WS = Prado Day Center Warming Station, located at 43 Prado Road in SLO.
Last Friday, March 4, 2016, I spent some time walking the homeless camps in San Luis Obispo. My intention was to notify as many homeless people as possible about the opening of the Prado Warming Station that evening. If you don't know what the warming station is, I cover that in the 2nd half of this article.
The reason I was doing this was because of a recent conversation between the many homeless service players in SLO county about why so few people showed up at the warming stations that open up here during inclement winter weather. A long list was developed identifying the reasons our many homeless folks skip the WS.
Above: I frequently found stashes of homeless gear, carefully bagged and secured in the various homeless camp areas - mostly the creek beds areas around SLO.
Here is a version of the list:
- Location/distance from homeless camp to Prado WS
- Lack of transportation (related to location/distance)
- Can't bring all their possessions/fear of theft of possessions
- Fear of losing their campsite
- Substance abuse (this is really: will they let me in because of substance abuse, and once there, will I be kicked out or treated unfairly?)
- Banned from services or Warming Center due to past actions and unsuccessful in paneling back in or not having gone through the process (sometimes out of fear or belief that the process will be unsuccessful or unfair)
- Banned from services or Warming Center because of being a Registered Sex Offender
- Don't feel safe/comfortable
- PTSD/difficulty being indoors
- Warming Center won't take pets or pets can't stay with owners
- Have an RV/vehicle that's more comfortable-just need a place to park safely
- the word does not get out to the homeless (solution: somebody needs to walk the camps with a notice - in case nobody is there - and let people know definitive warming station dates, times, locations and requirements). false rumors play a part in this as well, such as who can get in, what requirements will they be subject to at the warming station, etc.
- short lead time: the warming station only announces opening 24 hours before it opens, not giving homeless time to prepare for a warming station stay (how to secure belongings, pre-existing commitments, food planning, etc.)
- changing dates: announce that the warming station will open. For example, the WS will be open on Date1 thru Date 4; then, a few days later, it’s only open Date1, then Date3 - Date4 (Date2 no longer open for warming station). Another example: WS to open on Date1 - Date4, then the weather forecast changes, and now it’ll be open on Date2 - Date5. etc.
- lack of trust with the “homeless establishments” (i.e., the Prado Day Center warming station). They believe that they have been betrayed by warming station staff before, and do not trust that they will be treated equitably and fairly.
- numerically, the warming station RARELY OPENS during winter, so why bother? the requirements for them opening are so stringent that it might be open during the “bad weather months” of November thru April maybe only 2 or 3 nights per month (less than 10% of the days of the “bad weather months”).
The reasons listed below are often in combination with one another. Example: a homeless person might have to consider these things when making a stay/no-stay decision at a warming station: can I leave my dog with a reliable dog-watcher? how can I assure the security of my belongings and camp? how long of a walk (in the rain and cold) is it to get there. Once there, will they not allow me in, or will they treat me unfairly and kick me out (or voluntarily leave due to unfair treatment) in the middle of the night, only to have to walk back to my camp (in the cold and rain at 2am). will there actually be food there? (sometimes there is not). etc.
I had a lot of prep work to do to get ready for this endeavor on 3/4/2016.
- reformat CAPSLO WS fliers into 1/2 page format (instead of full page)
- get fliers printed (email to printer, pick them up)
- buy baggies to put fliers in (it would be raining when I'm handing them out)
- buy binder clips so I can clip the fliers to the homeless camp (if nobody is "home")
- buy candy bars to hand out to the homeless (everyone loves a candy bar)
- load up the truck with related items: sleeping bags, tents, tarps, trash bags, etc.
This prep work took me longer than expected, so I got off to a late start.
I was hoping for some help from the SLO Police Department CAT (Community Action Team), but none was available. Here are their email addresses for my future reference.
jbehrens@slocity.org, jfellows@slocity.org
This is the notice I passed out (below) - click to enlarge:
Above: Example of a homeless camp that I deemed to be "active", though nobody was "home". There was water, wood pallet, bedding, etc. that indicated that somebody would be sleeping there tonight. I clipped the flier in a baggie (it was already raining) to a branch at the camp, along with a candy bar. Note also that if you click the photo to enlarge, you can see that there is a "hidden" cardboard sign in the lower left hand corner of the photo, and you can just make out a few words on it that say "have a nice day"!
The city and county know that 100's of homeless people are living in camps like this on government land. Yet they persist in allowing people to live this way, instead of opening tent camps that are legal and the homeless can be safe, warm and dry. Very sad. We must do better.
Once again, I ran out of time to finish this article, so that will have to be for another day. Peace.
Last Friday, March 4, 2016, I spent some time walking the homeless camps in San Luis Obispo. My intention was to notify as many homeless people as possible about the opening of the Prado Warming Station that evening. If you don't know what the warming station is, I cover that in the 2nd half of this article.
The reason I was doing this was because of a recent conversation between the many homeless service players in SLO county about why so few people showed up at the warming stations that open up here during inclement winter weather. A long list was developed identifying the reasons our many homeless folks skip the WS.
Here is a version of the list:
- Location/distance from homeless camp to Prado WS
- Lack of transportation (related to location/distance)
- Can't bring all their possessions/fear of theft of possessions
- Fear of losing their campsite
- Substance abuse (this is really: will they let me in because of substance abuse, and once there, will I be kicked out or treated unfairly?)
- Banned from services or Warming Center due to past actions and unsuccessful in paneling back in or not having gone through the process (sometimes out of fear or belief that the process will be unsuccessful or unfair)
- Banned from services or Warming Center because of being a Registered Sex Offender
- Don't feel safe/comfortable
- PTSD/difficulty being indoors
- Warming Center won't take pets or pets can't stay with owners
- Have an RV/vehicle that's more comfortable-just need a place to park safely
- the word does not get out to the homeless (solution: somebody needs to walk the camps with a notice - in case nobody is there - and let people know definitive warming station dates, times, locations and requirements). false rumors play a part in this as well, such as who can get in, what requirements will they be subject to at the warming station, etc.
- short lead time: the warming station only announces opening 24 hours before it opens, not giving homeless time to prepare for a warming station stay (how to secure belongings, pre-existing commitments, food planning, etc.)
- changing dates: announce that the warming station will open. For example, the WS will be open on Date1 thru Date 4; then, a few days later, it’s only open Date1, then Date3 - Date4 (Date2 no longer open for warming station). Another example: WS to open on Date1 - Date4, then the weather forecast changes, and now it’ll be open on Date2 - Date5. etc.
- lack of trust with the “homeless establishments” (i.e., the Prado Day Center warming station). They believe that they have been betrayed by warming station staff before, and do not trust that they will be treated equitably and fairly.
- numerically, the warming station RARELY OPENS during winter, so why bother? the requirements for them opening are so stringent that it might be open during the “bad weather months” of November thru April maybe only 2 or 3 nights per month (less than 10% of the days of the “bad weather months”).
The reasons listed below are often in combination with one another. Example: a homeless person might have to consider these things when making a stay/no-stay decision at a warming station: can I leave my dog with a reliable dog-watcher? how can I assure the security of my belongings and camp? how long of a walk (in the rain and cold) is it to get there. Once there, will they not allow me in, or will they treat me unfairly and kick me out (or voluntarily leave due to unfair treatment) in the middle of the night, only to have to walk back to my camp (in the cold and rain at 2am). will there actually be food there? (sometimes there is not). etc.
I had a lot of prep work to do to get ready for this endeavor on 3/4/2016.
- reformat CAPSLO WS fliers into 1/2 page format (instead of full page)
- get fliers printed (email to printer, pick them up)
- buy baggies to put fliers in (it would be raining when I'm handing them out)
- buy binder clips so I can clip the fliers to the homeless camp (if nobody is "home")
- buy candy bars to hand out to the homeless (everyone loves a candy bar)
- load up the truck with related items: sleeping bags, tents, tarps, trash bags, etc.
This prep work took me longer than expected, so I got off to a late start.
I was hoping for some help from the SLO Police Department CAT (Community Action Team), but none was available. Here are their email addresses for my future reference.
jbehrens@slocity.org, jfellows@slocity.org
This is the notice I passed out (below) - click to enlarge:
Many thanks to San Luis Print and Copy, located in San Luis Obispo, who copied and cut the above flier at no charge. Thanks, Jim and Marlene! (805) 546-0704.
When I found a homeless camp in the creek bed or under an overpass (the most common locations), I would leave a flier in a baggie with a clip and a candy bar, like the one shown in the photo below. If there was someone in the camp, I would tell them "here's a candy bar" and hand them the entire package.
The city and county know that 100's of homeless people are living in camps like this on government land. Yet they persist in allowing people to live this way, instead of opening tent camps that are legal and the homeless can be safe, warm and dry. Very sad. We must do better.
Once again, I ran out of time to finish this article, so that will have to be for another day. Peace.
About the Prado Day Center - “Warming Station”
http://www.capslo.org/menu-blog/54-top-blog-articles/418-overnight-warming-station-to-open-this-week-and-we-need-your-help
The Warming Station is located at:
http://www.capslo.org/menu-blog/54-top-blog-articles/418-overnight-warming-station-to-open-this-week-and-we-need-your-help
The Warming Station is located at:
Prado Day Center, 43 Prado Road, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401, (805) 786-0617
“Warming Station” Description: In San Luis Obispo when the weather freezes (32 degrees) or when there are 2+ days of consecutive rain the Warming Center at Prado Day Center opens at night to provide shelter and a hot meal to those who need it. We need volunteers to cover shifts and/or bring dinner in. Staff will be on all shifts as well.
“Warming Station” Description: In San Luis Obispo when the weather freezes (32 degrees) or when there are 2+ days of consecutive rain the Warming Center at Prado Day Center opens at night to provide shelter and a hot meal to those who need it. We need volunteers to cover shifts and/or bring dinner in. Staff will be on all shifts as well.
Dinner meals are needed 6:00pm each night for approximately 40 people. The food has to be prepared and delivered to Prado Day Center. We would greatly appreciate any plates, bowls, cups, and utensils. Other needs are coffee, instant creamer, juice, cereal and sleeping bags.
If you have any questions, or want to sign up for a shift, please contact Amanda at abailey@capslo.org. Please pass this message on to anyone you think might be able to help.
Thank you for helping us help those less fortunate!
I found a good explanation online for the "Warming Station" (note that some details may have changed since this was written). The interior of the Prado day center does not change. No beds would be offered. There may be blankets and sleeping bags, but people would have to utilize the interior as is. The accommodations are similar to an 'airport style' of comfort. People can rest in chairs and/or sleeping bags, but no beds will be brought in.
Additional Information
- Warming Station Shifts: 4:30pm-12:00a, 12:00am-8:30am or 4:30pm-8:30am
- Volunteers must complete a volunteer application
- Volunteers must show a photo I.D.
- Volunteers must be willing to be called upon within 24-hours’ notice
If you can’t volunteer your time, Prado Day Center needs the following items to support the Warming Station:
- Blankets, Pillows, Sleeping Bags
- Disposable plates/bowls/cups/utensils
- Milk, juice, lunchmeat, cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, sliced bread
- Coffee/tea, creamer, sugar, snacks- Cup of Noodles/canned soups
What you can do for this Warming Station session is the following: (1) donate non-perishable food and shelter items listed below; and (2) make a charitable, tax-deductible donation to Prado Day Center. Here's your chance!
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