2021 September Newsletter

september newsletter
orange butterfly

Direct from Darryl

A wave of Evictions is on the Horizon

Landlords and tenants need to work together to help each other. The state and counties received $1.8B (yes billion with a B) in federal funds for rental assistance. As of last week, only $500M has been distributed, with just over 3 months left for the program. Many landlords and tenants I have spoken with have described their frustration with the program. It is bureaucratic and cumbersome. It does not need to be this way, but bureaucrats like to make everything complicated.

With a little patience and perseverance, the landlords can receive every dollar that is owed to them. The eviction moratorium is ending this month. Many landlords have expressed they prefer to just evict people and move on, rather than deal with the frustrations of dealing with the county rental assistance program. While this may seem like an attractive option, the money that will be lost is worth the effort.

We will be joining some of our partners to host a webinar on how to access these funds. We have many staff member trained and are available to walk people through the process. It would be sad to see $1B returned to the federal government while landlords are struggling. Please share the flyer in this newsletter with your friends to help them get the help they need.

Darryl Evey
Executive Director

Rental Assistance

CA COVID-19 eviction moratorium is coming to an endCA COVID-19 Eviction Moratorium is coming to an end!

Join us today at 4pm for a virtual information workshop for tenants and landlords.

Via Zoom Teleconference
ZOOM LINK

Meeting ID:
853 0756 6135
Password:
603550

Community Center

street in victorvilleWe are planning the next 40-hour domestic violence training for October. We look forward to educating and training community members that are eager to contribute to the domestic violence field. Keep an eye out for the Eventbrite link with more information to follow.

The Community Center will be facilitating free rapid COVID-19 tests for the community. We will be one of the locations that will provide this service. We will share detailed information soon.

Please join us as we commence our Old Town Street Fair series. Our first street fair will be on September 18, 2021. We look forward to seeing the community come together to enjoy some family entertainment and shopping!

Hope House

break the silence adhope house logoOne of our families at Hope House has moved on to our transitional housing units! The mother of three had worked very hard to reach many goals and she made wonderful progress. The mother overcame some obstacles, was always determined to have legal issues taken care of for her children. She worked to earn extra money so that she could purchase a vehicle.

We are very proud of this woman and she and her children deserve all she has made possible. We know this is just the beginning of their journey, and we will be with her as she moves her way to self-sufficiency and independence.
Join us next month for the Break the Silence Walk to End Domestic Violence on October 6th 10am – 3pm. This is a two mile walk starting at our Administration Office located at 15075 7th St. Victorville, CA 92395

Open Door

open doorthe open door logoWe at the Open Door continue to meet people where they are at. Not only are we providing drop-in services at our new office, we continue to conduct street outreach throughout the month. Street outreach consists of us handing out safety bags to those still being affected by being in the life. In the past 30 days we have encountered 27 different men and women.

We are pleased to announce that we have a new Youth Advocate , Haley Guillermo, she will be working with youth that have been referred from DCFS, Probation and our two youth shelters. Haley is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Psychology. Welcome to the team Haley!

We have officially completed our third 40-Hour Human Trafficking Advocacy Training of the year. We had 41 individuals who completed the training and received certificates of completion.

We have yet to fill the open position we have as the Community Engagement Coordinator. We are sad to be losing Candice Erskin due to her moving out of state and beginning a new journey. We wish her well on her new endeavors.

Next Step

open armsMany of our target population have not been seen by a health care physician for a long length of time. However, because of Carolina G., our agency’s new Health Navigator, many more of our participants are learning how to navigate the heath care system and are getting the services they need.

We all know that navigating through any system can be tough, but with staff committed to helping our community, we will continue to bring wellness to those we serve.

Next Step Morongo Basin

next step logoThanks to the devotion and dedication of Family Assistance Next Step program another participant has been able to reach her personal goals and change her life. Amanda came into to our program eight months pregnant, had not received any prenatal care, a history of drug addiction, and on probation. She had been engaging in unhealthy patterns and her son had been removed from her custody. Amanda began feeling overwhelmed and very defeated. Upon entering Next Step she started seeking prenatal care right away, attending all required weekly groups and testing and was able to comply with her CFS case. She began building her support network and healthy family relationships again. Amanda successfully secured permanent housing and employment and is now living independently planning to reunify with her children in the next few months.

DV Transitional Housing

house for saleWe would love to share and update with you on our friend Faith who has recently received keys to her beautiful new home, she is legitimately a FIRST TIME HOME BUYER! This woman was able to buy a brand-new home for her children, thanks in part to her participation in our program.

Faith moved from our shelter into transitional housing where she was able to heal, find her footing, and reach her goals. Faith has taken the time to share with me how much our program generously supported the needs of her family every step of the way.

While Faith did struggle at times to survive, she never gave up. She found a job, developed superior work ethic, which led to presently working full time. The transformation improved her life, she was clever at saving money for the future, developing credit, forming a plan.

Faith also had to confront a custody dispute for the children with her abusers. She was able to find her voice to advocate for their rights. She filed a dispute claim for her income taxes. Proving that the children lived with her the majority of the time.

Faith has come such a long way from when she entered Hope House, it truly has been an honor and privilege to have worked with Faith. Being able to watch the healing, determination, and blessings be bestowed makes our hearts happy.

Faith has expressed to me that she could not have reached this goal or fulfilled this DREAM without Our Program. Beginning with that first step to leave. She has stayed the course, never losing dedication to her vision. She states she will forever be grateful her journey led her to the Family Assistance Program.

Substance Use Education

substance use education classes adWe have partnered with Frank Kelly and No Drugs America for Substance Use Education Classes that are free to the public. If you are interested in these classes or booking a training for your school or organization email jobi@familyassist.org

Thank you to the Greater High Desert Chamber of Commerce for having us as a speaker for the Friday morning Coffee Break. It was a great way to share about all of the great things that Family Assistance Program is doing.

Thank Your to Our Community Partners

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Join Our Team

Family Assistance Program envisions a community where each person has a loving, nurturing home life. We provide the tools necessary to create healthy interpersonal relationships, economic empowerment, and stable housing.

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