ED 346 97E

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INSTITUTION

SPONS AGENCY

PUB DATENOTEAVAILABLE FROM

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EDRS PRICEDESCRIPTORS

IDENTIFIERS

ABSTRACT

DOCUMENT RESUME

PS 020 591

Family Friends in Homeless Shelters.National Council on the Aging, Inc., Washington,D.C.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, New Brunswick,N.J.

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33p.; For related documents, see PS 020 592-594..National Council on the Aging, Inc., 409 ThirdStreet, S.W., Washington, DC 20024 (free).Reports - Descriptive (141)

MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.Child Advocacy; Family Problems; Family Programs;Helping Relationship; *Homeless People;*Intergenerational Programs; Middle Aged Adults;*Older Adults; Program Descriptions; Social SupportGroups; *Volunteers; Volunteer Training; *YoungChildren

Adult Child Relationship; Family Advocacy; *FamilyFriends Program

Family Friends is a nationwide outreach program thatenlists the support of senior volunteers in providing nurturing helpto children and their parents. Homeless Children is a branch of theprogram in which volunteers are matched to homeless families withyoung children, and, during biweekly visits to homeless shelters,become surrogate grandparents to the children. The volunteers serveas tutors and role models to the children and as advocates andsources of/information to the families. Each local FamilyFriends/Homeless Children project involves a coalition of agencies.Each project has: (1) a project director, who is a trainedprofessional with experience with at-risk families; (2) an advisorycommittee of community leaders, professionals, and specialists; (3) alocal sponsoring agency that recruits and trains volunteers, provideseducation and recreation, works with public schools, serves as aliaison with health projects for the homeless, and providesinformation to families; and (4) volunteers, who are screened andtrained. Establishing a Family Friends/Homeless Children programinvolves recruiting and training volunteers, selecting families toparticipate in the program, fundraising, and promoting and evaluatingthe program. (BC)

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The Aational (.inincil on the Aging Mc. wishes to thank The Salvation Amy. and B01) Stockliekl, IktItitnow,(Ind The Dallasjetrish Coalition jhr the Homeless fin- the plu4ognphs used in this publication,

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Family Friends in Homeless SheltersSponsored by The National Council on the Aging

"We've got noplace to go,"Karen told her Family Friend.

FAMILY FRIENDS PROGRAM

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"Without theirFamily Friend,their days wouldbe bleak indeed."

The three children on our cover are homeless. They are part of thefastest growing segment of the homeless population in our country.

But, despite the harsh realities facing them as they begin each day,they are not hopeless. Thanks to a group of volunteers called FamilyFriends, they know a special person who truly cares about them.

They listen in rapt attention as their Family Fiend reads to themabout the wonders of the world beyond their shelter. Their FamilyFriend takes them on excursions so they can see that world througheager eyes. That Family Friend gives their lives stability, hope, andwarmth. Without their Family Friend, their days would be bleakindeed.

he shucking truth is thattuaiy's I R nneless person is

likely to he part of a young familyfroill Mc of man\ diverse

ethnic backgrounds. Andworst ofallt1 le lastest grow* gnmpamong the honicicss is children Lill-dcr the age ut. 18, who arcpar of a lainilv heack.d by a ill()ther

Nearly hall a million children in thiscountry do IRA have homes.

In New York City alone, 13,000 chil-dren and their families live in shelteisand welfare hotelsthe final movein a long line of desperate measures.

This gaming phenomenon of home-less families and children is nothingshort of a nati(mal crisis that must betreated with the urgency demandedby this critical situation. Pnwidingneeded services to these people de-pends heavily on the goodwill andCU.( )Fts ()I dedicated vttlunteers.

'rhe Family Friends I lonleleNs Chil-dren pr( )Iain pro% ides one impor-tant kind ( needed service to whatis perhaps thc homeless p(vulatiolisIlL'ediCst segment the chddren.

t's a ve\ hard \ orkl ollt there.Nlayhe in the smallest possible waylin 1)1:ti1ting :I SCL'd in the mind ot achiki kit thew is a better way to livein the world than \% hat IR' nowkn( s.- says Family Friend i LinietRaskin.

In Baltimore, a dozen men and women aged 55 and over come to theshelter twice a week to spenda couple of hours with a group of childrenor to take their individual "grandchild" on an outing to an art gallery,sdence center, aquarium, ball game, or even a pizza parlor.

Family Friends is a nationwide out-reach program, created by The Na-tic mal Council on the Aging, thatenlists the support of senior volun-teers to pmvide nurturing help tochildren and their parents. FamilyFriends/liomeless Chiklren is thearm of Family Friends that operateswithin homeless shelters.

Thr( aigh Family Friends. I lomelessChildren, senior volunteers arematched to homek.ss kimilies withy( king children. During their twice-weekly visits, the voltmteers bec(nnestirrog.ite grant Iparents lending ahelping hand and loving care--ina number of ways.

The Family Friend is availableas a tutor. Helping children withtheir studies paves the way for themto stay in school when many fitcedwith their situation drop out.

The Family Friend gives parentssome time off. Being freed evenfor a few hourst.rom the constantburden of child care and the worriesthat go with it gives parents a chanceto look kw Kising and empktyment.

The Family Friend is an advo-cate of the homeless family.Intervening with kmdlords who aetoo often reluctant to rent to a home-less family can make a workl Of dif-ference to the chiklren and theirparents,

osimportan

Iwanthem to feelgood abouthemselves."

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The Family Friend is a source ofimportant information for thefamily. Counseling the parentsalx mit available community servicesand providing access to "off thestreet" accommodatk)ns at seniorcenters, recreation centers, libraries,or other gathering places helps breakthe pattern of feeling helpless andunwanted.

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The Family Friend is a valuedrole model and mentor. Mast ofthe mothers need advice on suchmatters as budgeting, handling bills,writing resumes, and preparing forjol) interviews. Family Friends canoffer wisdom and insight into thesetasks based on their Own experiencein the world and at home.

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Tad is a seven-year-old who has no permanent address. His day beginssr at 5 a.m. because he must help his mother and younger sister pack up their

few belongings and leave their "home" by 6:30 a.m.

They "live" in a shelter for the homeless.

Having a complete breakfast is not guaranteed; a cold snack is often allthey can hope for.

Tad goes to school, but he knows he may not remain long in thatparticular school. Ashamed of being stigmatized as "homeless" by hisschoolmates, he tends to avoid them. In fact, he seldom makesany Mendsand does not get involved inschool activities. He knows how great the painwill be when he's forced to leave, because he's been through this before.

During the day, Tad's mother must use public transportation to seekpermanent housing, employment, and another shelter for the next night.Tad sees his father infrequently, because the welfare system has nofacilities for conjugal living. His father must "sign in"at the front desk whenhe visits his wife and children.

After school, Tad's Family Friend, Henry, meets him at the shelter. Theyspend an hour talking, visiting, and working on Tad's reading assignmentfor school. Then they take a break and walk a few blocks to an ice creamshop for a light snack. Tad's friendship with Henry has given the boy afeeling of stability he's been missing.

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The Family Friend is a door-opener to the outside world. Lackof time and money means most chil-dren in shelters miss out on enter-tainment, att, and culture. The FamilyFriend can give those children achance to see some goodness andbeauty in the world beyond the shel-ter walls.

The Family Friend gives stabil-ity to their lives.The km of a family's address meansthe loss of its anchor. The lack of anaddress makes finding a job evenharder, because the employer has noway to contact the job applicant. AFamily Friend brings a sense of sta-bility, continuity, and self-esteemtbr the children and for the parents.The generous act of a Family Friendcan help break down isolation anddesperation.

Harriet 66, became a Family Friend because she loves children. Shewaspaired with S-year-old Evan, who lived in a shelter with his 23-year-oldmother. The boy's father is dead.

"To begin with he was very reserved. But ofter two or three times withme he became more relaxed. We went skipping down a street one daythat helped. We were laughing and singing. He had the besttime," she said."He calls me grandma."

HOW FAMILY FRIENDS/HOMELESS CHIIDRENSTARTED

The Family Friends. I iomeless Chil-dren program is an ou4.4rowth ofNCOA's kunily Friends pr()gram.\villa began in 1986 to match volun-tcers \\.ith families of chronically ill Ordisabled children. The otiginal Fam-ily Friolds program was funded '0).The Roben wu()(_I johnson Foun(Ll_tint). pliilanthmpica I )I'ga ni4it ion(Icy( )cd imprm ing the nation'shealth caw.

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In 1990, Family Friends began tohelp another at-risk group, the ruralpoor. In contrast to the basic pro-gram, which focuses On the chroni-cally ill or disabled child, RuralFamily Friends work with entire kimi-lies in distress.

In the Sallie year, NCOA introducedFamily Friends into homeless sheltersfc)r families and chiklren. Shelters inlialtinuwe (Salvatk)n Arm)'), Milwau-kee (Sc)cial l)evelopment Commis-si(m), and Dallas (Dallas Jewish( (mliticni fin. the I Iomeless) haveinatdied senior volunteers with par-ents :md children. The result hasIven the creation of a small ak.ove ofhumanity for pers(ms searching ibr aplace t>live.

WHAT A FAMILYFRIEND IS

A Family Friend is an older person -listener, talker, storyteller, teacher,mentor, caregiver. A Family Friendisat various timessupportive, ob-jective, optimistic, curious, informa-tive, helpful, cheerful, or sad. AFamily Friend is there when some-one needs a shoulder to lean on.

A Family Friend becomes a grand-parent to the children and parents.They enjoy helping the families withwhom they are matched, and theyfeel better t'or the part they play inmaking Family Friends such a suc-cessful pa)gram.

Karen, a shy 13-year-old wholives in a Baltimore shelter with hermother and 3-year-old sister, de-scribes Evelyn, her Family Friend:"She's very friendly. From the firstday, she was very natural with me,just like she'd known me."

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WHAT A FAMiY.

FRIEND DOES

A Family Friend reads to the children,plays games, draws or paint.s, singswith the children--and helps themother budget her meager funds. AFamily Friend may help the mothercomplete an employment or housingapplication, offer respite to a parentwho needs some time to search törwork and other lodging, or work withthe children on class assignments.

HOW THEPROGRAM OPERATES

Each lc xal Family Friendsi'l lomeless(hildren pn)ject is a coalition of

agenciesprograms serving home-less families and children, aging pro-grams, and others. Project staffmembers recruit and screen volun-teers and match them to familieswith children, aged 3-12, who needvolunteer help.

Project Director. Each local pro-gram is run by a trained professionalwho has experience with families atrisk: 11he project director recruits andsupervises the volunteers, who areasked to make an initial nine-monthcommitment to the pn)gram. FamilyFriends volunteers spend at least fourhours a day, two days a week, withthe chiklivn. The volunteer is gener-ally reimbursed for transix wtationand meals.

Evelyn took 12-year-old Jessica on outings twice a week while she livedat a shelter with her father, an unemployed construction worker. Theywent to Baltimore's Science Center and the National Aquarium. Thechildren, as a group, have gone on a Chesapeake Bay boat ride, learningabout boats and ocean life.

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A Family Friend may work with anindividual child or with grcnips ofcliddren, depending on the local pr()-gram. The volunteer folk Avs up withthe family beyond the initial period,so the ( hildren feel a sense of stability.

Advisory Conunittee IA wal pr()-grams operate witli hie guklance of an;Kivisolv Hninittee C &communityICAlcrs experienced in voluntaryfundraisingalong witli educators, so-cial Nturkers, hcan professionals,housing specialists, specialists on ag-ing. and parents. 'Ibis committee zdsopr( A ides pers( )nal cc muftis w recruit-ment. fundraising. nd resout.ces---,n(l as I X )ks, toys, jobs,foi )(Lind hi )u.,ing. inteRNed

i,or\ C ommittee helps tlwiv( )ieo diR.ctor ;Tet a Family Friendsl 11)111(.1es,, ( filldren pt.( thcpot Ind ( Ilk LI\ and elteoAdv.

"The projecthas made mylife brighterand happier"

The local sponsoring agency is re-sponsible for implementing the pro-grammatching volunteers andfamilies, managing the budget, meet-ing with the local advisory commit-tee, fundraising, and undertaking

wal public relations and publicityactivities.The sowisoring agency also:

Recruits and trains volunteers,guiding and counsehng themthroughout the entire period of thematch, including follow-up.

Provides educational and recre-ational locations, such as seniorcenters and libraries, parks and othersites, including shelters when appixpriate, where chiklren can come withvolunteers after schoolgetting themoff the streets.

Works with public schoolswhere homeless chiklren are en-rolled to develop t pick-up system,with volunteers .serving as members(4. the fujJx. tc help chiklren avoidbeing sti matized by tlw Hneless"

Serves as liaison with "home-less" health projects fin. medical at-tention. Homeless diildren needbasic health care nu)re oftenand fin-nuire serious leasonsthan do chil-dren who IlaVe a pernunent address.

Gives the families valuable in-formation about community ser-vices, lumsing, employment,transportation. joh training, educa-tion. medical and dental care.

Volunteers. The Rural FamilyFrienils program looks for vokinteers,11() II 111:1111re k.ast 5 Years of.age Cxpvrience( I. enustahlC. and L'nergdiLA typical volun-

',till working or retired

from teaching, homemaking, nursing,fiscal management, or a number ofother professions. Most of them areparents, and many are grandparents.

Screening. Volunteers must behealthy enough to provide activechikl care, have access to public orprivate transpimation and be able tohandle Ilk! probleins pi)sed by afamily's displacement. They must beable to respect and accept their as-signed families without being judg-mental. They must be good listeners,.,ind they must he flexible. They areinterviewed in their own lunne dur-ing a rekixed. infomlal conversationwith a member of the FamilyFrietu Is I k m neless Cliiklren staff,

Ed stayed in contact with "his" family even after they left the shelter tolive temporarily in a welfare motel until their permanent apartment wasready. They had only a hot plate for cooking and no refrigerator, so Ed'sfriends joined him in taking food to the family each day. The Sundayschoolclass Ed teaches is busy collecting household andpantry items, as well astoys, to deliver to the family in their new home.

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This meeting allows enough time fortheir questions to he answered andsets up strong two-way communica-tion between the volunteer and staff.

Training. Screening ci)ntinuesthroughout the training. At times avolunteer who deckles not to be-c( me involved with the pri)grammay be referred to another volunteerprogram, But training usually servesas a creative learning experience, in-spiring the confidence to be a FamilyFriend,

Family Friends air trained alongpractical lines so that they will be:ible to offer real help to homelessfamilies in a variety of ways, For ex-ample, volunteers may 1)e calledupon to help families settle into tran-

luaising or accompany thechildren to a clinic fin- their checkup.Family Friends are ()ken in a position

ack ise these families. Tniininghelps them increase tlwirsensitivity to family needs.

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Training (_'( )flSiStS o,f two partsinitialand in-service. Initial training is anintensive orientation to the prognim.*lite curriculum may inclt:ile a com-bination of discussion, guest lectures,anLl l(.() presentatk nis. l)tiringtraining. olunteers hegin wc)rk

ith parents and Liiiklren \Vito arecnrolle(l in the program. along with

ler staf members ;mil volunteerssitc niav already he provid-

ing L'IA t()

Talking itli "se:Isom:LI- help-ers often allas the fear that ()Ill' iiiLN

ht. stIpc1i1Lll1h111 t() till'sl' land-st1( ii (k'ep, sik"Cial tleeck.

MCC( 11161.,Issigncd famj-Ik ,fficr «1l11)kling the initial trainmg program. (:ontinuing cdtk anon isott..cd ()lac ckyR \cW

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Matching. Matching properly is thekey to a successful volunteer pro-gram; a good nlatch is gocki for ev-eiyone. The volunteer and parentsmust like eich other, and the staff!Mist have h'equent contact with vol-unteers and !lupines during the earlystages of the relationship. Staff mem-bers namitor liii. matdies thnaighshelter visits and hy teleplu me withvoltinteers and their famihes.

'the staff member accomp..inies thevolunteer on the first visit with thefamily at the shelter. They all agreeon a schedule for visits. and theyplan the first few ;ten\ Ines together.It may take time for the relationship

Llewlop. but the rewank are\Willi it.

FSTABLISIIING A FAMILYFRIENDS/HOMELESSCHILDREN PROGRAM

If you or your organization wants tostart a Family Friends/I Iomeless Chil-dren program, here are the bask'components.

Recruiting volunteers starts withthe personal touchone-on-one re-cruitment, l volunteer nominating afriend or relative. Often volunteersarc found by perskulal contact, publi-cizing the pr()gram through bm-climes, fliers, newspaper articles,senior center newsletters, church orsynap)gue bulletins, personal ap-pearances at seniors' clths and hous-ing lot.aticms, televisk Al and radioannouncements. and word of namth.

Volunteers ivceiye recognition in aspecial ceremony each spring, duringVolunteer Nkmth. In addition, manvprograms sponsor a holiday partyduring the winter and a sping orsummer picnk. or outing for the fami-lies and the volunteers.

In the Baltimore program, the chil-dren and families spend a day at theSalvatkm Army summer camp.

Selecting families includes an in-terview process. Like the volunteers,parents are interviewed alx Kit medi-cal histories. current educational ndhealth care services used. familyneeds and resources. and speci:ic ar-eas in which the Family Friend canhe most helpful. At thk.Ilk' stall member e\ :dilates thefamik 's situation to insure the hes(volunteer niak II pc )ssible.

'fraining volunteers is tlh. wspon-sibili(y ot pn)grain ith a.ssis-ran( k' fit n11 \(.( ) \, IUCal 1;1(114, ,.( )6..11

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.111(1 MUMMA. glUtipS ill\ ( )1\ (11 illnisit1,4 .111(1 1)111(.1. cs (esigIled

it )1 III ntivicss ',Mays. Th trainin;.;1,11iiiI\ (-m1\

hildh( )(Id de\ clopnwhit. chil(I abuse.Mit MI( )hIS lill.s. olunteers

lyarn about resour(e, forrelerral pulp( Ne, and for themsel\ ('s

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Fundraising is the key to continu-ing success for every Family Friends/I fomeless Children pn)gram. "Flowto" help in fundraising is availablefis( al NC()A. Actual fundraising takesplace at the 1()cal level, where thecommunity can see for itself the ben-eficial effects of a Family Friends:lomeless Children program.

I( )cal funding comes from I combi-nation of sources, such as privatefoundations, family corporatic fllSIc k".11 bliShICsSeS, SMIC :Ind CC RIM

cial agenck..s, and individuals. °kenfunds niav raisecl through com-munity events such as fairs. lun-c1 heons...m(1 pot-luck dinners. as wellas direct mail and personal cc nitaCt.

(:ommunity support awl lun(Intisingcome through personal tincl organi-tational net\vorking, alvocacv. andpublic educItim, funLjrajsing advi-sory LnIIHIlifICC Iiij b(.' Made 111)people \\ ith previous experience illolunieer or professional fundraising.

this 0)111111itiC(' IR'Ips eXpalld (C )111-illunity suplion 'and id('ntify pc )tential

sources of funds and volunteers.The major consideration in choosingcommittee members is their ability tolaunch, maintain, and nurture theprogram.

I fell) is also sought from leaders ofcommunity-based organizations withan interest in at-risk families and chil-dren. These organizations may alsobe souiws okler volunteers. Co-sponsorship with another organiza-tion is effective because it expandsthe resources uid constituenciesavailable to the pn)grani.

A letter-writing tilvocacy campaignto elected officials alerts them to thecost-effective benefits of Familyiends lIt )I))(ICSs Chiklren and

douhles s a fundrai.sing activity.

Promoting the program consistsOf carrying Out a public rekitionscampaign to publicize the project,mise funds, and help recruit familiesand v(Aunteers. A publicity campaignincreases the public's awareness ofthe pr()Rim til its benefit to thecommunity. The public relations

impaign is also in important arm ofthe fundraising activities.

The campaignas simple or com-plex ",IN resources allowmight in-clude an int.( )rmational brochure;press releases; public service an-nouncements; hunlan interest sk wiesfor die local newspaper; .,inicles w

II le ne\sletter,, coininunitv-Ixised

organizations, churches, synagogues,and public interest organizations;personal appearances to groups ofpotential volunteers; special events toattract media attention; and participa-tion in special community events forokler adults.

Evaluathig the program allowsthe staff and adviso fly COmmittee toidentify strengths and areas for futureimprovement. Evaluations are basedon reactions fronl volunteers and fami-lies regarding all aspects of the pro-gram. Results are cycled back into thepkmning process to help make deci-sions on continuing the project, ex-panding it, ( w changing the appk)ach.

"They have it rough, moving from shelter to shelter without a fatherfigure, without the guidance of a second parent," says Family Friend EdScoggins. "I want them to know I'm committed to them and I care whathappens. Most important, I want them to feel good about themselves."

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AMIN.

HELP AVAIIABLEFROM NCOA

NCOAS Family Friends ResourceCenter )ffers materials and technicalassistance each step of tile way tohelp initiate your program. We canwork with you on volunteer training,staff devel()pment, pr(Nram plan-ning, indraising, and all other as-pects of developing a successfulprogram. We offer on-site consultingservices to help ),ou establish a suc-cessful Family Friends, I lomelessaiklren project in your community.You inay call to get assistance or ,.oumay contract tin- specific, on-site, ex-tensive conAil4tion.

If you would like to set up a Family Friends/Homeless Children projectin your communitycall or write:The National Council on the Aging, Inc.Family Friends Resource Center,409 Third Street SW, Washington, DC 20024.Telephone (202) 479-6675 FAX (202) 479-0735

The National Council on the Aging, Inc.. acknowledges with gratitude the generousfinancial support provided to the Family Friends/Homeless Families and Children Pro-gram. The following funders have enabled Family Friends volunteers to help homelessfaluilies in Baltimore, Maryland: Milwaukee, Wisconsin: and Dallas, Texas.

The %an Ameringen hmndation, Inc.New York, New York

ARCO!. ()Linda ti On

The General Electric FoundationFairfield, Connecticut

The Noxell FoundationI.os Angeles, California Baltimore, Maryland

The Frederick & Amelia Schimper kmndation Sunsweet Growers, Inc.New York, New York Yuba City, California

FAMILY FRIENDS/HOMELESSPROJECTS

THE SALVATION ARMY

Booth I louseWomen's and Children's Reskknce809 St. Paul StreetBaltimore, MD 2120230 I 685-8878

COMMUNITY RELATIONS-SOCIAL

DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION

231 West Wisconsin AvenueMilwaukee, WI 53203(414) 272-5600

THE DALLAS JEWISH COALITION FOR

THE HOMELESS

suite 16210830 tit wth Cntral Expressway)allas, 'EX 75231

(21 I ) (0648300

THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON TI-IE AGING, INC., established in 19i0, is the natimal organization fOr professionalsand wlunteers wi u ) work to improve till' quality of life for older Americans. Intergenerational pr()gramming lias been amai( w locus at N( X M. It enhances the understanding of how Americansof all agescan work together to help bring

)nle relief ) families lacing formidable responsibilities. NCOA ako serves as a national resource for information, train-ing. technical a.ssistance. advocacy. and research on every asped of aging.

THE ROBERT W(()D JOHNSON FOUNDATION of Princeton, New .Iersev. is one of the nation's largest private phil-anthnipic organizations And is (k.v( ged impn wing the nation's health care through a grant-giving pn)grain amounting

appil Aiinatelv sib() ;innually. In I986, The k nindation awarded grants to underwrite Eimily Friends projectsill eight :RT( TIk. program is designed to demonstrate ways in which older volunteers can work dice-ti el\ ith chnmicallv ill or lisabled children and their families. A gnint Was also awarded to The National Council onthe Aging to pro\ kik. technie;t1 assist:ince and direction for Ilk' program. More recently, The Foundation awarckd agrant to N(:( );\ disseinimite information about Family Friends through public education.

1992 The National Coundl On the Aging, Inc.

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THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON THE AGING, INC.

409 THIRD STREET SW WASHINGTON. DC 20024

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