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by Brenna Lakeson

At Central OAC, it’s important for us to be involved in the issue of homelessness in three different ways.  We provide direct services such as ID, medical referrals, clothing and food referrals, and birth certificates that help meet practical needs.  We have the Main Frame Job Readiness Program that works with guests who are ready to take the next steps to get back on their feet.  Lastly, we advocate in systems of government to improve policies and laws for the benefit of the people we serve.

“Advocacy” can often be a scary word for those of us who don’t know exactly how to do it or what it means.  So, this post serves to break down some of the mystery to help you be a better advocate in your community!  The following are three easy and important ways for you to advocate for policies that are important to you.

Call your representatives!  To find out who your representatives are, there are several online resources.  For your local rep’s in the Georgia House or Senate (or any other state!), check here.  For your state rep’s in DC, look here.  Once you know who represents you, you can easily find their contact information online.  Most of them have either interns or answering machines set up to take your calls.  So, keep it short and simple.  A great sample message is as follows:

“Hi, my name is ______, I’m a constituent from (city), (zip code). I am opposed to _____ OR I support _______, and I encourage the Senator/Representative to please oppose OR support (legislation/policy). Thanks for your hard work answering the phones!”

It’s most effective to call only your own representatives.  This also helps you build a relationship with them (especially your local rep’s).  Lastly, try to keep your calls focused on one issue at a time.  You might have a lot you want to address with your representative, but you’ll get your point across better if you focus on issues individually instead of leaving a message with your opinions on all issues at once.

Track important legislation.  If you’re passionate about a particular issue, say healthcare or poverty, you can track legislation through the House and Senate to find out what decisions are being made.  This website is a great place to get started.  This site is also very helpful, and you may recognize it from tip #1! – it helps you find your rep’s and gives a breakdown of legislation for you! Bills in the Georgia Legislature are given reference numbers, i.e. SB210 or HB115.  “SB” stands for Senate Bill, and “HB” stands for House Bill, indicative of whether a House Representative or a Senator is sponsoring the bill.  These numbers make it easier to track the legislation.  They also make it easier for you to tell your representatives about specific legislation that your support or oppose.

Meet with representatives! The best way to get your message across is in person.  So, while setting up a meeting with your representative might seem scary, it can be highly important.  It’s hard to ignore the opinions of someone sitting right in front of you!  Especially if you have already been calling your rep’s about specific legislation, your name might be familiar to them, giving you a higher chance of getting a face to face meeting.  It can be difficult to get on their calendar, so don’t give up!  Keep contacting their office until you’re able to set something up.

You can also try to find advocacy organizations that might be planning to meet with representatives and see if you can join them.  Although this year’s legislative session is nearly over, attending the advocacy day for an organization you care about can be a great way to briefly meet with a representative.  Throughout the month of February, many different organizations throughout Georgia have scheduled days that they come to the Capitol and speak with their legislators.  So, if you’re not quite ready for a one-on-one, join us next year for our day at the Capitol for a beginner’s course!

For more about advocacy and the work we do at COAC, visit https://centraloac.org/programs/advocacy.

by Ahren Cassinari-Foster

At Central Outreach and Advocacy Center, we engage with people who are experiencing homelessness and at-risk of homelessness.  When doing working with guests via direct services, we see people for only a brief period of time, an hour or so, and we may never see them again.  They go their way, getting their ID, birth certificate, or receiving medical care and we go ours, helping the next guest and determining how to best address the next need we encounter.  Sometimes we have no way of knowing whether or not our work made a lasting difference for the guest.

One of the joys of working with people long-term in the Main Frame program is the change and growth that I get to see happen in them.  Of course, some of the most important changes we observe in people are difficult to measure:  when someone becomes more honest, caring, or sincere.  But thankfully, some of the other profoundly important changes that I have the privilege of seeing are easy to measure:  when someone gets a job, a promotion, or a raise.

This measurable sort of change happened a few months back with one of our job readiness students.  He started the class about a year ago and moved relatively quickly into a work program.  I was sad to see him go, as he was a great student, but I was happy for his progress towards self-sufficiency.  He maintained occasional contact with us over the following months, using the Main Frame computer lab to apply for jobs, check email, and fax important documents.

But, one day, he came in and needed some assistance with a new job he had been offered.  It was a supervisory position.  He would be making more money and overseeing other employees on the construction site.  This was a huge, concrete, measurable step towards self-sufficiency that he had taken.  But there was another, maybe more important step that I believe he took that day that was not quite as obvious-a step towards more confidence and belief in his own abilities.

Many of us have had the satisfaction that comes from a supervisor recognizing the qualities within us and rewarding them.  That day, that particular student did too.

Our Program Director, April Campbell, has been with us since October.  After a few months of learning the ropes, getting to know guests, and becoming an expert at case management, April wrote this reflection about the time she’s spent at COAC so far.

When I first started at Central OAC, I never imagined that I would learn so much from both my new team of coworkers or the guests that we serve.

As soon as I began working at the OAC, my eyes were opened to the amazing work that goes on here. The care and the compassion I saw in the staff and volunteers astounded me. I remember on one particular day, Pam, one of our Monday volunteers, was speaking to a guest who came in for a specific service. Pam was explaining the authorization form that we sign with each guest for confidentiality purposes, and she noticed the guest squinting. Pam stopped explaining and asked, “do you need some reading glasses too?”. The guest stated that he did, not realizing that we had reading glasses available at our guest’s request. Pam got up at that moment to get him a pair so he could see the authorization form he would be signing. This is just one example of a guest coming in for a specific service, not knowing everything the OAC offers, and leaving with multiple referrals and vouchers to suit their needs. It is the attention to detail that make the OAC a great team.

A month after I started working at OAC, I sprained my ankle. After a few days of recuperation, I came back and worked the front desk for a while to limit the amount I would need to walk. It was during that time working the front desk consistently that I learned how wonderful the people that we serve are. Mr. Rome (name changed) asked one morning, “Miss. Lady, what happened to your foot?” I explained what had happened, and for the next week every time he came in to check his mail Mr. Rome asked me how I was feeling. Recently, almost two months later, I had a guest say, “Miss, it looks like you’re walking better. You feeling better”? It amazes me how these individuals have so much on their minds and hearts, yet they take the time to send some positive and heartfelt words my way.

Working at the OAC has made me so proud. The work that we do is thoughtful, consistent, and done with patience. We pride ourselves on meeting the guests “where they are”, listening to their stories, and making sure that, even if we are not able to meet their specific needs, we point them in the direction of someone who can. Our guests are the reason we do this work. Without their smiles, kind words, and perseverance, there would be no Central OAC.

by Kimberly Parker

It’s hard to believe that 2016 is almost over and that a new year is right around the corner. It’s been a full year at Central OAC as we’ve worked to open doors to overcome and prevent homelessness. I am trying to take a few moments to reflect back on the year and give thanks because there is so much to be grateful for. More than one door often has to be opened for people to move forward, many times out of dire situations. Our dedicated staff and volunteers make this possible on a daily basis. I am always amazed as I watch and listen to the ways in which they meet our guests where they are and do all they possibly can to help them improve their life situations. It truly is a privilege to work with this team of people, and for them I give thanks.

I also give thanks for our guests. I know that it’s not easy for me to ask for help, which is probably the case for many of us. Our guests are no different. Oftentimes, they walk through our doors with essentially nothing but the clothes on their backs. Many of them do not have family or friends to lean on. Many face one challenge after another and wonder if life is really worth continuing to try and move forward.  They are often ignored or mistreated out on the street, and I have to believe that many of them walk through our doors wondering if they can trust us. But, they do grow to trust us, and as we sit with them and listen to them, the privilege is ours — having someone share his/her story with us is truly an honor.

We have a long-time guest who suffers from seizures. As a result, he struggles to hold on to his identification, medications and other belongings. We had been working with him on obtaining his Georgia state ID again and it was a long process due to a number of different factors, including his health. In the last couple of days, he stopped me in the lobby and said, “I want to show you something.”  He pulled out his wallet and showed me his ID. He said, “We worked on this for a long time. I finally have it.” This guest’s story is a tough one, but he has allowed us to be a part of it, and for that I am grateful.

On Mondays and Thursdays, I try to walk through our art room at least once during the morning to see what kind of art the guests are making. If “Thomas” is in there, which he usually is, he always looks up and says, “Ms. Kimberly, look.” He always wants me to see what he’s working on, and these interactions never fail to bring a smile to my face. When “Thomas” first came to us several years ago in search of assistance with ID, he was experiencing homelessness. Since obtaining his ID and getting some other assistance, he is housed and receiving the support that he needs to remain housed. He simply comes to us now to make art and to share his life with others. I am grateful.

Most recently, I had the privilege of interacting with “Sandra.” “Sandra” came in looking for mail and I happened to be at the front desk. “Sandra” came in often and if we told her that she did not have any mail, she was usually quite upset. This day was no different. She was angry when I told her that she still did not have any mail. A volunteer and I spent several minutes trying to make sense out of what she was saying and in the end, we figured out that she wanted to make a phone call to check on her food stamp card. I brought her back to the intake area and had her sit down at a desk to make the call.  Thirty minutes and hundreds of tears later, “Sandra” had ordered her card, and we set a time for her to come back the next week to check on it. In the middle of all of this, “Sandra” admitted to being schizophrenic and having trouble being around large numbers of people. Trust did not come easy for her, but at the end of that day, she hugged me and said, “Mama, I will see you next week.” I wish you could have heard her call me “Mama.” It obviously was a term of endearment to her and I give thanks that somehow, she finally trusted us enough so that we could help her with one small thing. She comes in every now and then and if I’m in my office, she comes right in to say hello and talk for a bit. Sometimes, she makes sense. Sometimes, she doesn’t.  Regardless, I give thanks for “Sandra.”

I give thanks for all of our guests and for how they impact our lives. They are why we do the work we do. Maybe these stories that I have shared will impact your life as well. Know that at the end of this year, I’m thankful for all of you who support us in this good work. We could not do it without you! Thank you, and have a blessed holiday season!

 

Kimberly J. Parker

Executive Director