Franciscan Workers of Junipero Serra

Dorothy's Drop-In CenterThe mission of Franciscan Workers and the goal of Dorothy's Place programs is to provide basic needs, essential services and transitional support that move people that are chronically homeless into housing. We serve clients that have multiple barriers and disabilities. Commonly, 90% of our clients require mental health or addiction intervention. We continue to focus on basic needs, safe shelter, transitional programming and data gathering and research that not only creates an evidence base that informs our services, but also stimulates community discussion on the greatest challenge of assisting chronically homeless people into housing, that of meeting unaddressed health needs. We provide healthcare coordination through CalAIAM where homeless, marginalized, and others who are our clients can meet basic hygiene needs (shower & laundry), be treated at our weekly health clinic, and access other services that are geared towards helping them live with greater health and dignity (mail, phone clothing, activities, and volunteering). We serve unsheltered adults, with and without families with basic needs, and our community health workers assist with the social determinants of health, including building a portfolio for each consumer with current ID, birth certificate, disability status and income status, to prepare them for healthcare coordination and housing navigation. We report healthcare coordination and housing assistance through CalAIM to record consumer progress into housing as data to develop an evidence base.

House of Peace Supportive HousingHouse of Peace (HOP) is a residential program for individuals who have experienced the trauma of long-term homelessness. The program has two shared living locations, 12 rooms at Soledad Street and 14 rooms at Jefferson Street. Bachelor's level social workers and housing navigators provide case management that includes CalAIM Medi-Cal enhanced care management and housing support benefits that are reimbursed by Central California Alliance for Health. As of November 2023, HOP also receives ongoing HUD funding for its permanent supportive housing program. HOP is a low-barrier housing program, accepting participants regardless of income, immigration, or sobriety status. Residents of HOP represent the most vulnerable unsheltered people in our area. All residents have complex needs and live with a combination of physical disability, mental illness, history of abuse, and substance addiction disorder.

Dorothy's KitchenWe serve smiles, gentle conversation, hugs, and an atmosphere of family. Dorothy's Kitchen open at 8:30 every morning for a hot breakfast for our guests, serving approximately 300 people each day. The Kitchen also serves a hot lunch every day of the week a 1:00. Upwards of 400 free meals are served daily. On special occasions, such as Thanksgiving, we exceed that number and will serve nearly 1,000 meals. Emergency food boxes are distributed between 10:00-11:00 a.m. Mondays through Fridays. There is no charge, obligation (other than good behavior), or discrimination. We don't ask names or request IDs. Those who come are our guests, and are treated with hospitality, like family.

4. St. Clare's Corner is an extension pantry of the Food Bank for Monterey County, offering supplemental food for more than 260 farm worker families year around.5. Streets to Homes provides social case management, healthcare coordination and housing navigation to chronically unsheltered adults, primarily in Salinas, but in other communities in Monterey County as needed. The program has ten social workers and two housing navigators that work with approximately 180 individuals in developing person-centric plans to advance into housing and better health. Additionally, Streets To Homes conducts comprehensive encampment outreach, delivering social services and medical aid directly to individuals at encampment sites who may feel uncomfortable accessing Dorothy's Place or leaving their belongings unattended for appointments. The Streets To Homes Multidisciplinary Encampment Outreach (STHEO) team is composed of two community health workers, two social worker/housing navigators, and volunteer doctors and nurses, comprising the sole encampment outreach team in Monterey County with medical expertise. Our Housing First approach is trauma-informed and acknowledges the dignity, unique needs, and agency of each person.