Journeys, June 2015, Ideas
Ideas: Members Program Updates,
And Fostering Partnerships
Community Link, Charlotte – Partners with Goodwill to provide employment training for clients. Community Link provides financial literacy classes. The federal government is no longer providing grants for transitional housing and Community Link is now providing permanent housing for vets as it accepts donated homes, repairs them and then sells them.
Hope Atlanta – In a program to provide housing for the working poor, Hope Atlanta has on-site staff available to provide social services and assistance to the clients to obtain income tax credits. Working with the Veteran Administration in the Support Services for Veterans and their Families program, 3 staff members work from VA locations. Participates in a local Diversion Court to assist the homeless.
TA Birmingham – Works with the Family Values Center for professional assessment of Travelers Aid clients and TA then provides safe transportation. Community service officers at Police Department also make referrals to TA.
TA Detroit – Uses Detroit Employment Solutions to provide workforce training for TA clients. Travelers Aid manages a Michigan Dept. of Corrections Prisoner Re-Entry Program for discharged individuals providing counseling and job placement.
TA Honolulu – Pacific Asia Travel Association (www.pata.org) is a source of funding for services provided to tourists. There are PATA chapters in other cities that may be potential funding sources. Volunteers are participating in the Certified Tourism Ambassador program (www.ctanetwork.com)
TA San Diego – Work your way home – Downtown San Diego businesses band together to provide jobs for homeless where they can earn money to get back home and, via a fee the businesses pay, TA will provide the bus tickets for the homeless to return home. At San Diego International Airport, Travelers Aid works with a national group, Therapy Dogs, matching dog owners, their dogs and TA volunteers to calm travelers at the airport. (See story in May edition.)
Upward Transitions, Oklahoma City – Works with Homeless Shelters to re-establish the IDs for the homeless to obtain jobs, benefits, etc.