Weekly e-Newsletter | July 5th, 2023

Reflections from Amy Schwabenlender, CEO

Sporadic reflections from the front lines serving single adults experiencing homelessness, staring down Phoenix summer, and monsoon madness. It's been 33 days since my last post. It's the time of year when a minute outdoors feels like skin is scorching, car seats seem to be melting, and those who are unsheltered somehow survive. This week is forecast with an excessive Heat Warning, which indicates heat stroke can happen quickly... and heat stroke can be deadly. The invisibility of heat makes this level of threat less than obvious, and I assure you it is real.

Last week the HSC Outreach Team counted 911 unsheltered individuals in our neighborhood. I still hear some confusion from people over what has happened with street cleaning and the City's efforts. There has not been a massive, all-out effort to relocate all of the unsheltered individuals. The effort is in a section or segment of a street or avenue. The number of people affected at one time is 30 to 50 people. Once that segment is cleared, signs are posted stating that no overnight camping is allowed. The cleared areas appear to be staying that way - meaning no humans are there with tents and temporary structures.

It will take many weeks and months before teams will completely clear the neighborhood. HSC and partners continue to support the City through shelter, housing, and supportive services resources. We all want enough indoor space to extend an invitation to every single person seeking assistance. [Read More...]

Episode 10 Now Streaming on the McQuaid Mission

Season 2, Episode 10 of "It Happens at STN"

In the July episode of the McQuaid Mission, UMOM’s Chief Program Officer Mila Valle and Workforce Development Manager Fernandez Bjork join co-producer Amy Schwabenlender to talk about how workforce development goes beyond job training and why it is critical for prospective employers to participate in the process. Watch it here.

Click Here to View All Episodes.

HSC Grateful for Street Outreach

and Safe Storage Grants

HSC recently received a $20,000 grant from Bank of America for Street Outreach and a $10,000 grant from Wells Fargo for Safe Storage.

Street Outreach Program: HSC's Street Outreach team works with the unsheltered homeless population around the Human Services Campus to engage, assess, triage needs and connect people to HSC services and those of our partners. Among individuals experiencing homelessness, there is a domino effect to accessing services: if a person is able to leverage one service, they are more likely to engage in other services. This may include identification, shelter, case management, physical, mental and dental health services, legal assistance and accessing benefits. These services lead to the ultimate goal of housing for each and every person living on the streets.

Safe Storage Program: For people living in constant fear of having their belongings stolen, HSC's Safe Storage program for individuals experiencing homelessness provides peace of mind that their items are safe so they can attend appointments with case managers, counselors, doctors and other service providers to work on ending their homelessness. Clients have also shared that storing their items makes them feel better prepared to start packing in order to find housing.

Thank you Bank of America and Wells Fargo for supporting these critical client services!

Take a Tour of the Campus

Seeing the Campus in person is THE best way to understand the day-to-day work done by the collective of 16 organizations working together to end homelessness. The first Wednesday of every month at 10:00 am we offer tours of the 13-acre Campus. The next available tour is August 2nd..

To sign up, please contact us at [email protected] or call (602) 282-0853.