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‘Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?’
Union Station Homeless Services
Making a Difference
By CHRISTINA HAMLETT
The Outlook
The lyrics of the Great
Depression’s signature tune, “Brother,
Can You Spare a Dime?”, may have
been penned 76 years ago. However,
its core sentiment that even captains
of industry aren’t immune to misfortune
is reflected every day on the
street corners, alleys, parking lots and
meridian strips of a city that defines
itself by wealth and beauty.
While Pasadena’s denizens are
certainly no exception when it comes
to the mix of discomfort and fear that
too often overrides empathy, it’s the
deliberate avoidance of eye contact
with homeless folks that betrays a
more uncomfortable truth; specifically,
that the line between the “have nots” and the “haves” is a lot thinner
than the latter might choose to
believe.
In the early 1970s, Pasadena was
struggling to revitalize its downtown
district — now known as Old Town —
as well as address the fate of its poorest
residents who were about to be
displaced in order to accommodate
new construction. Cynthia Foster,
assistant executive director of Union
Station Homeless Services, said a
group of volunteers, under the leadership
of Alice Callagan from All Saints
Church, began a hospitality center on
Union Street in 1973.
“This small storefront provided
coffee, sandwiches and companionship
to those in need, and was the
beginning of Union Station Homeless
Services,” Foster said. “A few years
later, overnight shelter was added to
our services, with the assistance of the
First Congregational Church.”
Over time, Union Station began
introducing services that went beyond
just food and shelter. “Today we operate
five non-sectarian programs that
help homeless community members
become stable and self-sufficient,”
Foster said. “Union Station has been
fortunate to have many dedicated supporters
who are committed to our mission
of rebuilding lives and ending
homelessness.”
Approximately 75% of its $4 million
budget comes from private
sources; the balance is from public
and government agencies.
“Supporting local agencies like Union
Station Homeless Services provides a
longer-term solution to ending homelessness
in our community,” Foster
said. “The comprehensive services we
provide that assist our clients in
becoming stable and self-sufficient
include emergency shelter, transitional
housing, career development, meal
and shower programs, medical and mental health services and case management.
More than 70% of donations
to Union Station directly support program
services. Many donors choose to
give to our endowment fund, which
will help sustain our agency’s work as
long as there is a need for our services.”
Volunteerism, she points out, is a
crucial component of Union Station’s
longevity. “We have many volunteer
opportunities available, including food
service for our Community Meals
Program at our Adult Center, job
search assistance for our Sources
Career Development Program, administrative
assistance for our Business
and Development Departments, advocacy
opportunities to educate our community
and government leaders, or
providing pro-bono professional services
such as healthcare, legal assistance
or money management,” Foster
said. “We also have opportunities
available for groups of volunteers to
help with our Adopt-A-Meal program
in which groups purchase, prepare and
serve a hot dinner or sack lunch once a
month at one of our facilities. Our
website includes more information
about volunteering: www.unionstationhs.org. Interested volunteers can
contact us at (626) 240-4550 or drop us
an email at info@unionstationhs.org.”
Larry Johnson, LCSW, is the
director of Program Services and cites
that nearly 2,000 homeless community
members were served between July 1,
2007, and June 30, 2008. Being able to
support themselves and their families
is a critical objective of individuals
participating in Union Station’s programs.
“Many of our residents must
work through the issues that led to
their homelessness before they’re
ready to seek employment,” he said.
“They work with our staff and outside
resources to address issues such as
drug and alcohol addiction and mental
health disorders. About two-thirds of
our residents are either beginning
recovery from an addiction or dealing
with a serious mental health disorder;
about a third are dealing with both
issues. Of the employable residents
who participate in our Sources career
development program, approximately
60% find employment within 90 days
of completing the program.”
Though he has witnessed enough
success stories to fill a book, Johnson
shares three of his favorites.
"‘Wendell’, a frequent resident of
Union Station, had a long history of
heroin addiction. When he applied for
his fourth admission to our Adult
Center, the staff was concerned,
believing old patterns would be repeated.
His case manager, however, had
stayed in touch with Wendell through
the years and believed this time he
might be ready. He persuaded the staff
to give Wendell one more chance and
arranged for an accelerated intake at
Pasadena’s leading drug treatment
center. That was 10 years ago. Today
Wendell is still clean and sober, has a
responsible, well-paying job and is
saving his money for a down payment
on a home.”
“‘Yvette’ was terrified when first
admitted to Union Station’s Adult
Center. She was hearing voices that
frightened and threatened her. A very
religious woman, she thought she
might be possessed by demons. Her
case manager arranged for a psychiatric
evaluation, assuring her she’d be
safe at Union Station and no harm
would come to her. She responded
well to medication and the voices
stopped. Because of her age and physical
problems, Yvette wasn’t employable,
so her case manager arranged for
her to get a subsidized housing voucher
for disabled homeless persons.
Today Yvette takes her medication,
sees her psychiatrist regularly and
lives in her own apartment in the San
Fernando Valley. She keeps in touch
and drops by our Adult Center to visit
and attend meetings.”
“‘Allan’ had been homeless for
more than 10 years because of alcoholism.
He was well-educated and had
previously held responsible, high-paying
jobs. When he came to us, his
health was showing the effects of
severe alcoholism and he felt defeated.
His case manager helped him get
health care and admission to a live-in
treatment center for alcohol addiction.
Allan returned to Union Station after
treatment, enrolled in our Sources
Career Development Program, and
found an entry-level job. Because of
his intelligence and newly restored
confidence, he was quickly promoted
into a supervisory position and then
management. He still works with
Sources and has been able to arrange
for other graduates to be hired by his
company.”
❑
Faith in the human spirit, it seems,
has worked wonders in turning the
darkest reversals of fortune into the
chance for a fresh start — a chance
that might have been lost forever if
there’d been no one to look them in
the eye and feel a stir of compassion.
The understandable reluctance many
people feel toward giving cash to a
homeless person can be remedied,
Foster explains, by contacting Union
Station’s Passageways Intake Center
at (626) 403-4888. “Upon request,
they’ll provide information cards listing
its services, locations and hours,
which can be given to homeless community
members,” she said.
While men still comprise the
majority of homeless individuals, statistics
show there’s been a steady rise
in women who find themselves in crisis.
“In the West San Gabriel Valley,
women make up 33% of the homeless
population,” Johnson said. “This
means that at any time, approximately
300 to 350 women are without permanent
housing. Families, most often
headed by single women, make up
29% of the homeless.”
In response, Union Station opened
a 50-bed Family Center in 2003 and
expanded its Adult Center in 2008 by
adding 20 additional beds for single
women. “Both of these centers offer a
full range of social services specifically
designed to meet the unique needs
of families and single women,”
Johnson said. “We’re also an active
member of the Housing and Homeless
Network, a coalition of public and private
agencies in Pasadena that coordinate
existing services and seek funding
to create more affordable and low
income housing.”
Pasadena’s rapid growth in the last
decade and the notable increase in
posh residential developments is
something that hasn’t escaped Union
Station’s attention. Said Johnson, “The
city has attempted to make housing
available to its low-income residents
through Section 8 and Shelter Plus
Care rental subsidies, as well as requiring
that new developments have a percentage
of affordable units available.
The city’s General Plan, which covers
the years 2008-2014, contains a housing
element that describes the current
needs for housing, analyzes the
resources for providing it, and offers
policies and programs to make the best
use of the resources.”
The upcoming holiday season
holds no shortage of exciting events to
help raise funds for Union Station.
“Our annual jazz concert, ‘An
Evening for the Station’, will take
place Oct. 25 at the L.A. Music
Academy in Pasadena,” Foster said.
“This year’s event features Carol Welsman, an international jazz singer
and pianist, and is hosted by actor and
long-time friend of Union Station,
Hector Elizondo. Tickets are available
by calling (626) 240-4557.”
In addition to the concert, corporate
opportunities are available for the
annual “Dinners in the Park” on
Thanksgiving and Christmas. “These
events provide a total of 8,500 meals,
served by thousands of community
volunteers,” Foster said. “Sponsorship
opportunities are also available for our
spring 35th Anniversary Celebration.”
Individuals and companies interested
in supporting Union Station’s
work can contact Victoria Stubrin at
(626) 240-4557.
“Last but not least, we’re putting
together a team for the first-ever
Pasadena Marathon on Nov. 16. To
participate in the full/half marathon,
bike race, 5K run or 3-mile walk, visit
www.unionstationhs.org/marathon.html.
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