
Speaker 3 00:08:53 Um, well, I'll start. And then, uh, I'm going to have Mark talk about what we do to help families, but we were a traditional shelter that you would think of primarily focused on single men. And back in the day, we had only 10 beds for family members and it just didn't work because there was a growing number of families that were finding themselves in homelessness. And we had to grow up and learn, how do you serve an entire family instead of just a single adult that doesn't have children with them. It's a very different way of helping and requires a lot more work. And I'm going to brag for just a second. Mark came up through our organization. He started in our afterschool program and has grown and promoted through our organization. And now as a supervisor of our case management program. And I've got to tell you that it's not simple work because there are people that are incredibly hard to serve because they're responding to the crisis that they're in, or they're struggling with chemical dependency, mental illness, untreated trauma. There's a number of things. And there's few people that have the patience and are willing to go as far as Mark does to make sure that people get cared for no matter where they are. And so, uh, Mark, if you could, could you talk a little bit about your case management and then how COVID has changed the afterschool program that you've also started managing?
Speaker 4 00:10:23 Sure, of course. Thank you so much, Betty, for, for having, uh, so yeah, I'm the case management supervisor for the big, still homeless center. And what we really do is try to be there for anybody that is in need of shelter. And we try to bring them in and kind of meet them where they're at, where whatever stage in their life progress and whether that be helping them with the emergency clothing or food, or anywhere from our case management, we bring them in and try to assess them for what services they may need, whether that be within our organization or within an outside agency that can better assist them. So we often will get people who are homeless due to, you know, financial assistance. They were unable to pay their rent or PG and E or something. So they were evicted or to somebody who, you know, has, like Louis said, severe mental health issues, behavioral health issues, or even assistance abuse issues.
Speaker 4 00:11:28 And that just happened to lead them to homelessness. So essentially we bring them in, we have them go through with the intake process. We just do assessments. We test them for their housing. We assess for any sort of traumas that they may have experienced any sort of barriers that we can assist them with along their journey. And essentially, you know, we just walk with them until we finally establish their permanent housing. As Lewis said before, we hand them off to our aftercare program where they continue the case management progress while they're living in their home. And yeah, it's, it's definitely something that we have to really be informed in the kind of care that we're providing for these individuals and families, not any, you know, two cases are the same. They're, they're very much different and unique. And so we have to make sure that we are flexible and, uh, understand that each person is going to have different histories.
Speaker 4 00:12:27 So we have to change our case plans and our case management styles to suit each individual. Oftentimes people will come to our shelter with domestic violence, history, or sexual assault history, even human trafficking. So we really do have a team of really strong individuals that understand this and are willing to walk alongside these folks and make sure that they know that they're not alone. And they have somebody that they can trust. Who's here for them who is rooting for them. And because oftentimes we find that there's many folks that, you know, they've never had a mentor. They've never had a family member that encouraged them. They may have been put down all their life or are trying to exit us, uh, generational poverty cycle. So we do try to invest in our folks in our training and know that we are trauma informed. We provide trauma informed care.
Speaker 4 00:13:24 And then for our champ camp program, it's started off as an after-school program. I've been with that program for the last six years before transitioning into case management. And essentially it was just a program that occurred after the three o'clock hour, when all the students that lived here at the shelter got out of school and, you know, they essentially needed to do their homework. And oftentimes our families, our students here need that extra help because they're coming from different socioeconomic backgrounds and most of them severe poverty. So the program is here to tutor these children, to help them with math, with English, with the reading skills, uh, we really promote their reading and not skills. We really try to have our activity leaders make sure that they having one-on-one attention and, and with their homework, um, and trying to make sure that they are getting the right tutoring for their math or English or even reading.
Speaker 4 00:14:28 But essentially since COVID has thrown us a curve ball, a lot of the students here, you know, everywhere in the country, they have to adjust to this distance learning. And so for our students who are especially vulnerable and already, you know, having difficulties with being homeless, they now have to deal with, you know, how do I navigate? And as a family, how do they navigate their learning and not fall behind? So our program has stepped up and adjusted as well. So we are no longer just operating in an afterschool setting three to five o'clock timeframe where we're an all day program now. So our staff is here. Our activities are here from eight in the morning, all the way until 5:00 PM. So they're essentially assuming the role of their normal teachers that they would see in person and their relative schools. So it's definitely posed quite a challenge, especially with making sure that all of these children are logging in on time.
Speaker 4 00:15:32 They've had to deal with a whole bunch of technical issues with the Google classrooms and, and just making sure that the wifi connections are strong, which we've also provided to make sure that our students are not falling behind. And then essentially around the three to five o'clock hour, we still provide the after-school tutoring if they need extra help. But the really great thing about this program is we like to promote kids being kids and kids still having fun. So we like to provide them with craft activities and games. And we have iPads for the kids that they get to play their favorite games on our iPads. And we have a, we console. They like to play a dance revolution, games and whatnot. So we really try to make sure that we're normalizing their experience as much as possible, especially during this time of COVID, it's a scary time for them. They've had to deal with so much. And as we see now that California is rolled back, especially Kern County has rolled back into a different color code. You know, we're still trying to make sure that these children understand that they're loved, they're cared for, and education is still important. Education is still going to get them through and no matter what happens and, you know, we're here for them,
Speaker 1 00:16:51 Mark I'm in awe of what you've been able to develop into an all day distance learning program. You know, a few things that you've really touched upon that I want to highlight first, in terms of your case management role, just the investment in aftercare is so critical to know that these families have support. Even when they enter into permanent housing is just a critical part of success for these families. And then secondly, as I look at just what you're facing with respect to having to convert the after-school program into an all day distant learning program, still including the after-school component, uh, this must pose challenges. I recall during my visit there, every inch of that center is fully utilized. So tell us a little bit about some of the challenges certainly with COVID protocols and if the supplies, how are those challenges being handled?
Speaker 4 00:17:41 Yes, yes, absolutely. So the champion program, when I first took over, we had, like you said, every inch covered or sort of something was stored everywhere. So the real challenge with social distancing and COVID protocols was to really empty that room out, making sure that we were really utilizing the space as best as we could with respect to what we would need, what materials and what games, toys, and all of the furniture that we would need for the students. So we've really took the time to kind of measure everything out, making sure that each child isn't too, you know, with respect to the social distancing rules, isn't too near each other, but then also has access to the teachers. So it really is important that we always mandate that our students and our activity leaders have the masks on. They are sanitizing. Every time they come in and out of our classroom, we've purchased the plexi barriers for each of our tables. So we also have that double added barrier so that we're avoiding any sort of transmission or contact with other students and just practicing. We we've literally had to teach and show the children proper hand washing techniques. So that's just something that a lot of time people take for granted, especially with their little children, we really are showing them, you know, you really got to get in there and seeing the happy birthday falling to make sure or the alphabet song to make sure that you're getting every nook and cranny of your fingers.
Speaker 1 00:19:15 That's great. That's great. So I Marvel at the fact that you are not only serving as the case manager supervisor, but you are essentially running the educational program at the Bakersfield homeless center. I'll just say you may have overseen the champ camp program, but you are a champion and Mark I'm just so delighted. We were able to hear from you and have you share just the experiences of the children are a gift to them and to their families. Thank you for joining us. Thank you so much, Betty. <inaudible> welcome back Lewis. I see we have another Bakersfield homeless center team member joining us.
Speaker 4 00:20:07 I am proud to welcome to the podcast. Uh, Jessica Marotta is our housing navigation manager and what started out as a smaller department, helping individuals either retain or move back into permanent homes has turned into a significant part of our total organization and has gone from helping just a few hundred families a year to last year placing more than 1500 households into permanent housing. So I'm glad Jessica is with us.
Speaker 1 00:20:38 Welcome Jessica. Thank you for joining us. Thank you for having me. There's still a great deal of misunderstanding about what leads housing insecurity. Currently. We're seeing many struggling with housing insecurity due to the loss of employment exacerbated by the shelter in place public health directives with COVID-19. What are some of the circumstances that have brought families to the Bakersfield homeless center? And how did that change? Once the pandemic started,
Speaker 3 00:21:08 Every family, every individual has a different catalyst that starts their crisis of homelessness. And so whether it's an illness, if it's lots of employment, there's just an unknown numbered set of reasons why individuals wind up in that crisis. And now with this pandemic, we're seeing even more stresses on families and so more and more people are not only asking for help. But the thing about Jessica's program is that we don't just serve those that are in our facility. We serve the entire County. We are the largest service provider for rapid rehousing and prevention services here in Kern County. And that truly is the program that she has developed and is the best versed in this part of the state of California.
Speaker 1 00:22:04 Jessica, tell us more about the housing programs themselves and, you know, I'm sure for our listeners homelessness and shelter services and support generally many would associate with our unsheltered population in the large urban centers, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco. You're in Bakersfield share with our listeners, the housing insecurity challenges in the central Valley, particularly in Bakersfield in the Kern County region. These challenges are not new or recent that you've been addressing. And maybe just paint a, an order of magnitude of the numbers of people served over the last few decades.
Speaker 5 00:22:42 Absolutely. As Louis mentioned, what's unique to our housing program at the bigger, so homeless center is we are serving all of Kern County. So we are city and we are rural. We are one of the largest counties in California for a little bit over 8,000 square miles. So we reach out far to our community and we're doing that all within the Baker skilled homeless center. Our housing programs are assisting those that are without housing or that are experiencing housing instability. So I provide oversight to our rapid rehousing and our homeless prevention programs and our goal. We like to use the descriptors find, pay and stay. So our goal is to help connect them to housing as quickly as possible, pay for that housing, and then keep them in that housing, please follow our housing first model. And so we want to just provide them that basic human need of housing as quickly as possible.
Speaker 5 00:23:44 And what's great about our program is the flexibility of the funding. So we've been able to really maximize that funding by providing what's called progressive engagement. So we approach housing saying that each individual and each case has a unique set of needs. And what they're going to need is going to look different than the next case. So we make sure that we tailor that funding and that assistance to each individual family, to, to meet those unique needs specifically in response to COVID-19 we've had to pivot in lots of areas this year, like you said, these challenges are not new or necessarily unique, but we have had to adapt to the housing market. We know that that housing is the answer to homelessness. That is the direct response to ending homelessness. And right now, during the pandemic, we have an all time low for rental we can see is it's less than 2% in Bakersfield.
Speaker 5 00:24:51 And so we've had to incorporate things in our program like landlord incentives, signing bonuses, making sure that our clients have a stake in the market. But with that being said, because the vacancy rate is so low, we are struggling to make those housing placements. And we've also been able, like Louis said, we've become more of a robust program. So in response to the eviction moratorium and to COVID with the poor families that have experienced loss of employment and also households that have single family or single parent homes that have children at home that are distant learning, and haven't been able to go back to work, we've been able to step in and pay any type of rental over years for those cases that may be at risk of losing their housing and make sure that they can stay secure in that housing during the pandemic, during the eviction moratorium. So that, that doesn't kind of bottleneck these cases into homelessness. So we're really working on that project right now with Sarah County.
Speaker 1 00:26:03 That's a very important to know just the array of circumstances that come up and your flexibility to be able to address them, to really understand that it's not a one size fits all approach to addressing these needs at all. Jessica, tell us some more about the rapid rehousing efforts that you undertake. Obviously you're faced with so many different circumstances and to be able to be nimble and flexible to address all of them. Just describe some more about the options that make up, you know, how you pursue rapid rehousing.
Speaker 5 00:26:37 Yeah, absolutely. So when our counselors come in, again, we, we have the meet with our staff, our housing navigators, that's going to help them find safe and affordable housing that's appropriate for that case. And we want to link them to that housing as quickly as possible. So we go over an assessment with the families, make sure we understand their specific needs and their barriers to gaining permanent housing. So after that's completed, we have a better idea of how to navigate them through our database. What's unique to our agency and to Penn County is we were able to bring on two full-time housing locators and their job is to work directly in the housing market. They worked directly with the private landlords and help create a database full of viable housing options for our clients. So they are sort of a landlord liaison. They answer directly to them.
Speaker 5 00:27:42 They provide any resolution to any questions that they might have. And then they also make sure that their rental vacancies are in our database called pad mission, which has been a great tool for us. And so any case member within the homeless collaborative and Kahn County can get into this database. That's trying to link someone to viable housing option and find something within that system that may be appropriate for whoever they're searching for. So that's been a great tool and we've gotten a great response from our landlords. We have over 150 registered property managers and or private landlords within this database, and it just continues to grow. So that's been a great way to market our programs. And so after the navigator who's working directly with the family can link them to that housing. There's a variety of different services, financial services that we can offer with security deposits, rental assistance, application fees, furniture, if they need furnishings or habitability repairs in the unit, we do follow a habitability inspections and make sure that these places where our households are moving in our space for the families that are going in.
Speaker 5 00:29:02 And then we make sure that goes back to my find and stay that once they're in this housing, that they are provided with wraparound services, they're going to make sure that that is a successful entry into permanent housing. And they're going to be able to stay there. We actually have had great success in the last year. We had over 89% still permanently housed after 12 months, which is great. We're able to market that to the landlords as well, to know that this is a great option for them. And so again, we continue to provide that case management to them. And I like to say that we serve them holistically. So whatever that household is going to need is going to affect their housing. So we make sure that whatever unaddressed needs they have, we continue to provide those supportive services to them so that they can be self-sufficient. I consider it his success when a family says, Hey, I don't need you anymore. I can do this on my own. That's where we want to get. And we want them to be financially responsible for their own household and ready to go. And so that's what we are setting them up for.
Speaker 1 00:30:13 I am so impressed Jessica, with just the comprehensiveness of the services. This isn't just about locating housing, but also ensuring the safety and quality of the housing as well as the additional support the families may need. And as you say, towards self-sufficiency, this is a great model and really impressed with involving the community as well. Uh, but I have to say, you know, most communities, there are still experiences of NIMBY, not in my backyard, uh, concept and community opposition, to the work of, uh, just trying to place those who are facing housing, instability or insecurity into the community. What have you encountered in terms of a NIMBY or community opposition to the work that you do?
Speaker 5 00:30:57 We kind of have a mixed bag when it comes to housing. And nimbyism, I think with the tenant protection laws that have changed in California in the last year, having a housing, locators, staffed and onsite, they've been able to educate our landlords and our property managers with the new tenant protection laws, which state our clients that are in these subsidized programs can not be refused or denied based on the fact that they're in a program. We do get the response at first from some that are unfamiliar with what we're doing that say, Oh, you know, we don't work with homeless programs. We don't work with section eight. And so we've been able to go in and say, Oh, actually the cadet protection laws have changed and educate them and provide them with great resources and kind of win them over and let them see that our clients that we're serving are no different than anyone else they're going to encounter.
Speaker 5 00:31:58 In fact, they're the same tenancy issues that they have are gonna arise across the board. And so it's good to have a liaison and middleman to help mitigate those issues that arise. And so it's actually better to come with us and work with us and be a part of ending homelessness in our community. But it's, it's a viable option for their business to utilize these services rather than go with someone in the community that doesn't have these support systems. So we do get the door closed in our faces sometimes, but we keep going and we keep doing outreach to the community and showing them who we are and what we do. And I think when they can see the human aspect of this, that changes hearts and that changes minds, and we keep pushing in that direction. So I like to stay optimistic.
Speaker 1 00:32:54 Absolutely. Well, this is phenomenal work. And I think some of the successes, particularly working with landlords and property managers for them to actually serve as ambassadors in the community is just so important. And as you noted, you're trying to really look at families who are continuing to be supported. And these are great members to be part of the community, uh, who are supportive. They are becoming self-sufficient. And I hope that continues to be the case that they are welcomed with open arms Louis, any additional thoughts.
Speaker 3 00:33:30 I think that we have learned a great deal as this program and the demand for this program has grown. We have found the rapid rehousing and prevention dollars are critical. So much of homelessness services has been focused on chronically homeless individuals and it's been driven federally. And because of that, it's made it very hard to serve families because they often don't qualify as chronically homeless. And so this tool has become one of the primary ways. We can make sure that families get back, get to go home and get to stay there. Having individuals that are working with those folks that either own the property or manage the property so that they get a sense that they're not on their own. And they're really not taking a greater risk by serving the people that we serve. They're actually getting almost a second property manager because there's somebody with them. And so Jessica does a great job of pretty much going at the work like, well, they just don't understand yet not being upset, right. Just saying, well, we just, we just have to educate them a little bit more. And nine times out of 10, she wins them over.
Speaker 1 00:34:42 That's fantastic. Both of you have described a tremendous model for how we work with the community at large. And Kern County is very fortunate to have Jessica you and Lewis. And the Bakersfield homeless center team is really advocating for these families and showing the community that the support doesn't stop once we find housing options for these families. So, so appreciative of the work that you're doing here. Thank you, Jessica.
Speaker 5 00:35:11 Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 0 00:35:14 Um,
Speaker 1 00:35:23 I used to be joined by a, another team member of the Bakersfield homeless center, Andrew Miles. Andrew serves as the labor development manager at the center. Welcome Andrew. All right. Thanks for having me. Thank you for joining me and Lewis. The comprehensiveness of the services provided at Bakersfield homeless center is extraordinary. As we've heard, I want it to get a sense of who are the community and government partners that work with the center and support the work of the center. Louis.
Speaker 3 00:35:56 We have done our best to partner with just about anybody that can help our clients specifically for our job development program. We saw that people were not getting hired. The private market was just not picking them up because their records, something was popping on their background. So we looked at how do we create a way to put people back into the workforce? I'll have Andrew explain it more fully, but it's been incredibly successful. And from a very modest single contract with the city, we now have multiple contracts with our local city, with our County, with private industry, everyone from our energy sector on down. And so we have gone from having just a few employees to now more than 70, uh, that are involved in that program. And for many, they have not been able to find work or find someone that would give them a chance in a very long time.
Speaker 3 00:36:55 And so it's a place to start over and it's a place to destroy that myth that we have, where they tell us in society, that if you do something wrong and you serve your time, well, then you get to start over. But that's not true because as soon as whatever you did pops on your background, when you submit an employment application, the insurance companies and the risk managers will say, don't hire that individual. Well, we know that if you keep people in a desperate situation, long enough, they will react drastically. And if someone is asking for the opportunity to, through their own labor support their households, we have to give them that path. And that's what this program is all about.
Speaker 1 00:37:42 Thank you, Louis, for that. Andrew, you've been spear heading the job development programs at the biggest field homeless center. Uh, speak more about just some of the kinds of activities that you've been engaged with with both the city and the County. And what's the model of success that really informs how you approach this work. Obviously, a job as one of the first points of focus towards self-sufficiency. And so your work is tremendously important with respect to how we restore dignity for these families.
Speaker 3 00:38:14 Sure. And when we say that we work for the city or we worked for the County, that's a very, very broad term, just in us working for the city. We have seven different agreements. The oldest we work at the green waste sorting facility, where we have people sorting, what would be your green waste, trash cans from normal trash. So it can go a fertilization
Speaker 6 00:38:36 Field. We've got people working at the city of Bakersfield animal control center, the animal shelter as kennel technicians. We have a freeway litter partnership that employees right about 30 individuals on its own that go out into the community and clean up our Metro Bakersfield highways. We have a contract with the city water district, which goes out to all the surrounding neighborhoods in Bakersfield and keep those clean and cut firebreaks and freed from debris and trash. We work at the parks department. We have a few parks that lead go out sealer and keep clean. And so the kids can come out and play and not have to worry about trash or debris out there. We partner with the city of Bakersfield solid waste division and pickup program, where we drive a bulky items, go to the actual person's house and pick up something that they might not have a way to dispose of like couches or refrigerators and that battles, you know, the problem of dumping.
Speaker 6 00:39:42 We also have bar downtown street ambassadors, which is probably our most notable crew that are working in a quadrant downtown Bakersfield that are working alongside with the businesses down there, keeping the sidewalks, clean pressure washing in front of the businesses, and also do a little bit of outreach for the homeless community that's down there. And that's just with the city. The County of Kern has gotten into the mix and we have our own County highway cleanup crew that goes out there, kind of mirrors the freeway litter partnership. Then we recently partnered with the current County public health department for waste hunger, not food, which goes to the schools and picks up all of the excess unwrap lunches that the kids didn't want to eat and then distributed some out to different places around town. So a food insecurity has to be addressed and we've partnered with a few different County supervisors in different districts, Mike Magritte and David couch who have employed our crews to go out into their district and do litter cleanup in their areas.
Speaker 6 00:40:53 Those are the agreements that we have with the city of Bakersfield in the County of Kern. Our pride though is when we get the community involved and we get companies like the garlic company, employing some of our people on their harvesting line or Kenai drilling company who employs us to keep their yard clean, where their rigs are housed, California resource corporation, and other oil company here, employees accrue and has for the last five years to go out to their oil lease and clean up around there to make sure that the endangered species out there aren't, she went on Snickers, wrappers. Chevron has us go out quarterly to go clean up in front of their field. And so it's, it's things like that, that we're extremely proud of.
Speaker 1 00:41:43 Andrew, how have these opportunities been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic
Speaker 6 00:41:49 Before the COVID crisis? Uh, we were running at about 80, 85 people that were employed and because of COVID and children being home from school, we lost a big base of our employees. You know, we have a large number of our employees that are female and even larger they're single mothers. And so when the kids had to come home from school, they couldn't, they couldn't work. So we've lost a lot of our crew members. We have recently started building that back up, but that's how it hit us the hardest we couldn't hold our orientations there every Monday, because we couldn't gather in the classroom. So it was making it hard to hire more people.
Speaker 1 00:42:36 Let's speak a little bit more about the job readiness support that you're providing for the men and women.
Speaker 6 00:42:42 Okay. Yeah. The people that we hire are mostly deemed unhireable by today's standards or whether that's preconceived notions or like company insurance carriers, maybe a large gap in employment history or flags on their backgrounds. That for some reason, employers can't get past. And what I've found is that if you place faith in that individual, something that they haven't felt in a while, and he showed that you believe in them that sparks something and you get an employee that works twice as hard because you've touched on something that's been vacant for them, a belief in themselves. And they finally feel worthy instead of stigmatized. I see kind of the lights in people's eyes change. Once they have gone out for a shift and come back in that there's something different about them. You know, I've helped people before. I've heard people coming up my ramp on the way into the classroom, getting ready to clock in and they'll be on the phone and they'll say, okay, well, mom has got to go to work now and they'll hang up the phone and it's not like mom has got to go to work. Like we feel on Monday mornings when you know, we're tired and having to go back to work, it's a pride thing. You could hear it in their voice. And to watch that light go on, there's no better, you know, there's no better payment. They're feeling valued. Exactly.
Speaker 1 00:44:11 Thank you, Louis. Other thoughts here. Um, and I do want to focus on some of the successes because I think it's very important for our listeners and others to know that when these opportunities do arise, phase are first really great investments to make and these women and men, but also that the successes are really what everyone's focused to be sure that these are people who have experienced some very, very difficult circumstances in life and yet are on a path to self-sufficiency Lewis. That's.
Speaker 3 00:44:42 I think that one of the most important things to point out in this is that it is seldom condemnation, chastisement judgment, that changes someone's life love, support, although it may sound trite to some people that is what reaches someone. And so this program is successful because the people that work at you can hear it in Andrew's voice that care about the people that they're serving. They want to see them successful. And in many ways they've walked through some of the stuff that they've had to endure. And so they can care for individuals through those really hard times. And it can be really disconcerting for somebody coming back into the workforce if they haven't been in the workforce for a long time and everything from just getting along with other coworkers, to dealing with the stresses of how do I, how do I handle my family while I'm work?
Speaker 3 00:45:41 Now, those things all come up and there needs to be somebody that has a relationship with them. And they'll go sit in the chair next to Andrew's desk, and then we'll talk it out and he'll give them a plan and he'll work with them because it's, it's about caring, right? It that's what you can do to change a life is truly care and not hold somebody to, uh, let me figure out if you merit this investment, that's not what this is, it's that they intrinsically have value and we need to help them see that value that they really have. And then as Andrew says, like, when you hear that change, when you see their eyes change, when they shake your hand differently, that that's a pretty fantastic day.
Speaker 1 00:46:34 Absolutely. And do your gift of being able to relate to these women and men seeking to enter into the workforce or reenter the workforce is just a beginning of their success. I know you probably over the time that you've been doing this work really cherish some memories about what some of the greatest success stories have been. Maybe share some of those with us.
Speaker 3 00:46:58 Sure. And I think that it's worth mentioning that probably the reason why I can relate to them so much is that I've been in their shoes. I've been where they've been at. I've made stupid decisions in my life that have cost me everything. And how'd you come back from that? And how did you figure out how to come back from that? And so a one person, especially who had been working for us for awhile, he was on our Kenai drilling crew. He would go to their yard
Speaker 6 00:47:30 And go every single day and work on cleaning up the yard. And the owner of Kenai took a notice to him. And it's someone, the owner is someone that I know say was in the oil gas industry before this. And he called me, said he wanted to hire him. I said, it was going to be a great idea. I went home and got all of my old rigging equipment and brought it to him and said, look, Kenai wants to hire you. And you're going to go make the best of this. And he was elated and took off. And he came back to me two weeks later, after his first hitch out on a drilling rig. And he had a check with him and that check was right about $2,400. And he had never had that much money. Uh, the look of fear in his eyes was a parent and he number one, didn't want to screw it up.
Speaker 6 00:48:28 And number two wanted to know the best way to take care of his responsibilities and make that money work for him. So I sat down with them and we were at my desk and we made a budget of what he owed and going out and coming in and he stuck to it. And, you know, I talked to him still, that was about a year and a half gone. I talked to him still and he's doing well and said, he's got money in his savings account. He, you know, his kids have new school clothes and rents paid and bills are paid. And he said, he can't ask for anything more than that. Stuff like that. It is. It's been for this job. That's for sure. We had a guy that worked here that was a single father. He had custody of his youngest daughter. She was a baby when he first started working here and he worked for us on pretty much every single one of our crews and then got hired on by like a bolt sorting outfit that was out in Shafter, just, just Northwest of here.
Speaker 6 00:49:38 And so he bought himself a little car and was going to, and from work, working full-time out there. He was able to have his daughter here at the child Baker. And after about a month of that, he came back to me. He goes, Hey, I need to apply for a job again. And I said, what happened? His car got stolen. And he said that he was not going to let that deter him from his goal. And he had signed up for classes at Cal state Bakersfield to take the K deck of courses, the certified drug and alcohol counselor courses. And last graduation, he graduated. He was a certified Kodak counselor and now works for a local drug rehab
Speaker 3 00:50:28 Counseling teams on the problems that he was able to overcome. I mean, it doesn't get much better than that,
Speaker 1 00:50:39 But again, what we're seeing here is just sustained support by the team at the Bakersfield homeless center, certainly from you, Andrew. And just the sense that once they continue to see that support, that they're not going to give up, they're not going to give up and certainly not for themselves and not for their families. And I'd want to just turn to Lewis for a moment because you know, the economy in California is suffering right now from a recession and we are seeing disparate impacts to certain segments of our population. And just wanted to get your sense about the economy in Kern County and whether this is going to continue to be a good partnership with the County, with the cities and what your outlook is with respect to the job development program.
Speaker 3 00:51:26 So in Kern County, we typically have a higher unemployment rate than most of the rest of the state, the San Joaquin Valley, all, uh, counties in the Valley struggle with that last I checked, we were over 12% unemployment here in Kern County. And that was down from 16%, I think, two months before. We'll have to see what happens now with this closing again. So many of those entry-level position, service level jobs in everything from restaurants and on down, they're not going to be able to work. And so there's going to be a lot of people out of work. I can tell you that we are seeing more and more pressure through the housing programs that we've talked about already for our prevention, so that folks don't have to lose their housing and fall all the way into homelessness. But when it comes to employment, I believe that our relationship with the city and the County will continue.
Speaker 3 00:52:19 They are both looking at very difficult years because we have seen this economy go through a very, very hard season. And we're going to have to see what that does overall to our entire state here in Kern oil and energy are our two big economic engines. And so when many companies in energy are struggling, it can affect the entire economy. So far those companies that have employed our folks have remained committed and are making sure that our folks have a place to go and that they get to earn a dollar. And we very much appreciate those partnerships and we will continue to look for new opportunities like right now, the other thing, Andrew hasn't told you all he does for us. See, first we stole him from the energy sector, but we needed his skillset and we needed somebody that could actually, that could really relate to the people we serve. Also,
Speaker 6 00:53:27 He's an expert welder. So right now he is fabricating a new machine so that we are going to be able to do tumbleweed abatement, and it's going to be a new service that we provide. And so we will continue to look for new avenues to a, put people to work, but also earn some revenue so that we can continue to support the demand for the safety net services we provide.
Speaker 1 00:53:52 I had a hunch. We hadn't heard all about Andrew's talent here. Thank you for sharing that we will add inventor and fabricator to your, to your title. Let me ask you Andrew, some of the sectors where women entering the workforce have been successful. Um, say a little bit about that.
Speaker 6 00:54:11 You know, we've talked about the homeless center is a center for women and children. I did a count and you had some number that in 2017 and 18, that fiscal year, we hired 85 individuals into our program. 34 of those individuals were female and 19 or single mothers. It affected 30 children able to get housing and a stable income. And now the market, it hasn't really gone down, but it's changed to where they would leave here and get entry level positions into whether it be a fast food or stores or things like that. It's kind of changed. And it looks like the big district stores like the Amazon's and a big shoe places that are coming into the County are starting to pick up some of our female workers, which is good news. Another thing that I see more with our female clients than I do are males is continued education.
Speaker 6 00:55:14 I bet three or four right now that are in different programs, whether it be a x-ray tech person going to x-ray tech school, a dental Jenice school, where they're working here and also doing that. One of the things that Louis kind of gives me a hard time about, and I joke about is that before I came to work here, I was in the oil fields and that was mostly men out there in that field. And I'd come here and saw that most women can work most men under the table, pretty handily. And I see a lot of, uh, of females here doing everything it takes to succeed.
Speaker 1 00:55:50 You didn't have any doubt about that.
Speaker 6 00:55:54 Absolutely not.
Speaker 1 00:55:55 Absolutely. That is right. Thank you very much, Andrew. This is so elevating to know that the first point of focus is self-sufficiency certainly the housing stability. That's also very much related is the ability to have a job and to certainly have everyone feel valued. And your work with the community has been just phenomenal in terms of creating these long-term opportunities. Really appreciate you us today. Thank you, Andrew. What a team you have that is so committed to serving our families. I just have to ask you what a typical day for a family is like at the Bakersfield homeless center. We've heard about the, um, distant learning all day program. We've heard about the housing programs that are provided, and we've heard about the job development program. And I'm just wondering if you could paint a picture for us about the typical day for a family at the Bakersfield homeless center beginning when they wake up for the day.
Speaker 3 00:57:17 Absolutely. And I've got to start off with saying thank you for sending and acknowledging my people. I, I love my staff. They are some of the best people I've ever known, and it's impossible not to fall in love with them when you see how they treat people when they're hurting. And so knowing that there's that caliber of human being, waiting to greet people that are going through some of the worst experiences of their lives. It's a very rewarding thing to know that you get to be a part of that. So for family, well, it all depends if they're new or if this is going to be an ongoing thing. So if they already have a room with us, they'll have their own private room right now because of COVID. So each family has their own space. They'll wake up, I gotta get up and out, uh, and go get breakfast.
Speaker 3 00:58:09 And they eat different shifts so that we can now have the distancing. And the safety are single women that stay with us. There's more than 40 don't need at the same time that our families do. And because of COVID, we've also changed the way that we function as an entity. Our campus is no longer just open to the community. We used to be able to allow any individuals that was camping outside or needed assistance to be able to walk on campus. But because of this pandemic, we have now closed the campus and we have two people at the Gates. So what we've found actually for families is that it's, it's made the campus a lot more calm and the kids are playing more in the open spaces. So that has been a real positive thing. So they'll get up, they'll go get breakfast. They got to come back and get ready for school because they're still expected to be in our, what we call champ camp, our distance learning center in time to log on for school.
Speaker 3 00:59:12 And there are people waiting for them. And we have seen kids go from, at first, it was not something wanted, but now it's a space where it's just the kids and there's people that are focused just on them. And Jessica, who you heard earlier in the podcast was telling me a story about how she was walking in between the buildings. And this little boy was walking by with his backpack on. And she's like, what are you doing? He goes, I'm going to school. And she just looked at me and she's like, it was palpable. How happy he was to get to do that. She's like, for some reason, I didn't even think about that, but they're just kids and that school right now. And there's people caring for them. That's a perfect moment, right? Where, where we've done the right thing, we've cared for that kid that families cared for and that place to learn exists.
Speaker 3 01:00:10 So the kids will go to school. Mom will be expected to see your case manager and go to any appointments that are necessary. They're going to be meeting with our housing staff because we're going to want to get them moved out as quickly as possible. Now that's become much more complicated with COVID because if they've lost any, uh, documents, it's harder to interact with the government entities that then issue those documents. So everything from the California DMV to social security, if we need social security cards, and then God forbid they've lost a birth certificate and we have to send away for or to another city. And in order to do that, of course you need a notary involved. And so there's just steps that, that take time, depending upon how that parent is doing. And if they're ready, they can refer it into our jobs program.
Speaker 3 01:01:04 Or if they have some other untreated trauma or chemical dependency or something else going on, we will make sure that they get that care as well. At the end of the school day, kids will come back. They tend to stay over there afterschool because that's when they get to do the video games and play and it's kids, it's just kids and having that space for them really matters. And so by the end of the day, they come back to put other stuff off, go to dinner in the day center, and then it's showers and baths. And when you're dealing with 70 to a hundred kids, a bad time can get really complicated in a congregate shelter. And so you can have a mom with two to three kids and trying to get everybody through and keeping people distanced and safe. And, and it really can be quite a circus for a little while, but it, it sounds a lot like any house I've ever been in when you're trying to get kids to pay that.
Speaker 3 01:02:07 And then, um, they get their own room. And so mom gets to put her kids to sleep, right. She gets to lay him down and rubbed her back and let them calm down and they're safe. And the fed and they're clean and mom knows they're okay. And then sometimes it's dad knows they're okay. And that's just kind of a day. And our goal is for people to feel safe and comfortable that is made possible in varying ways, but that they do feel that so that they can then see what's the next step that I need to participate in so that I can move into a permanent home.
Speaker 1 01:02:49 Thank you for sharing that typical day with us Louis, you've talked about how the COVID crisis has affected the facility with the campus being closed now. And I know it's affected the services that are provided as well. You've dependent on a fairly robust volunteer Corps in the past that has been affected by the COVID crisis as well. And we've met your team members today who are wearing multiple hats and all of them with an attitude of whatever it takes to get the job done, to serve our families. Tell us how the volunteer Corps has been affected since the COVID crisis. Uh, what, what is being done that now is adding to the responsibilities of your team?
Speaker 3 01:03:32 Yeah, that has been a big change. We have relied on a lot of volunteer labor to be able to do everything from making sure that our goods and donations that are brought in are sorted and then clean so that they can be given out to the families, to all of the chopping and prep that it takes to serve, you know, tens of thousands of meals. And so it's hard not being able to allow folks on campus to do that work, to assist us. Uh, every time we go back into this more restrictive tier, we have to be more restrictive with who we allow on campus because our family group is the group of people staying with us. It's hard to not have all of those folks coming in to make that work happen. So your staff winds up filling in. And of course, there's folks that stay with us are also volunteering, but, you know, I can go back in the kitchen and I'll find a, a case manager starting a blotter, or just being involved with something. And it's just, it always makes me laugh when I see somebody doing something that hasn't nothing to do with their job, but they just know it needs to be done. And so they'll care for somebody. And then they'll, they'll get back to what they were doing.
Speaker 1 01:04:52 It has nothing to do with their job, but everything to do with them.
Speaker 3 01:04:56 That's right.
Speaker 1 01:04:58 Are there things that volunteers can do offsite to be helpful to the center?
Speaker 3 01:05:02 Sure. So ordinating donation drives are a big deal for us right now because we still need items. And these are not the exciting, really fun things, but socks and underwear, brand new ones are really because giving away used is just difficult. And so we, we need those, of course, we always need diapers and formula and wipes for all of the little people that stay with us and for the families that we've placed out in housing and are running short, and then we're going into the holidays. And so there's always those needs of turkeys, hams, as they say, around here, all the fixings so that we can make sure that people are able to celebrate in their own homes. And also we can provide that meal and then Christmas is coming and we're going to want to take care of our kids.
Speaker 1 01:05:58 Absolutely. Thank you for that. Speaking of wearing multiple hats, Louis, you also serve as the CEO of the Alliance against family violence and sexual assault, and have led that organization for over a decade. Now you are a survivor. You're your lived experience that you have translated into advocacy and support for victims of the family violence and sexual assault epidemic has helped to break through the stigma that victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse face share what we as family members and community members can do to support victims and to help them overcome the shame and guilt. They feel
Speaker 3 01:06:41 Domestic violence and sexual assault is still horribly stigmatized. I know from personal experience, the unmerited shame that someone can carry for something that has happened to them. And I also know that you can be freed of that completely. Now there's work that needs to be done to address any type of trauma that you've experienced B whatever that violence is. But for me personally, I have learned that it's very important for me to be vocal. Thomas Merton said, it's not about hiding your wounds. It's about figuring out how your wounds are useful to others. And this is a way that I can serve others that have yet to heal. It is very common for men to have experienced abuse when they were younger and to have never disclosed it. And that untreated trauma affects their relationships, how they're able to bond and pair how they parent, and it can develop in many negative behaviors.
Speaker 3 01:07:55 I'm fortunate that, uh, I was able to participate in getting the help to heal me of those wounds and put me in a space where I can now reach for those that, that have yet to receive that help. I also am fortunate that I get to lead an organization that its mission is to people that have been harmed and harmed in ways that society doesn't really like to talk about. Most folks don't even know we exist and tell somebody in their family or they themselves have been harmed. And then, and then they need help. And so it's really important that we talk, it's really important that we put our hands up and say, you know, this has happened and not believe that we are broken or incomplete or somehow permanently damaged. It was a moment. It was horrible. And sometimes it's many moments, but it does not define the individual. So if you know someone that is in a violent relationship, or you're worried that they are one of the most important things that you can do is just ask, are you safe? Do you need help?
Speaker 3 01:09:15 You could be really surprised at the answer. And, and if you don't know what to do, then go online and find your local domestic violence rape crisis center. They'll have the professionals that do this work day in, day out, and they've dedicated their professional lives to making sure that there's somebody there to answer the phone and all of the organizations that do this work, it's entirely confidential. You don't even have to say your name. You just can talk and find out what you want, because it's your story. And it's your opportunity to put down a weight that someone else gave you that you're not intended to carry.
Speaker 1 01:10:04 Thank you for sharing that. It's often that for those who feel this type of brokenness in their lives, just at the same time, feel so alone. And to know that there are resources that are available to know that, um, there is an opportunity to speak up. And for those who are around those who are hurting, that those resources are available to help our loved ones as well. Thank you.
Speaker 3 01:10:32 Glad to be a part of it. It's important. It's hard to imagine that you can say, I love the work when we're talking about such awful things, but it's a privilege to get to accompany someone through their heart. It's not a burden, which is what we so often place, uh, on the idea of disclosing her to someone else. It's not a burden. It's a privilege.
Speaker 1 01:11:04 I know it's not been burdened for you, Louis. And I want to just uplift you for a moment. You are celebrating a 20 year anniversary with the Bakersfield homeless center, hard to believe, right?
Speaker 3 01:11:17 It's amazing to me. I told the board of directors that would give them five years. Max.
Speaker 1 01:11:24 This is tough work, um, to deal with all of the needs that confront you leading a center like this, to be sure the funding is available to pursue all avenues of, of, uh, solutions for the families you serve. And what I want to just ask you is, as you reflect over the 20 years, I want you to take a moment to just reflect on just the magnitude of assistance you've provided, uh, you and your team have provided through the center. It's nothing short of remarkable. And I say this because this is very tough work, a model that you and your team have described today. So comprehensive, so much investment in the aftercare and to ensure the success and self-sufficiency of the families as they move forward, all of this just takes resources. It takes time, it takes dedication. And so I wanted you to just take a moment to reflect what has been accomplished over the last 20 years, and what are you the most proud of?
Speaker 3 01:12:22 Um, so we went from what would be called a stereotypical emergency shelter for single men and made the commitment that we were going to serve families and single women. And so we changed our entire model. We had to change the physical plant completely. We had to develop an entirely different way of serving people. We hired different professionals to be able to care for those individuals, but we always kept an eye on those basics, right? That, that safety net is critical. If you don't know where you're going to sleep, where your children are going to eat, you can't think of anything else. And so the staff presented me with this little chart on my 20th anniversary. And they showed me that in that time we had almost a million beds filled. So each night we count who was with us and that many people were safe each night.
Speaker 3 01:13:27 And then they told me that we'd served almost 3 million meals in those 20 years. And then we've had our jobs program grow. And it went from, you know, 10 people, 11 people to at the high water market was over 80. We're building back up and our housing placement. It used to be a celebration when we would have five to six families move out. And last year, not just with those that stay with us, but all throughout Kern County, we were involved with 1800 households moving into a permanent and live in a car. They weren't camped outside. They weren't in a shelter, they got to go home. And that, that's a, that's a good day. That is something that's, you can hang your hat on and you ask, what am I the most proud of?
Speaker 3 01:14:30 I'm the most proud of my people, right? The hearts, that thing to the work, because it's what can be, it's what can create the all in me. When I see people doing things, loving people, when they're acting in a way that is entirely unlovable, and yet they find that more inside them. So there's something else I want to add. And that's that you also get humbled by the people you serve and you get reminded of the goodness in people. And so there's some men that live around our facility that are living on the street. They have been for awhile. We have not been able to reach them. And they are really in a rough way, but I know them all individually and during the season of COVID, it's been very hard. And I guess it was showing on my face as I was walking out of the campus one day and it was late. I was going to my truck and this one man came up to me, glorious mess. And he popped up in the window of my truck. And I was like, okay, I don't know what this is. And I rolled my window down and I won't say his name to be a light for him, but I just said like, what's up? And he goes, I don't know. I'm supposed to tell you something. I'm like, what's that? He goes, it's supposed to tell you that I love you.
Speaker 3 01:16:01 And I looked at him and I was like, I love you too. I said his name. And he goes, I know you do. And there aren't that many to do anymore. So I just wanted you to know that I love you. And I got to say that that really touched me because this was a man who is broken by every definition that you could come up with. And it took a moment to care for me that that's the best of us.
Speaker 1 01:16:37 Thank you for sharing that, Louis, you know, we're so grateful to know that there is the Bakersfield homeless center, a place where families in crisis can come. And I'm sure we share the hope that someday the need for places like the center can go away. Is this possible from the policy perspective, from a societal perspective, this is possible.
Speaker 3 01:17:06 It absolutely is possible. And we know how to do it. What needs to happen is that we need to build homes on a scale. We have not done before too. In 2008, when we had to eliminate the redevelopment agencies because of budgetary crisis in our state, we lost the best tool we had to stimulate the development of low-income housing. And we've never really replaced it. And so not only do we need to replace it, but we need to invest significantly. And one of the very hard conversations we're going to have to have about that is that we're going to have to talk about <inaudible> and we're going to have to talk about building standards, and we don't want to have substandard housing. That's not what I'm saying, but we are going to have to figure out how to get a unit of housing on the market that can be sustained with minimum wage or social security benefits so that we can permanently possible. And that we no longer have this crisis of so many people outside.
Speaker 1 01:18:23 Thank you. Louis skill, executive director of the Bakersfield homeless center and your team for joining us today for our listeners, you may visit the website for the Bakersfield homeless
[email protected].
[email protected] to make a financial contribution or to arrange for the donations of PPE supplies, food toys, and new underwear and socks for the holiday season and your time. Thank you, Louis. Thank you.
Speaker 0 01:19:13 This is Betty. You starting off until the next episode of the California table. <inaudible> paid for by Betty
Speaker 1 01:19:54 For treasurer 2026.
