3 (or 4) Ways to Help with the Day Center Today and Tomorrow (and Thursday)

June 7, 2016 8:40 am

Heh, I didn’t have to write this cuz Heidi Wegleitner did . . . but I added one thing. Seriously, take a look and email or show up if you can . . . we need help to change the direction this is going – it needs to be a comprehensive center that is appropriately funded to get a good operator with the tools they need for this to be successful.

1. Public Works Tonight

Tonight at 5:30 County Public Works & Transportation
AEC conference room, 1919 Alliant Energy Center Way

https://dane.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=490117&GUID=055D79D0-EB13-47D4-AE23-24E3F245C010

Res. 62, supporting full funding of day center operations and inclusion of overnight personal storage, will be considered.

Supervisors Schmidt and Nelson have signed on, but we need to make sure we get the majority of votes we need to approve this resolution. If you cannot attend, please contact committee supervisors: williams.danielle@countyofdane.com, defelice@countyofdane.com, ripp.david@countyofdane.com, gillis.george@countyofdane.com, hendrick@countyofdane.com, nelson.paul@countyofdane.com, schmidt.robin@countyofdane.com

2. Alders McKinney, Rummel, and Palm are introducing a corresponding City resolution tonight. Please contact your alder and ask them to sign on. Alder info here https://www.cityofmadison.com/Council/councilMembers/alders.cfm

3. Tomorrow Res. 62 will be at the Health and Human Needs Committee. 5:30, rm 351, CCB.

Agenda here https://dane.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=489531&GUID=679DF4B1-0B68-4A6A-9AA4-3A4B48D4D5FD

Committee member email info here https://dane.legistar.com/DepartmentDetail.aspx?ID=24550&GUID=3F20EE97-5EB8-4545-B944-01B416334158&R=58b4c1e0-d730-4bcf-8a6d-c1fe59965930

Please note that this resolution is important because their is currently a funding gap of $117k for the day center and Human Services Director Lynn Green hasn’t been supportive of overnight personal storage, something that is really important to homeless folks and was always intended to be offered at the comprehensive day resource center. The resolutions don’t require us to add more money to the budget, just redirect existing budget lines funding interim day services into the day resource center operations line so that funding is available to support those programs at the day center once it opens. The resolutions make clear that this funding should continue to be available to support interim day services until the permanent day center opens, which won’t happen for at least another year. County staff are looking to locate another temporary day center space downtown for the upcoming winter.

Thank you!!

My addition is this . . . show up to the Homeless Services Consortium Community Feedback Session on our Community Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. There are actually two.

June 9th-Feedback on Objectives and Strategies for Goal One- Preventing homelessness in Dane
County & Goal Two – Supporting people experiencing homelessness with a clear pathway to permanent housing).

June 14th-Feedback on Objectives and Strategies for Goal Three – Ending homelessness in Dane County & Goal Four – Advocating/Collaborating with local, state and national partners

The meetings at at the Villager Mall – Atrium – 2300 S. Park St.

Let me know what you think of this:

Hello, County Supervisors.

I am a resident of Dane County, living
at the northern edge of Madison next to Warner Park. I frequently walk
through the woods of Warner Park, and there I have seen what happens to
our county’s homeless.

This past spring, my daughter and I
went out to clean up a homeless camp that had been abandoned in a hurry
at some point over the winter. There was a tent, a chair, and a number
of clothing items that filled a kitchen trash-bag. In another spot, we
found more clothing, and a stashed container of personal mementos. I
don’t know what happened to the owners of these belongings; I do know
that they may well have been all of their belongings, as it was obvious
the person had left in a hurry. Perhaps they were arrested, or
hospitalized. In my walks, I have made friends with a number of the men
who live in the park during certain seasons of the year. It’s not hard
to tell who they are; though clean and neat, they carry luggage,
wheeled shopping baskets, plastic bags, or sometimes just oversized
coats with many pockets–all in an attempt to hold on to their very
meager collection of possessions. They’re good men. Lost, disabled,
confused; but friendly and kind.

Resolution 62, Operations
Funding for a Permanent Comprehensive Day Resource Center, would help to
give our homeless population one of the things they need most–one of
the things that we take for granted so much that we don’t often
recognize it as a need. Among other things, this funding would help to
cover the creation of overnight storage, a place to put personal
belongings that often mean so much to the people who live without
permanent homes. Having a place to leave a stash of clean, dry socks;
photos of loved ones; or simple necessities such as shaving kit and
tooth brush, one of the most stressful parts of homelessness would be
alleviated.

Thank you for listening. I look forward to reading of the outcome of tonight’s meeting.

1 COMMENT

Anywolf June 7, 2016 11:03 am At 11:03 AM

Let me know what you think of this:

Hello, County Supervisors.

I am a resident of Dane County, living
at the northern edge of Madison next to Warner Park. I frequently walk
through the woods of Warner Park, and there I have seen what happens to
our county’s homeless.

This past spring, my daughter and I
went out to clean up a homeless camp that had been abandoned in a hurry
at some point over the winter. There was a tent, a chair, and a number
of clothing items that filled a kitchen trash-bag. In another spot, we
found more clothing, and a stashed container of personal mementos. I
don’t know what happened to the owners of these belongings; I do know
that they may well have been all of their belongings, as it was obvious
the person had left in a hurry. Perhaps they were arrested, or
hospitalized. In my walks, I have made friends with a number of the men
who live in the park during certain seasons of the year. It’s not hard
to tell who they are; though clean and neat, they carry luggage,
wheeled shopping baskets, plastic bags, or sometimes just oversized
coats with many pockets–all in an attempt to hold on to their very
meager collection of possessions. They’re good men. Lost, disabled,
confused; but friendly and kind.

Resolution 62, Operations
Funding for a Permanent Comprehensive Day Resource Center, would help to
give our homeless population one of the things they need most–one of
the things that we take for granted so much that we don’t often
recognize it as a need. Among other things, this funding would help to
cover the creation of overnight storage, a place to put personal
belongings that often mean so much to the people who live without
permanent homes. Having a place to leave a stash of clean, dry socks;
photos of loved ones; or simple necessities such as shaving kit and
tooth brush, one of the most stressful parts of homelessness would be
alleviated.

Thank you for listening. I look forward to reading of the outcome of tonight’s meeting.