Joan Baez, legendary folksinger and activist; Dora Berlanga, homeless Downtown Streets Team member; Santa Cruz City manager Martin Bernal; and project manager Greg Penzinger talk to Ruth Copland about the pervasive issue of homelessness.
Listen to show here Is Homelessness Everyone’s Problem | It’s A Question of Balance (broadcast Nov 4).
What are your views of the homeless? Do you think of them all in the same way or as individuals? Is it their responsibility to get themselves back on their feet or is homelessness everyone’s problem? Ruth Copland speaks to people on the street at the inauguration event in Santa Cruz, California for the Downtown Streets Team initiative, which is a community-based solution to homelessness.
The Downtown Streets Team programme currently operates in 8 cities in the Bay area of California. Since its launch in 2005 it has helped more than 680 team members find work, more than 760 people find permanent housing and has removed more than 4.3 million gallons of debris from public streets and parks. Downtown Streets Team initiative works to build teams that restore dignity, inspire hope, and provide a pathway to recovery for homeless people. The volunteer Work-Experience Program provides homeless and at risk Team Members an opportunity to beautify their community in exchange for case management, employment services, and a basic needs stipend. Through their volunteer work, Team Members rebuild effective work habits, take on leadership opportunities, further their education and ready themselves to reenter the workforce through the support of a positive community. For more info visit www.streetsteam.org
For more information and to listen to past shows click here It’s A Question of Balance
