Why is Holy Family opening an Emergency Shelter? Revised 7/11/17

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1 Why is Holy Family opening an Emergency Shelter? Revised 7/11/17 We are doing this for three reasons. 1. During this winter season severe weather is likely to be the cause of death for many homeless in Santa Clara County. In light of this, the San Jose City Council has lifted the restrictions on the permitting process which allowed us and other churches to be able to open an emergency cold weather shelter beginning in January 2016 and potentially save lives. There are over 7,000 homeless in the county, and while larger plans are in motion at the City and County for a longer term solution to the lack of shelter, there is a need for a short term solution. We will only shelter 15 people out of the 7,000, but it is a start. If every faith community in the County took 15, and there are over 300 places of worship, it would make a huge impact on the homeless challenge right here where we live. 2. Our parish has the ability and the passion for helping others. Over the past one hundred and fifty years, our parish has been focused on helping vulnerable people locally, nationally and internationally. We are very blessed as a community; we are inspired to share our blessings with those in need. We have already made an impact in several communities. This shelter is an extension of the love and generosity that is driven to help those in need. 3. Our faith as Catholics and Christ followers calls us to do this. Jesus said: Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me food, I was thirsty, and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me. Then the righteous* will answer him and say, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you? And the king will say to them in reply, Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me. Are there other rotating shelters in operations? Village House is an expanded effort from the one launched in January Holy Family is now a participant in this expanded effort which hopes to operate throughout the year. As of January 1 there were 14 faith-based congregations participating in the 2017 program. The goal is to develop a rotation of participating evening shelters and supplement those with daytime warming centers. You can find more information on Village House An Interfaith Shelter of Hope at Additionally there is a rotating shelter operating in the northern part of Santa Clara County called Faith in Action ( that opened in March It is a year round shelter and more than 20 faith communities are involved including St. Joseph of Cupertino and Ascension Catholic Parishes who house the homeless for one month of the year. Sacred Heart Catholic Parish in Saratoga provides meals to the shelter as well. Another 12-month rotating shelter called Community Inns managed by InnVision operated in the downtown area until Many local Catholic Churches were part of this shelter

2 including Transfiguration, St. Frances Cabrini. These same parishes are participating in the planning discussions on how they can support these Emergency Cold Weather Shelters. Why have an Emergency Shelter at a church with a school on campus? In 2015, the Bishop asked all Catholic parishes to consider opening their facilities as emergency shelters during the predicted extreme weather. The City Council also asked all Faith Communities to do the same. The Holy Family community has always been interested in helping the homeless of San Jose. Some of you may remember that Holy family once ran a men s homeless shelter a few years back. The Community Center is separate from the school and provides the ability to separate our guests from the school children. The guests will not be on our school campus while classes are conducted. We have the ability to keep our children safe and still make a difference in the lives of these 15 guests. We have the opportunity to witness to our children what the message of the Gospel is really all about. We can put our faith in action right in front of our kids. We expect Holy Family parents as well as public school parents who are parishioners will see the tremendous witness value this opportunity is for their children to learn compassion and caring for others and have signed up to volunteer. It is a testimony on how to live out the values of our faith as Catholics and Christians. Why aren t more Catholic Churches participating? Bishop McGrath of the Diocese of San José requested Catholic parishes to do what they are able in We will take the month of November 1 to December 6 for the rotating shelter. We and other members of Village House continue to recruit new congregations of all faiths to join the effort. See for more information. Why aren t your parishioners willing to host these people in their homes? We have had several parishioners make an offer to do just this. Often the homeless people are not comfortable being in a home after having been on the streets for a long time. A shelter provides stable residence and food even for 30 days will allow them to focus and strategize on how to get better.

3 Will Holy Family open this shelter next year? All of the parishes and religious organizations that were involved with the Village House shelter program last year found it to be a wonderful ministry that not only helps women that truly need it, but helps build community in the host parish. These parishes were surveyed and overwhelmingly endorsed the effort. I hope that we too at Holy Family will find that the shelter program is both beneficial to the women we have as guests and for all volunteers that help the shelter with their donated time and effort. What better way to set an example for our children and to show them the answer to the question- What would Jesus do? when it comes to helping someone in our city that needs help. Who is responsible for Shelter Operations? The Holy Family Village House Shelter will be operated by Holy Family Volunteers under the direction of Chris Schmitz and a team of committed volunteer leaders. This team will coordinate and manage all aspects of the Shelter Operations. The screening of guests will be outsourced through Catholic Charities to homeless service agencies and other nonprofits that provide a variety of case management and healthcare services to the homeless population. What qualifications do people need to meet to be able to stay at the rotating winter shelter? Shelter guests will be determined by a screening/referral process only, no walk-ins will be accepted. Catholic Charities ( has agreed to take an oversight role in referring and screening potential guests for our shelter. Catholic Charities has agreements with homeless service agencies and non-profits that provide a variety of case management and healthcare services to the homeless population of Santa Clara County. All 15 guests of our rotating emergency shelter will be referred to us through these partnerships. Referral criteria: Medically fragile women at risk for death if they remained on the streets. Some will be seniors. Currently clean and sober for at least three months and in an active recovery program. No history of violence or sex offense. Each client will be checked against the Megan s Law database. TB screened. Independent with self-care, able to manage their medications and transportation. Predictable, stable behavior. Catholic Charities and the referring agencies will have known the client over a period of months, in many situations, and will know how the person behaves. This is an excellent way to screen out violent or unpredictable behavior, occasional substance use or impulsivity.

4 Are you screening for alcohol abuse, drug use, sex offenders, or violence behavior? Each guest will have a thorough psychosocial assessment by a clinician. This means that clinical professionals will have evaluated each person s social history, mental health and substance use history, criminal/legal history, financial situation, work and school history, family history and medical history. In addition, they are assessed on the way they handle stress, cope with problems and understand the world. All guests will be carefully screened by Catholic Charities and the referring providers. They must be clean and sober for at least three months, in active recovery programs and have no history of violence. Shelter guests will be determined by a screening/referral process only. No walk-ins will be accepted. Our partners will provide comprehensive services, including medical care, psychiatric care, social work case management, recovery services and a permanent plan for housing. Each guest will be someone who has worked with homeless services consistently for months and is solidly engaged in care. Each person will already be working with a social worker on their permanent housing plan. They will be screened through a comprehensive psychosocial assessment from professionals who are trained to identify people with risk factors but who are determined to be safe. How many guests do you have each night? The City of San Jose restricts us to a maximum of 15 people in church shelters. Is there a maximum number of nights a guest can stay? We expect these 15 carefully selected guests to remain with us the entire time we are open unless they are placed in a more permanent housing, or they do not comply with the rules of the shelter. What are the hours of operation? The Holy Family shelter will be open beginning November 1 every day of the week from 7:00 pm until 7:00 am for 35 days. For information on other efforts at participating congregations, their dates of operations and access to volunteer registration should you wish to help elsewhere, see What kinds of services will guests have access at the shelter? Our partners will provide comprehensive case management services, including medical care, psychiatric care, social work case management, recovery services and a permanent plan for housing. Holy Family will provide food, shelter and hygiene services as well as spiritual support. We will also provide internet service; so they can continue job searches and other things required through case management.

5 Why have you chosen to use the Community Center? The Community Center offers everything needed for the shelter, a large area for the sleeping quarters, an area for the 15 storage footlockers, the kitchen for food prep and service, indoor restrooms. The youth hall and living room may be used for a few days while the Annual holiday boutique is in operation. The youth hall/living room will be tight for sleeping quarters and the kitchen may be used for food warming and storage. Where will the guests go during the day? The Village House Steering Committee is actively recruiting/ opening daytime warming centers to shelter our guests during the day. For more information on participating warming centers schedules see What kind of security will there be on site? The safety of our children and the neighborhood is of the utmost importance. As always, we will maintain a secure campus, and especially so while the shelter is operating. We will have a team of trained volunteers focused on campus security seven days a week, while the shelter is operating. The shelter leadership team is working with Holy Family parishioners to establish the roles and responsibilities of the security staff. While we do not anticipate any issues, these teams will contact the SJPD if any situation arises on campus or in the surrounding neighborhoods. Trained case workers will be on call for any issues that arise with our guests during operations. At 7:00 am, our shelter guests will be transported to several warming shelters where they will spend the day. At least four shelter staffers will be present in the morning to ensure that all residents leave the parish grounds. We have been in contact with the SJPD and they are supportive of the emergency winter shelters. They will be on alert during shelter operations. Standard protocols that are already in effect on the school and church campus will be observed. What are the rules for the guests? Below is the agreement that all guests must sign prior to being admitted to the shelter. Village House welcomes you to our program. In order to make this arrangement positive for all, the following are policies established for all guests. Please read the following and acknowledge your agreement to abide by these policies at all times while on the shelter property. I commit to use the overnight shelter every night from 7pm to 7am from November 1 st thru December 6th. If there is an emergency and I cannot attend I will inform and get approval from the Intake Director as soon as possible.

6 I will arrive between 6:30pm and no later than 8:30 pm each evening and proceed to check- in. Guests that are employed or are attending school may arrive at a later scheduled time. Once I arrive at the shelter, I will remain within the defined shelter boundaries until morning exit. I will leave the shelter no earlier than 6:00 am and no later than 7:00 am. I understand there are warming shelter(s) available during the day that are coordinating with night shelters. I will follow the instructions of the Shelter leaders and volunteers at all times. I will ask for help from the leaders of the shelter as needed. I will attend house meetings as scheduled to be updated on any changes or issues. I understand that alcohol and/or drug use during my stay is strictly forbidden, and I will not be allowed into the shelter if under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances. I will participate in daily chores if able and as needed, including keeping my sleeping area tidy, removing /folding sheets in am, and keeping my personal belongings in the appropriate containers. I understand that the cots, trunks, towels, and bedding are property of the shelter. I agree to remove all my belongings within five (5) days of exiting the shelter program or my items will be disposed of. I agree to maintain my personal hygiene at all times in respect for the community living arrangement. I agree that visitors are not allowed at any time. Guest Conduct: 15 women have been carefully selected to use the overnight shelter. This use of property is only for selected participants. I understand food is only allowed in the dining room during meal times. I understand Smoking is only allowed in designated areas. I understand no soliciting of any kind is allowed on or adjacent to the shelter. I will be on my best behavior at all times, respecting leaders, volunteers, peers, and personal property. I will respect and care for all grounds and property and will not remove any property from site that I did not bring with me, without permission of leaders. I understand that Village House retains the right to cancel the shelter program, either individually or in total should conditions warrant. I understand the shelter site shall not be used as my address for my personal use or for mail. How will you ensure the guests will obey the rules? Our guests will be familiar with other shelter rules and how things operate. They will know that breaking any of the rules may result in not being allowed to return to the shelter.

7 How will you ensure the Holy Family property is not damaged? The guests will be welcomed by a group of volunteers through the community center intake desk each evening. They will be welcomed to the community center for a shower in the shower trailer, a meal and then escorted to sleeping quarters for the night. The guests will not have in and out privileges. In the morning, the guests will be escorted from the community center for breakfast and a packed lunch by another group of volunteers. The guests will not be left alone in the building at any time. A group of volunteers will be with our guests for the entire night, and a staff of volunteers will be monitoring the church and school campus during the month, the shelter is operational. There will also be a set of shelter rules that guests must abide by to provide additional security for the buildings. In the event of any unforeseen damage, the facility is covered by insurance, and we will be able to make a claim and have the repairs made. Do you turn anyone away for drug use or other illicit activity? We will only be receiving guests that are referred to us and adhere to the screening criteria. How do you handle illegal activity on the site? The onsite volunteers and security personnel will call the Police Department if there is any illegal activity. What structure do you have in place to deal with problems or issues? We will have overnight volunteers and security and the case workers are on call. Anything that the volunteers cannot handle will be referred to the police. How will you handle non-qualified homeless who show up wanting food and shelter? Our volunteers, staff, and security personnel will refer any non-screened homeless people to 211 or Catholic Charities for options. We will provide what support for them that we are able. They will not be allowed to stay or loiter. Most professionals who have been engaged with homeless shelters and homeless people indicate that the homeless people try very hard to stay hidden and away from situations that will attract attention. With the kind of weather predicted, it is unlikely that homeless people will linger outside in the inclement weather but will seek shelter in warming centers or other places that provide protection. Do you accept pets? We will not be accepting pets.

8 Do guests need their own sleeping bag, or do you provide a bed? Guests will be provided with clean clothes, slippers, bedding, cots and hygiene kits for the time they are with us in the shelter. Guests will also have a shower each night before they have dinner. Whatever personal belongings they have will be securely stored in their personal foot locker in the CC. What is the plan for keeping the Community Center clean? During their stay, our guests will sleep in designated areas inside the Community Center. We have cots and bedding for them to use and we will use the folding chairs for them as well. The parish will change the daily routine of the parish janitor to ensure that the Parish Center is cleaned every morning. Also, our volunteers will clean the area daily. How will the guests be background checked? Each person will have a thorough psycho-social assessment by a clinician. This means that clinical professionals will have evaluated each person s social history, mental health and substance use history, criminal/legal history, financial situation, work and school history, family history and medical history. In addition, they are assessed on the way they handle stress, cope with problems and understand the world. In addition, the referring agency will have known the client over a period of months, in many situations, and will know how the person behaves. This is an excellent way to screen out violent or unpredictable behavior, occasional substance use or impulsivity. The referring agencies work with probation and parole, and know when someone is involved with the courts. In addition to this evaluation, we will be checking each client against the Megan s Law database to confirm they are not a sex offender. The clients will not be fingerprinted. How are you paying to run this shelter? Existing staff and a multitude of dedicated volunteers will staff the shelter. The cost of supplies will be covered by donations and the generosity of our parishioners. Neighboring parishes, who cannot open a shelter, may also provide financial support as well. To make a contribution to the Holy Family effort, please make checks out to Holy Family Parish and add a memo indicating the donation is for HF Village House. ParishPay may also be utilized. Donations of prepaid cards to Target, Costco, Albertsons and Smart & Final are also welcomed. Please place them in an envelope and note they are to be used for HF Village House. They can be dropped off at the Parish Office or in the weekly collection baskets at Mass. All donors requesting confirmation will receive a letter from the Parish sometime in late November, early December following the close of the HF shelter.

9 Is the City or County giving you any money to run this shelter? At this time, they are not providing Holy Family with direct support, though Village House has obtained a grant to be used for Mobile Showers and information on this program can be requested from the Steering Committee of Village House at I have blankets, clothing, food, and toys that I would like to donate to the rotating shelter. Who do I talk to about that and where can I donate them? We are still working on a specific list of donation needs. Before bringing your items to Holy Family, please contact Cristina Ruiz or Erica Davied to discuss what you have and if it is on our list of items needed. Donation items that we cannot accept can be sent to Sacred Heart Community Services ( How can I help? Please note the following areas are managed separately by the personnel noted below and volunteers are asked to coordinate their registrations with each individual as noted. Dinner Service 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM Daily should be coordinated through Patty Trillo and or Mimi Bini. Laundry Service Daily is directed by Carol Pascoe and Linda Vlcek Transportation Services: 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM Daily should be coordinated through (Coming soon) Medical Services 9:30 PM to 5:30 AM Daily volunteers should reach: Donna Holt, Andrew Lane and or Belle Bacon And please pray for our guests. How can parishioners sign up to volunteer? We will have a need for a large number of volunteers. We ask high school youth and adults to sign up online at Village house. Holy Family will have a link to our signups a month or so prior to November. Please consider helping other churches by signing up to help them during the month they are sheltering the women. Children younger than high school may only volunteer with a parent or adult. How can non-parishioners sign up to volunteer? Non-parishioners can use the same web site to volunteer. The same rules apply.

10 How many volunteers per night does the rotating shelter usually have? During each 12-hour period we have scheduled over 16 volunteers on site including groups cooking meals, providing security, offering transportation and more. Is there any training for volunteers? Volunteer training will be provided. This training will occur for all volunteers at Holy Family. Dates and times are as follows: Coming soon. Volunteers should also review the HF Village House Operations Manual online prior to arriving at training and/or for a volunteer shift. Coming Soon.