A pilot outreach program to engage homeless people and connect them to local and county resources starts next week in Laguna Beach’s downtown business district.
“I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to help connect some of the homeless people downtown with resources that are available to them, and begin to work with them on ending their homelessness,” said Dawn Price, executive director of Friendship Shelter, whose programs include a residential shelter, emergency shelter, and permanent housing.
The pilot program will last 10 weeks and in addition to street outreach, staff will be on-call to respond to issues related to homelessness, the announcement says. Local businesses are encouraged to call an outreach hotline at 949 339-6042 if they see homeless men and women in distress, crisis, or otherwise in need of help or intervention.
“We are uniquely qualified to do this work,” Price explained. “Our staff is highly trained and has years of practical experience working with homeless people in Laguna Beach. Our goal is always to end homelessness, which will enhance the quality of life for everyone in our community.”
At the end of the 10-week pilot, Friendship Shelter will analyze the data they collect and determine next steps, including whether the organization’s tools are effective, Price said.
“We don’t know how many calls we’ll get or how many people we’ll be able to work with,” said Rick Scott, director of programs for Friendship Shelter.
One paragraph boasts they’re uniquely qualified to address this and the last sentence says they have no idea how many people or calls. Lol. Obviously this isn’t instilling confidence! Lol