Home > Newsroom > Golden Triangle BID Hosts Unique Holiday Drive for Homeless and Recently Housed
Washington, DC, November 16, 2016 — The Golden Triangle Business Improvement District (BID) is hosting a Holiday Drive for people who were recently housed as a result of work by the Golden Triangle BID’s Homeless Outreach Team through Pathways to Housing DC. Twenty-eight buildings in the central business district will serve as collection points for household items needed to assist previously homeless individuals and families turn houses into homes.
People who work in the Golden Triangle BID, as well as visitors from other areas, are encouraged to donate new or gently used necessities such as cookware, utensils, bedding, and towels. Donations will be accepted until Friday, December 30, and two public collections will take place at Farragut Square Park from 12-2 p.m. on Friday, December 9th and 16.
The Golden Triangle BID operates a Homeless Outreach Team of three case workers and a part-time manager through a partnership with Pathways to Housing DC to help people who are experiencing homelessness in the BID.
“Some of the most visible cases you see on the street are people who are experiencing chronic homelessness – or have been homeless for more than a year – and they need a different kind of support beyond food and temporary housing,” says Leona Agouridis, executive director of Golden Triangle BID. “Our goal is to connect people with services and housing to help them out of chronic homelessness.”
The Homeless Outreach Team first aims to meet a person’s basic needs, like food, clothing, and identification, then they partner with each individual to help them find permanent housing. While they search for housing, the team simultaneously connects people to supportive treatment services in the areas of mental and physical health, substance abuse, education, and employment. Stable, supportive housing is the most important step to support the reintegration of a person experiencing homelessness back into a community and improvement in overall physical health and psychological well-being.
After receiving housing, every client is matched with the supportive services they need to be successful in their new home. These services are uniquely tailored to meet the needs of each individual. For example, people in need of intensive mental health support work with teams comprised of psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, certified addictions counselors, employment specialists, and peer health specialists. Each team provides comprehensive community-based treatment and support services around the clock, with a focus on integrating both health and social well-being into the recovery plan.
“Our highly-trained outreach specialists develop trusting relationships with people who have been living on the street for years and sometimes decades. Once they gain that trust, people are more open to connections to housing and the other critical services they need like physical and mental health treatment,” says Christy Respress, Executive Director of Pathways to Housing DC. “We know that the Golden Triangle’s investment in our Homeless Outreach Services has literally saved lives.”
This past year, the Homeless Outreach Team was able to engage with 313 people in the neighborhood who are experiencing homelessness. The team worked with 190 of them more than once and connected 44 percent of them with regular intensive social services such as medical and psychiatric care, legal and financial assistance, vital document recovery, ongoing care assessment and engagement, and crisis intervention. Since October of 2015, 15 of those people have been transitioned into homes.
Donors are also encouraged to donate to Pathways in honor of the “Golden Triangle-Pathways DC Homeless Outreach Team” online, or purchase items directly from an Amazon wish list.
Suggested donation items include: towels, toiletries, toilet paper, feminine hygiene products, shower curtains, dishes, silverware, cookware, paper towels, cleaning supplies, trash bags, spices, bedding, alarm clocks, hats, scarves, gloves, hand warmers, laundry detergent, keychains, and reusable grocery bags
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About the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District
The Golden Triangle BID is a non-profit organization that works to enhance D.C.’s Central Business District from the White House to Dupont Circle and 16th Street NW to New Hampshire Avenue NW. The BID’s primary focus is to provide a clean, safe, and friendly environment within its 43 blocks of public space for area workers, local residents and visitors. www.goldentriangledc.com
Contact:
Mittie Rooney
301.602.8709
Mrooney@axcomgroup.com
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