Based social Service Agencies in San Francisco, Lutheran Social Services can trace roots it back to the late 1800s. Like many of the immigrants that came at that time with their own faith traditions, the First Services were taking care of widows and orphans. Later they moved to taking care of seniors. It is what they did and what they still do today. Our official starting date in San Francisco those in the later years, we did Refugee Resettlement after the vietnam war. Since then, we have been serving people who have been homeless, or formerly homeless. We have a Significant Program serving People Living with hiv and aids. That is in San Francisco. But i know the territory covers all of Northern California which is a large territory. We go from oregon, to reno and all the way to hawaii. Tell us about some of the programs out in the east does northern bay and beyond the city. In contra costa county, we have a Youth Program for people learning to live as adults. We have a number of Youth Programs similar to that in the stockton and sacramento area as well as programs for families up until their senior years. We do the full life stand lifespan. And this is not just for lutherans. For everybody. We are based in faith but we serve everyone. For the emancipated foster youth, what do you do in assisting them to become adults . Foster youth comes to us and the award to the court for most if not all of their life. They have very few skills. They might not even know how to take care of themselves, making beds, shopping or budgeting. All those skills are brandnew to them. We work with them to learn how to live independently and how to Access Services and make sure they go to school. We want them to at least have a high school or ged but ideally for them to go to college. We want them to be able to Access Healthcare services and teach them how to be a roommate or live with others. It takes time. A lot of baby steps we like to say, to get to the point where you can live independently and learn how to live a fulfilling life. Are you providing housing for the foster youth and then the counseling and Educational Services . We believe housing is the blueprint for success, stable housing. From there, we provide purported supportive services. It is based on the needs of the youth. Or when we work with adults and seniors as well. What is it that they need to learn to be successful in life actually call that, case management. So it varies a great deal. Even just learning how to shop for Healthy Foods is a skill that a former foster youth probably doesnt know. How many of them are in the programs you are speaking of . We must have at least 1000 between contra costa, sacramento and san joaquin. It varies. The smaller programs are best. We can really provide the one onone attention they need. Moving ahead and following a goal. Do they age out . Usually by 24. 1824 is when we typically get them. The goal is to get them through and teach them how to be a functioning young adult. That is what we need. Yes. And what important life skills are they learning . They are learning how to build their life and rebuild trust. Learn how to make relationships with people. Create a new family for themselves, we hope hope. Exactly. That is true not just for foster youth but also the adults. If they are homeless for any length of time, they have to relearn those they have to get their dignity back and their confidence. You name it. We will hear more about those services from Lutheran Social Services after the break. Thinks. Welcome back. We have two guests today from Lutheran Social Services of Northern California. We are hearing about all of their wonderful programs and ministries. We have heard about their programs for foster youth. Now we will hear about what they are doing in San Francisco from the deputy director. Tell us about the variety of programs in San Francisco. Most of our work is with seniors, adults and a few Housing Programs with families. Our Largest Program in San Francisco serves people that were formerly homeless and are now housed. In order to keep them housed, we provide Money Management services. It is a program we do through the department of Public Health primarily. It is sort of a nobrainer. If you want to keep people housed, the rent has to be paid. And if someone has been living on the streets for 2030 years, that is not a habit. It is not a routine they know. They dont know how to manage. In this particular program, whatever resources are available to the individual Social Security or sometimes a retirement plan, that money is directed to a trust account with us. And we pay the bills. We pay the rent and we pay the utilities. We write about 9000 checks a month on behalf of our clients. It is a huge program. We have talented staff that have developed a database to help us do that, issue the checks and balance to the penny every month. It keeps people housed. Folks that have been homeless for over 20 years are now staying housed on a permanent basis. We have about a 98 retention rate of people. That is one piece of it. You are helping them manage resources wisely so they can stay in the housing they have been provided or that they are paying for. In this particular program, many of the folks enrolled have a Subsidy Program with the department of Public Health. Others are just living in the community. The primary thing is stability. And working with them to say, okay, if half of your Social Security goes to rent, how do you survive on the rest . How do you manage the month. How do you get a small amount of your remaining balance one week and the next . We work with folks so whatever resources they get, they dont get all at once. Because it takes a while to develop the skills to manage the funds. And to make it through the month with half of your Social Security which might be 300 a month. It is a challenge if there is only 300. It is a huge challenge. For people that have lived on the street and have addiction problems, the challenge is to learn to utilize that money in a way that does good for you and not harm. In San Francisco, we work with the Harm Reduction model. Someone having trouble managing funds may come in every day for a small check. 10. To get through that day. And then come in the next day or day after. But to manage those funds so they care for themselves and not do themselves harm. Teaching life skills. What is interesting is many people who are homeless, when you talk with them, you find out that much of their life as a young person was in some kind of foster program. Maybe with relatives or other neighbors. They are often times people whose whole life has been chaotic. They have never had a stable environment to help them learn any daily life skills. It is a big challenge. If we came to the Lutheran Social Services offices on golden gate avenue in the heart of the tenderloin on the first day of the month, what will we see there . On the first of the month, a lot of the folks that come in after we sent out the check for their rent and utilities and phone, they come in on the first. For many, it is to pick up the balance. We will have checks ready for them. We open to the public at about 10 30 a. M. That day. We have a long line which is gone in about 20 minutes because we are very efficient. That is the busiest. We see about 200 people every day. Seeing clients all the time. People coming to talk to their caseworker or case manager. An important part is everything we do is in partnership with other agencies. Most of the folks we are working with in Money Management also live in a Supportive Housing program that might have a caseworker or they are engaged in another health clinic. We try to work with that client to coordinate between all those different agencies they work with. So that care is always there for them. The communication piece is critical. And it is not just one agency. One agency helps them get off the street. The other provides services. And other provides Money Management. But it takes a whole village to help one person. It is not just a onestep get them off the street. If all you do is take someone off the street and put them in a room, you just moved a homeless camp indoors. You have not changed anything. It is critical to have those Wraparound Services. I know the mayor talks about the need for more navigation sensors and those Wraparound Services onsite. Are you involved in those . We are doing some pilot projects with the Episcopal Services to help folks that are finally able to get into permanent housing. We are doing some practice with them around Money Management. It is a long process. Stabilization takes time when you have been living on the street for years. And the survival skills you need to live on the street, which are critical to survive, do not serve you well when you are in housing. Fighting with your neighbors is not a good fix. It might help you survive on the street but in a Housing Program, it is not a good way to handle your differences. So new skills are needed. And learning how to cook. Learning how to shop. If you have been living on the street, you dont have that skill set. It is not your priority. Where do you do your laundry . Now you are an apartment complex with a washer. So doing these skills. We just heard about the homeless services. We will hear about the Senior Services next when we come back on mosaic. Good morning and welcome back to mosaic. With me are partners from Lutheran Social Services. We are hearing about the diversity of programs at Lutheran Social Services in Northern California. We heard about the programs for foster youth and the formerly homeless. Now you have programs for seniors. In San Francisco. And we will hear what is happening in sacramento. What are we doing for seniors in San Francisco . Part of our work with people who were formerly homeless is a Housing Program that is funded through the department of Public Health and has formerly homeless seniors as residents. So we provide the onsite case management. Much like the foster programs, support services are all about helping people to function at their highest level. So in the senior program, it may be helping them get transportation to medical appointments, making sure they get there, making sure they follow through on whatever their Treatment Program is. Also coordinating with inhome support services that they have arranged for that doesnt affect them does the daily needs. Many times, it is just health and help with housekeeping. Increasingly, seniors that have been homeless have issues with cluttering. Having to fight as much stuff. You finally have a place to put it and you bring it all in and it is not always safe to do that. So they help provide case management, social services, support services. Whatever it takes to maintain health. That is that. That is the ultimate goal. And they want them to thrive to the best you are capable of doing. That is right. In sacramento, there is support with seniors. And they also participate in an art show. Tell us about that. One of our projects they started the art program on fridays. And it was meant to be therapeutic. They are mostly older adults in the program. They discovered that they really enjoyed it. It went from one hour or two up to six hours on fridays. They recently we were there taking a to or. We saw some of the artwork they have done and said, this is impressive. We did an art show. There were over 40 original pieces, acrylic, oil, sculpture crafts. And they displayed poetry. Some of these women mostly women. There were men as well. But they did not realize and some cases, that they had these talents. Or they had been long repressed because they spent time on the streets or were disabled. They might have hivaids or chronic illness. We had television stations cover it. It was really exciting. Wonderful. Im thinking that funding these programs is a challenge. How do you piece together all the funding . Because you could do more with more funding. Where does most of your funding come from . In San Francisco, most of it is through the department of Public Health or the Human Services agency. We have contracts to do minute management programs which is funded through the department of Public Health. We take very good care of tax dollars, which is one way to always think about it if the money comes from city resources. We are careful on how we spend it. And of course there is never quite enough. The city is careful. We are careful with what we do. There is always a need. Particularly for supplemental programs to do extra things for the residents. We do a lot of activities, dinners, Community Dinners and art programs. Whatever meets the needs of the people of that particular residence. So those of the extra things that dont always get into city budgets. As a development director, stephanie, you are living this seven days a week. The particular challenges for funding these wonderful programs . Because we do get contracts to provide the housing and basic coverage, it doesnt provide for furniture heats, towels, pots and pans. These people come to us with nothing. They might have a trash bag with clothing in it if they are lucky. We have businesses and congregations and individuals that put together welcome baskets. They fill a laundry basket. If you go to our website, we have a list of ways you can help us. We call it seven ways to help the homeless. We can always use cash. You can go to amazon smile. You can use amazon all the time. tis the season. We have a wish list on there. I was watching one of the foster youth on one of the videos come into an apartment. And she was carrying just a bag of what she owned. And the apartment was completely empty. That is where i think we, as generous viewers and people who care, can assist Lutheran Social Services for your website. You got it. And for seniors too, they are in need of extras too. We do have a few people move on to higher levels of care when someone new comes in. So things you dont have money for. Washing materials and all of those things. We will come back for the last segment and we will hear more about Lutheran Social Services and a word about christmas during this time of the year. Girl dont look at me. Second girl your hairs a bit frizzy today. Aw ha ha you should pick that up. [girls laugh] oh, youre such a dork. Loser. Here. Let me help you with that. Oops ha ha announcer every day, kids witness bullying. Oh, look your crush is looking at you. [girls laugh] poor you. Ha ha announcer they want to help but dont know how. Bully see . No one heres gonna help you. Announcer teach your kids how to be more than a bystander. Visit stopbullying. Gov. Good morning. Welcome back to mosaic. We have been listening to partners from Lutheran Social Services of Northern California. Nancy nielsen, deputy director. Stephanie cassandra, director of development of Lutheran Social Services. Certainly, this is the time of year when people want to give. They want to share a gift with charities or a place they know where the gift will make a difference. We have heard the difference that Lutheran Social Services makes. Please encourage people right now to go onto your website and say a word about that. Our website, lsfnorcal. You can see the seven ways to end homelessness. Volunteer opportunities, actions teenagers to come in. We have those programs. So call us. 9258251060, extension 15. We will talk to you about how you can help us. And of course visit our website to learn more about our programs. And if you want to give online or find out more about what we do. The strength of Lutheran Social Services it is the diversity of your program for families and children, to emancipated foster youth, to seniors, to formerly homeless, to hiv, to those addicted. If anyone of those touches your heart, give Lutheran Social Services a call. It can happen to anyone at any time. We are all vulnerable. This is the month of december where we are anticipating the christmas season, which is already upon us. What i would like to do this morning is give you the encouragement to find a church home. A Faith Community where you can worship, where you can celebrate christmas with the beauty of the music and the christmas story of jesus being born into our world. Where you can find a way to use their gifts to make a difference like with Lutheran Social Services. So find a church home. Worship there. Start worshiping this sunday. We lead up to the season of christmas. Christmas is 12 days. It starts december 24th at st. Marks lutheran church. There are services that evening at 5 00, 7 00 and 10 30 p. M. And then on the 25th, at 10 00 a. M. There are local churches all around you. We encourage you to find a Faith Community where you can celebrate christmas this season. Of course, christmas is a time when people are volunteering and going to places to serve meals or give extra gifts. We want people to think of Lutheran Social Services of Northern California as a place where you might share a gift and you will make a difference. Absolutely. I think of the clients, the people you care for i think of them on christmas, during that time of year. It can be a particularly lonely time. Knowing that a gift can make a difference in someones life. So thank you for the good work that you do on our behalf. Thank you so much. I want to thank our viewers this morning. Our producer, ron swisher, my cohost. Thank you for joining mosaic on this sunday morning. Have a wonderful sunday. Packed show. Including how to stay fit during the season. Especially for children. D. Welcome to a very festive addition of bay sunday. I am your host, kenny choi. We have a packed show on how to stay fit during the season especially for children. We will visit legacy shield and a new pageant in california that celebrates differences. First, we are ready to celebrate the holidays. And amy soul is here to