Tuesday, August 24th, 2021 | Volume 1 | Issue 1 |
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Dear Friends,
I hope that this newsletter finds you in good spirits! We've all made it through some dark times, and together we are looking forward to a hopeful future. I'd like to take a moment to bring you up to date with all the exciting happenings at The Living Room. This includes our housing, people, services, campuses, and outreach.
All our best,
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Congratulations!
Korissa and Victoria, two of our residents, have just moved into permanent housing!
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Additional Dwelling Unit (ADU)
set for completion at the end of the month.
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This ADU is 450 square feet and made possible through a grant from Tamalpais. This unit will house a woman and child by the beginning of September. |
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Introducing the newest amazing members of
The Living Room team!
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Trevor Boosinger
Food Services Manager
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Trevor Boosinger is our Food Services Manager at The Living Room.
Spending the last 10 years in the food industry he has worked at some of Sonoma County's finest restaurants. He worked as Sous Chef at Starks’s Steak House, ran the estate dining program at the Farmhouse Inn in Forestville, and has spent the last two years as head chef at Russian River Brewing Company’s Windsor location.
Trevor has come to the The Living Room to bring his skills to help others who struggle to eat well. He is in charge of our hot meal service, our Blue Basket Pantry Program, and our culinary training programs.
When Trevor is not cooking at The Living Room he can be found spending time with his wife and two young children. He enjoys hiking and camping, and game nights.
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Tatia
Bascio
Housing Care Coordinator
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Tatia Bascio is our new Housing Care Coordinator. She was born in southern California and is a mother of three children and feels she is guardian to many. Her mission in life is,
"To use my many talents and gifts of knowledge, to help cultivate a better life for my fellow humans on this planet"
She is a renaissance woman, animal lover, Jokester, lover of all that is bright, happy, colorful and beautiful, blogger, BYU- Idaho Alumni, and cancer survivor of 4 years.
One of her greatest attributes is the ability and willingness to adapt to any situation for a positive outcome for all.
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Thomas Alexander
Assistant Director of Operations
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Thomas Alexander is the Assistant Director of Operations at The Living Room. Originally from Alaska, Thomas came to California in 2007 to battle his addictions in a residential program. This experience led him to want to help others in their own struggles.
He became a Substance Abuse counselor and spent 3 years becoming CCDAC and CARR certified in substance abuse therapy.
Later he worked with the Salvation Army ARC and thrift store helping train volunteers in the day-to-day operations.
The last few years Thomas worked at Nuforest Products-IWP as a Mill and Remanufacturing Manager over-seeing 40 employees.
"I saw the amazing work The Living Room was doing even through the pandemic. My heart was pulled to be a part of this amazing area of helping those most in need."
Thomas brings his big heart to our outreach, facility and residence management
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What is your secret hope?
Bringing hope to others through food.
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What is a hope you have longed for in your life? How have you been able to work towards or achieve that desire?
At The Living Room our kitchen may have changed how it operates over time, but the reasons why we cook and serve have remained the same.
Our meals feed the body and the soul. They are a tool to nourish the body, open the doors to building community and healing. We then discover the secret hopes of those we serve and hopefully help in seeing these hopes achieved.
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The Secret Hope Kitchen is currently providing meals to off-site encampments, our residences, senior and youth sites, and insecurely housed families throughout Santa Rosa. |
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The financial literacy program will be for our residences and will cover the following topics:
- Values surrounding money
- Financial goals
- Budgeting
- Debt
- Credit
- Transportation
- Banking
Thanks to our wonderful volunteers and The Whatcom Dream, we have all the materials and training needed to move forward with this program.
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Blue Basket Pantry Program |
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Our Blue Basket Pantry Program is a weekly grocery service that provides well balanced meals with a focus on farm fresh produce and protein. Our goal is to produce meal cards and cooking tips to help people store, prepare, and serve wonderful meals. |
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Outreach from 2020 to Present |
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We started the outreach program in 2020 and it has grown into a network working alongside other organizations in Santa Rosa. We visit the streets and encampments looking for women and those who might not be aware of the resources in our area. We make appointments with women who can use our services. Through outreach, we are able to provide immediate relief with supplies and comfort. The goal is to get women and children off the streets and into shelter or housing. This is not a simple task. We listen to what folks are telling us, and then do our best to help bridge the barriers that so many face.
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Want to help our outreach program? |
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We are in need of the following:
- Tents
- Travel Shampoo
- Travel conditioner
- Travel Tooth Paste
- Travel Lotions
- Deodorant
- Razors
- Travel shaving cream
- Q-tips
- Woman underwear all sizes
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L/XL Socks
Items not needed at the moment:
Tampons, Pads, Liners, Depends, adult diapers
(Please email Thomas with any questions regarding donations at talexander@thelivingroomsc.org)
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At our administration location we house our Executive Director, grant writer, accountant, Director of Programs, donor relations liaison and communication coordinator. They can be reached at our main line, 707-579-0138.
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Residents are now living on our main campus in each of the houses. We are pleased that we had a safe place for them when they needed it. Most of our staff are still located here as well. Staff still take phone and in-person appointments to help and guide folks seeking assistance. Our outreach team travels from there each day, delivering food and gear out to the community. Every square inch of our campus is in use and the campus is a beehive of activity. |
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Residences by The Living Room |
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During COVID shut down, we moved to house five women and five children on our campus. There was nowhere else accepting them. Seniors and women with children were sleeping in cars, directly on the streets and/or in a local shelter. Our campus is now providing five units of housing to our community. Seniors and women with children have sheltered in the safety provided there. We have loved having the ladies and kiddos on our campus. They have had a chance to garden, celebrate birthdays, have lunches together, and develop a kinship. |
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Outcomes from our 2020 - 2021 services and programs. |
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During this last fiscal year, from last July 1st, 2020, while we were still in quarantine, to June 30th of this year we have served 840 unduplicated women and 214 children. All of the families were either in the extremely low-income bracket or had no income at all. Extremely low income in Sonoma County is $25,000 annually for a household of four.
We provided 26,525 meals over the course of this time. These meals have served hundreds of people of all ages, all had a common challenge -having enough to eat. We served these meals directly through outreach all over Santa Rosa. We have partners who deliver some of the meals and our drivers also deliver.
Seventy-two women were housed throughout our houses and on our campus. Of that, eight are children.
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In July the Board voted for us to move forward with finding an additional campus and adding a thrift store where there is also job training. The staff and Board have been vigorously working to secure new property where we can provide the following services with room to grow: Classes, support groups, respite room, respite childcare, art therapy, recovery groups, legal aid, community nursing, veterinary services, auto repair clinics, dental clinics, job readiness, etc. Our vision is that this site operates with respect for the participants and the surrounding area. We will be focused on women and children.
If you know of a possible off-market site we have retained Misty Platt of Mason McDuffie, and she would appreciate any leads you may have. We are interested in leasing and or purchase. Her contact information is 707-326-1008 or misty.platt@mmcommercial.com
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Gratitude from those we serve. |
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It brings fulfillment and so much joy to our hearts to be able to help those in need
with the programs we offer.
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Annual Fundraiser Loving The Living Room and you're Invited! |
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We would like to introduce you to Shana Woodfield one of our rock stars and most loyal volunteer!
Before Shana started volunteering at The Living Room her day job was working as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist with Kaiser Permanente.
In 1997 she heard about the great things The Living Room was doing and wanted to be a part of it as a volunteer at the Cherry St. location.
Years later, after the election of 2016, she felt a need to do something to better the community, and having read about the move to the Cleveland Ave campus, she decide to check it out and see what she could do at our new location.
During COVID, after the initial shut down, she drove by one day in April and said, "I want to come back." Taking the proper precaution to stay as safe as possible during the pandemic she helped us each week with the limited services we had available.
Shana has supported The Living Room though financial contributions and volunteering. She has done many volunteer tasks on campus, from volunteering in the closet to helping manage our laundry needs, from bagging essential toiletry items and snack packs, to handing out mail to our residences.
She is now our historian, helps package lunch items, and make deliveries.
Thank you so much for all you do Shana!
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Do you want to volunteer? |
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Volunteers are the backbone of our organization. The service provided by our volunteer team is critical to the daily operation of The Living Room, and we’re always looking for more to join us!
What Can I Help With?
Based on our operations, here are our current volunteer needs listed below:
Kitchen Team
Each morning, The Living Room provides up to 175 hot meals a day to our residents and to partner organizations for distribution. Kitchen volunteers work in coordination with our Food Services Manager to prepare these delicious, nourishing meals.
Distribution Team
Distribution volunteers work in coordination with our Kitchen and Outreach teams to package our daily hot meals and deliver them to partner organizations. (A vehicle and clean driving record is required for this volunteer position.)
Garden Team
The Living Room’s campus is largely highlighted by our beautiful garden. Garden volunteers would work in coordination with our Facilities Manager for weekly upkeep, maintenance, and other miscellaneous projects.
Maintenance and Repair Team
Our resident living spaces could use the help of some handy volunteers! Maintenance volunteers would work in coordination with our Facilities Manager for occasional repair and carpentry work.
Special Service Projects
If you specialize in a particular field, you may be able to share service and/or expert knowledge with our participants. Whether it’s direct service, classes, or consultation, we’d love to hear your ideas!
How Do I Become A Volunteer?
All potential volunteers begin the process by submitting a Volunteer Application (linked below). At The Living Room, we are committed to providing a safe and secure space for everyone, and all potential volunteers are subject to an interview process and background check. Once approved, volunteers can join us on campus, where the fun begins!
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Bring your leadership to the table and help lead The Living Room into its future with your time, talents, and treasures. We are looking for individuals in a variety of career fields.
If you are interested in learning more and being a part of our board members please contact our Executive Director, Cindy Pasko, at 707-978-4801.
See link below for all board member requirements.
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Are you retired and not sure what to do with your time during retired life? Are you a student who needs volunteer hours or has extra time on their hands? Why not volunteer?
We welcome all who are willing and want to help out or daily operations. If you are interested please feel out the volunteer application by clicking the link below and our volunteer coordinator, Kris Bartolome will reach out to you.
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Want to help in another way? |
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Please consider an annual, monthly, or one time monetary donation. Thank you! |
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The mission of The Living Room is to ease adversity, promote stability, and support self-reliance for women and children who are homeless, or at-risk of homelessness, in Sonoma County. |
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Administration Office Hours
Monday – Friday 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
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Follow us on social media! |
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