Brian Ulf
The Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homelessness will host a community meeting on Monday, January 23, from 7 to 8:15 p.m. via Zoom. Brian Ulf, the board president of SHARE! (Self-Help and Recovery Exchange), will speak on “Homelessness and Affordable Housing! What to do.”
Mayor Karen Bass has acknowledged there is not housing available for the more than 40,000 homeless in Los Angeles and is looking at options. Ulf will present one of the public-private partnership solutions to affordable housing.
SHARE! a nonprofit places extremely low-income people into single-family private homes and mom and pop investor-owned apartments, while providing mental health or other disability support services. Only about four percent of SHARE! participants return to the streets. (visit: shareselfhelp.org).
SHARE! was started by people in recovery from trauma and mental health issues. Under the auspices of Emotional Health Association, a California 501(c)(3), a group of meeting-goers formed a board and working committees. SHARE! officially opened its doors at an abandoned warehouse with a leaky roof in Venice in 1993.
In March 2005, SHARE! became the first ever peer-run contractor with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health.
Its programs are designed to support self-sufficiency through social support and community integration. SHARE! was honored with the Los Angeles County Mental Health Commission Outstanding Program Award in 2013.
Residents can submit questions for Ulf, when registering for the meeting at palisadeshomeless.org.
TREASURER STILL SOUGHT:
The Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homelessness, an all-volunteer organization, is seeking a volunteer to serve as treasurer.
The treasurer’s position would involve supervising the bookkeeper, filing necessary reports, and advising the PPTFH Board on related matters. If you, or someone you know, can contribute a few hours a week on a flexible schedule, please contact Sharon Browning or Pam McGranahan at info@pptfh.org.
AND GOOD NEWS:
In the PPTFH newsletter, Co-president Sharon Kilbride wrote that on December 21, around 8 a.m., two volunteers, Carmen and Cindi, found a new unhoused individual sitting in the parking lot of Gladstone’s restaurant’s parking lot.
The individual was covered with blankets and holding a small bunny rabbit he had found on the beach.
The volunteers learned that the individual had come from Alabama, was tired of living on the streets of Los Angeles and wanted to go home.
Carmen called PPTFH Outreach Worker, Glanda, who contacted Michael’s family in Alabama, who was overwhelmed with joy to know where he was and that he was okay. They immediately arranged a plane ticket for him to return.
On December 22, the Outreach team gave Michael new clothes and cash, and put him on a plane, where he was reunited with his family, just in time for Christmas.
“Thank you to our wonderful volunteers and Outreach Team for making this Christmas miracle come tree,” Kilbride said.
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/8916714174708/WN_9HYlhTkPSa6_52vW8oduIw
THANK you, Sue, for giving us 2 pieces of good news in one story! Happy day for me.
I wonder what happened with his small bunny rabbit?