Downtown Streets Inc

DOWNTOWN STREETS, INC. STRIVES TO END HOMELESSNESS BY RESTORING THE DIGNITY AND REBUILDING THE LIVES OF UNHOUSED MEN AND WOMEN BY SERVING THE COMMUNITY THROUGH WORK TEAMS THAT PREPARE MEMBERS FOR PERMANENT EMPLOYMENT AND HOUSING.

THE ORGANIZATION BEGAN IN 2005 IN PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA AND CURRENTLY OPERATES IN 20 CITIES SPANNING NINE COUNTIES IN THE BAY AREA. SINCE 2005, THE ORGANIZATION HAS ASSISTED OVER 2,000 PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS (TEAM MEMBERS) IN SECURING EMPLOYMENT AND/OR FINDING PERMANENT HOUSING. THE ORGANIZATION HAS A SUBSIDIARY, STREETS TEAM ENTERPRISES, WHICH OFFERS LOW-BARRIER EMPLOYMENT TO THIS UNDERSERVED POPULATION. THE ORGANIZATION IS PRINCIPALLY FUNDED THROUGH CONTRIBUTIONS AND GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS.DOWNTOWN STREETS TEAM BUILDS TEAMS THAT RESTORE DIGNITY, INSPIRE HOPE, AND PROVIDE A PATHWAY TO RECOVER FROM HOMELESSNESS. TEAM MEMBERS VOLUNTEER IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, REMOVING DEBRIS FROM STREETS, PARKS, AND WATERWAYS. IN EXCHANGE FOR VOLUNTEERING TO CLEAN UP THEIR COMMUNITIES, TEAM MEMBERS ARE PROVIDED WITH A VOUCHER THAT THEY MAY USE ON FOOD, MEDICINE, CLOTHING, HYGIENE SUPPLIES, TRANSPORTATION, STORAGE, AND COMMUNICATION, AMONG OTHER THINGS. TEAM MEMBERS HAVE ACCESS TO CASE MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYMENT SERVICES TO HELP THEM ELIMINATE THE BARRIERS THAT KEEP THEM FROM JOBS AND HOUSING. THROUGH THEIR EFFORTS, TEAM MEMBERS REGAIN SELF-WORTH AND BENEFIT FROM A SENSE OF COMMUNITY WHICH PROPELS THEM TO A HIGHER QUALITY OF LIFE AND OUT OF HOMELESSNESS.SANTA CLARA TEAM: THE SANTA CLARA TEAM WAS THE FIRST DOWNTOWN STREETS TEAM, LAUNCHED WITH JUST FOUR TEAM MEMBERS IN 2005. IN THE LAST FISCAL YEAR THE EXPANDED ITS SCOPE TO INCLUDE POWER WASHING AND INCREASED ITS PRESENCE AT THE PALO ALTO FOOD CLOSET, SERVING MEALS TO HUNDREDS OF UNDUPLICATED LOCAL RESIDENTS IN NEED.SAN FRANCISCO TEAM: THE SAN FRANCISCO TEAM WAS FOUNDED IN MARCH 2016 IN COLLABORATION WITH SAN FRANCISCO COMMUNITY LEADERS AND GOOGLE. SINCE THEN THE TEAM HAS BECOME DST'S FASTEST GROWING, SPREADING FROM OUR ORIGINAL LOCATION IN CIVIC CENTER TO UNION SQUARE, THE TENDERLOIN, MID-MARKET, SOMA AND THE EAST CUT. EXCITINGLY, THE TEAM IS SET TO LAUNCH IN THE MISSION DISTRICT SOON, MEANING TEAMS WILL BE OPERATING ALONG MOST OF MARKET ST., SAN FRANCISCO'S HISTORICAL "MAIN STREET." LASTLY, THIS LAST YEAR OUR SAN FRANCISCO TEAM HOUSED AND FOUND EMPLOYMENT FOR MORE GRADUATES THAN ANY OTHER TEAM AND MADE HEADLINES REGULARLY.MARIN COUNTY TEAM: THE MARIN COUNTY TEAM WAS LAUNCHED WITH MANY FUNDING PARTNERS AND THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL IN 2013. IN 2017 OPERATIONS EXPANDED TO NOVATO AS WELL. THIS LAST FISCAL YEAR SAW THE INTRODUCTION OF OUR NEW SERVICE: MOBILE SHOWERS AND RESTROOMS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. MARIN MOBILE CARE IS RUN THROUGH THE MARIN OPERATIONS AND HAS ALREADY GROWN TO SERVE FOUR COMMUNITIES, PROVIDING SHOWERS AT SERVICE CENTERS, ENCAMPMENTS AND OTHER PLACES IN GREAT NEED.SUNNYVALE TEAM: THE SUNNYVALE TEAM WAS FOUNDED IN 2012 THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE CITY OF SUNNYVALE AND SUNNYVALE COMMUNITY SERVICES. IN THE LAST YEAR WE CONTINUED HOUSING TEAM MEMBERS THROUGH A UNIQUE VOUCHER PROGRAM WITH THE CITY AND CONDUCTED NUMEROUS POVERTY SIMULATIONS WITH TEAM MEMBERS TO REMOVE THE STIGMA OF HOMELESSNESS IN THE COMMUNITY.MARIN TEAMS: THE SAN RAFAEL TEAM WAS LAUNCHED WITH MANY FUNDING PARTNERS AND THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL IN 2013. IN 2017 OPERATIONS EXPANDED TO NOVATO AS WELL. THIS LAST FISCAL YEAR SAW THE INTRODUCTION OF OUR NEW SERVICE: MOBILE SHOWERS AND RESTROOMS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. MARIN MOBILE CARE IS RUN THROUGH THE MARIN OPERATIONS AND HAS ALREADY GROWN TO SERVE FOUR COMMUNITIES, PROVIDING SHOWERS AT SERVICE CENTERS, ENCAMPMENTS AND OTHER PLACES IN GREAT NEED.HAYWARD TEAM: THE HAYWARD TEAM WAS ALSO FOUNDED IN 2016 THROUGH A CDBG GRANT ADMINISTERED BY THE CITY OF HAYWARD. THIS LAST YEAR THE TEAM GREW TO ENCOMPASS UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF THE COUNTY AND GAIN NEW CONTRACTS WITH THE PARK AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT. ONE OF THE TEAM MEMBERS ALSO WON A LOCAL VOLUNTEERISM AWARD FOR HER WORK WITH DOWNTOWN STREETS TEAM.SANTA CRUZ TEAM: THE SANTA CRUZ TEAM WAS LAUNCHED IN JULY 2017 THROUGH A MIX OF FUNDS FROM THE CITY AND PRIVATE DONORS. THE TEAM WON NUMEROUS HONORS AFTER IT'S FIRST YEAR INCLUDING ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR FROM THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. THE TEAM HAD VERY HIGH HOUSING AND EMPLOYMENT PLACEMENT RESULTS IN IT'S FIRST YEAR AND HAS DONE A LOT TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVE AROUND HOMELESSNESS IN THE COMMUNITY. SACRAMENTO AREA TEAMS: THE SACRAMENTO TEAM WAS LAUNCHED IN JANUARY OF 2018 WITH JUST A FOUR-MONTH PILOT FROM THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO. IT HAS SINCE GROWN TO THREE NEW PROJECT AREAS WITH STABLE FUNDING BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT THE TEAM MEMBERS HAVE HAD. IN FACT, THE TEAM WAS SO SUCCESSFUL THAT NEIGHBORING WEST SACRAMENTO (IN YOLO COUNTY AS OPPOSED TO SACRAMENTO COUNTY) LAUNCHED A TEAM IN MID 2018. LASTLY, PORTRAITS OF TEAM MEMBERS WERE HUNG IN THE STATE CAPITAL AS PART OF THE BLUE TARP PROJECT.BERKELEY TEAM: BERKELEY LAUNCHED LATE IN THE SUMMER OF 2018 WITH SUPPORT FROM THE CITY OF BERKELEY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. THE TEAM LAUNCHED DOWNTOWN INITIALLY, THEN IN THE TELEGRAPH DISTRICT AND IS FOCUSING ON OUTREACH AND EXPANSION.BERKELEY TEAM: BERKELEY LAUNCHED LATE IN THE SUMMER OF 2018 WITH SUPPORT FROM THE CITY OF BERKELEY PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. THE TEAM LAUNCHED DOWNTOWN INITIALLY, THEN IN THE TELEGRAPH DISTRICT AND IS FOCUSING ON OUTREACH AND EXPANSION.OAKLAND TEAM: THIS VERY NEW TEAM (OCTOBER 2018) WAS LAUNCHED AS A PILOT AROUND LAKE MERRITT WITH FUNDING FROM THE CITY OF OAKLAND. ALTHOUGH THE PILOT IS NEW AND SMALL, OAKLAND HAD TWO EMPLOYMENT PLACEMENTS IN ITS FIRST SIX WEEKS.