Saint Johns Program For Real Change

TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF POVERTY AND DEPENDENCE ONE FAMILY AT A TIME.

SAINT JOHN'S PROGRAM FOR REAL CHANGE HAS SUCCESSFULLY SELF-FUNDED AND SUSTAINED TWO SOCIAL ENTERPRISES, ENABLING US TO PROVIDE JOB TRAINING TO CLIENTS FOR POSITIONS WITH LIVABLE WAGES AND POTENTIAL FOR UPWARD CAREER GROWTH. OVER THE YEARS, OUR BUDGET HAS GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY FROM $1 MILLION IN 2007 TO $7 MILLION TODAY, WHILE THE PUBLIC SHARE HAS DECREASED FROM ALMOST 70 PERCENT TO LESS THAN 15 PERCENT.OUR PROGRAM IS A PROVEN AND OBJECTIVELY MEASURED MODEL THAT TAKES 12 TO 18 MONTHS TO TRANSFORM SINGLE-MOTHER-LED FAMILIES IN CRISIS INTO PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY. THIS TRANSFORMATION IS ACHIEVED AT APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD OF THE COST OF THE CURRENT PUBLIC CARE SYSTEM. WE FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT EMPOWERING SINGLE MOTHERS TO OVERCOME BARRIERS AND ENHANCE THEIR EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS IS ONE OF THE MOST DIRECT WAYS TO COMBAT POVERTY AND PROMOTE ECONOMIC MOBILITY.SAINT JOHN'S PROGRAM OPERATES THE LARGEST SHELTER IN THE REGION, EXCLUSIVELY FOCUSED ON ASSISTING WOMEN AND CHILDREN, WHO CONSTITUTE THE FASTEST-GROWING SEGMENT OF THE HOMELESS POPULATION REGIONALLY AND NATIONALLY. OUR DEDICATION TO MAKING REAL CHANGE IN THE LIVES OF INDIVIDUALS FROM LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND ACROSS CALIFORNIA LEADS US TO SERVE UP TO 150 WOMEN AND CHILDREN DAILY (400 TO 500 ANNUALLY).DEMOGRAPHICALLY, THE TYPICAL CLIENT AT SAINT JOHN'S IS A 34-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WITH TWO CHILDREN, 35 PERCENT OF WHOM WERE TEEN MOTHERS. IN 2022, WE PROVIDED OUR SERVICES TO A TOTAL OF 219 WOMEN AND 185 CHILDREN. THIS SUPPORT INCLUDED 150,000 MEALS, 38,198 NIGHTS OF REST, 165,000 INTEGRATED SERVICE HOURS, AND 76,000 VOCATIONAL TRAINING HOURS.THE MAJORITY OF OUR CLIENTS FACE MULTIPLE AND COMPLEX BARRIERS TO SELF-SUSTAINABILITY, SUCH AS SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER (80 PERCENT), DOMESTIC VIOLENCE (76 PERCENT), CRIMINAL HISTORY (65 PERCENT), MENTAL HEALTH DISABILITY (61 PERCENT), AND LACK OF HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OR GED (67 PERCENT). THESE CHALLENGES CAN SEEM INSURMOUNTABLE AND CAN CAUSE CLIENTS TO LOSE HOPE.HOWEVER, SAINT JOHN'S EMPLOYS A HOLISTIC AND IMMERSIVE APPROACH THAT BRINGS ABOUT PROFOUND CHANGES IN THE LIVES OF WOMEN AND MOTHERS WITH CHILDREN. OUR COMPREHENSIVE, YEAR-ROUND PROGRAM ACTS AS A TRUE CONTINUUM OF CARE, OFFERING UNPARALLELED SUPPORTIVE RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENTS THAT ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES OF HOMELESSNESS AND EQUIP FAMILIES WITH THE NECESSARY TOOLS TO BREAK FREE FROM THE CYCLE OF POVERTY AND DEPENDENCE PERMANENTLY.CLIENTS BENEFIT FROM A RANGE OF SERVICES, INCLUDING JOB COACHING, JOB PLACEMENT AND RETENTION ASSISTANCE, SOCIAL SUPPORT NETWORK DEVELOPMENT, EXTENSIVE CHILDCARE/CHILD DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, AND TRANSPORTATION SUPPORT. THESE SERVICES FACILITATE THE ERADICATION OF ENTRENCHED BEHAVIORS, LEADING CLIENTS TOWARDS EMPLOYABILITY, SELF-SUSTAINABILITY, AND GENUINE TRANSFORMATION. ON AVERAGE, EACH FAMILY RECEIVES 675 HOURS OF SERVICE PER MONTH (8,100 HOURS PER YEAR).INTEGRAL TO OUR APPROACH IS THE INTENSIVE, REAL-WORLD, ON-THE-JOB TRAINING AVAILABLE AT OUR TWO SOCIAL ENTERPRISES, RED DOOR DESSERTS, AND PLATES CATERING. THIS TRAINING QUALIFIES WOMEN TO ENTER FIELDS SUCH AS CULINARY, HOSPITALITY, RETAIL, AND CHILDCARE, WHERE FLEXIBLE-HOUR JOBS WITH LIVABLE WAGES AND UPWARD CAREER PROSPECTS ABOUND FOR TRAINED EMPLOYEES.WHILE WOMEN ACTIVELY REBUILD THEIR LIVES, OUR DEDICATED AND EXPERIENCED EMPLOYEES WORK WITH THEIR CHILDREN TO COUNTERACT THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF HOMELESSNESS, POVERTY, AND ABUSE. FAMILIES AT SAINT JOHN'S BENEFIT FROM A STRUCTURED DAILY ROUTINE AND A SAFE, PREDICTABLE ENVIRONMENT, PROMOTING POSITIVE ROLE MODELS IN MOTHERS AND FOSTERING EXEMPLARY BEHAVIOR IN THEIR CHILDREN, THEREBY BREAKING THE CYCLE OF HARDSHIP AND ADVERSITY.