Westside Coalition 2021 Highlights

Westside Coalition 2021

Highlights of This Past Year, Including Our Growing Number of Coalition Members!

Greetings Dear Friends, As I look over this past year I am amazed at how the Westside Coalition has found its footing even during the challenges of a global pandemic. We have grown to 70 social service and governmental agencies, and faith based and community organizations. And that number doesn?t even include our incredible individual and family members. To me this unprecedented growth is an indicator that people truly do realize that we need everyone at the table if we are going to successfully address the complex issue of extreme poverty right in our midst. It truly takes a coalition!

We are so grateful for the opportunity through the Dept of Mental Health to coordinate Trauma Informed Care trainings for direct service staff members, who work daily in an extremely difficult job.

Focusing on our incredible staff members is a priority of ours. And also, we have been given the opportunity to provide trainings that assist faith organizations to be more prepared to help the unhoused community. We are hopeful that these training programs will continue. We have been able to hire an incredible Development Associate, Theresa Heim, who has been a godsend to this organization. Everyone who meets her loves her, especially me!

I am truly humbled to represent this outstanding organization alongside our fabulous Board of Directors. We think of each and every one of you that partner with us in one way or another and we couldn?t be prouder! Thank you for your time, your support, your commitment to work together, your hearts for this work and most of all for your valuable friendship.

As we lift our glasses to welcome in 2022, know that we have YOU in mind! Here?s to a great new year working in collaboration with our amazing partners!

Darci Niva Executive Director

Westside Coalition Members 2021 Agencies -Alcott Center for Mental Health Services

- New Directions for Veterans

-Awakening Recovery

-PATH

-Boys and Girls Club of Malibu

-Phoenix House

-Catholic Charities -The Landing

-Project Ropa

-Chrysalis

-Promises Foundation/Miriam's House

-City of Santa Monica

-Providence St. John's Health Center-

-CLARE Matrix

-Safe Place for Youth (SPY)

-Community Corporation of Santa Monica

-St. Joseph Center

-Department of Mental Health

-Salvation Army Rehabilitation Center SM

-Did Hirsch Community Mental Health Center

-Salvation Army -Westwood Transitional Village

-Disability Community Resource Center

-Shoes for the Homeless

-Edelman Westside Mental Health Center

-Step Up on Second

-Habitat for Humanity

-Students 4 Students Shelter

-Harvest Home

-The People Concern

-Helping Hands Senior Foundation

-Upward Bound House

-Imagine LA

-Venice Community Housing Corp.

-LA Elder Law

-Venice Family Clinic

-Malibu CART

-Village for Vets

-Mar Vista Community Council on Homelessness

-VA West LA Medical Center

-Meals on Wheels WLA

-Volunteer Collective

-Meals on Wheels West

-Westside Family Health Center

-National Veterans Foundation

-Westside Impact Project -Westside Food Bank

Congregations -Brentwood Presbyterian Church -Corpus Christi Church -Culver City Presbyterian Church =Culver Palms Church of Christ -First Presbyterian Church of Santa Monica -Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church -Kehillat Israel -Leo Baeck Temple -Mount Olive Lutheran Church -Religious Society of Friends -SM Baha'i Center -SM Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints -St. Aiden's Episcopal Church -St. John's Presbyterian Church -St. Martin of Tours -St. Monica Catholic Community -St. Paul's Lutheran Church -Salvation Army Congregation -Temple Akiba -The Church of St. Mark -The Parish of St. Matthew -Unitarian Universalist Community Church -United Methodist Women of Santa Monica -Westwood Presbyterian Church Individual and Family Members -Justin Rauzon and Brittany Balbo -Jocelyn and Greg Cortese -Mary Downs -Mike and Carol Galsterer -Mr. and Mrs. John Graham -Richard and Joanne Rutgers -Peter and Susan Mackauf -Ellen Sloan -Janet Zarem

Coalition Trainings ?Every one of us needs to show how much we care for each other and, in the process, care for ourselves.?

- Princess Diana

With the pandemic in full play, the Coalition staff has gone above and beyond.

Although each direct service staff person, from our member agencies, is trained in Trauma Informed Care, it is in the context of their clients experiencing trauma.

We have found that working daily with clients who are experiencing mental illness, substance use disorders and lack of housing resources they are at considerable risk of burn out, compassion fatigue and secondary trauma. We are committed to serving these unsung heroes and provide trainings, self care and networking.

Midway through the year, it was brought to our attention that those in the faith communities needed guidance as to how to handle a situation when an unhoused individual shows up at their place of worship. We soon realized this was a problem that expanded well beyond the Westside and all throughout Los Angeles County. We started offering trainings for faith-based organizations, which included: Safety First, De-escalation, Mental Health 101 and Trauma Informed Care. Our trainings attracted attendance from over 150 zip codes in and around Los Angeles! For this coming year, we plan on offering more resources to an even broader audience.

Snapshots of our annual Celebrating Success Breakfast

We anticipate even greater achievements in 2022. To be a part of our growing success, please donate now.

Or contact us at: info@westsidecoalition.org

T hank you for your support!