The Source: Community Works

The

Catastrophic loss of family

Housing will never solve homelessness, but community

The Community Works team is fighting homelessness through the dignity of work and the power of community.

Community Works flagship program is the Volunteer WorkExperience program which invites people experiencing homelessness to volunteer on teams dedicated to cleaning streets, parks, and other public spaces while they chart a path out of homelessness.

Teams provide meaningful structured daily activity that fosters community, kindles confidence, reaffirms dignity, and develops employment soft skills like punctuality, cooperation, and personal responsibility.

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Weekly Success Meetings:

Essential to the momentum of the Volunteer Work-Experience Program is attending Weekly Success Meetings where Team Members can share successes, challenges, support, resources, and a warm meal.

Shifting Perceptions:

To be a Team Member in the Volunteer Work-Experience Program is to experience the support of an inclusive and supportive community formed by other unhoused neighbors and Community Works staff.

It also means being able to effect positive change in the communities where Community Works operates. Local residents and business owners bear witness to the work of uniformed Team Members working diligently to clean up their shared neighborhoods.

Case Management: All Team Members in the Volunteer Work-Experience Program have access to individualized case management from trained Community Works Staff. Team Members and Case Managers work together to identify and remove barriers, which can be anything that poses an obstacle to self-sufficiency.

Barrier Removal: Often barriers are things most people take for granted, like getting a driver’s license, getting prescription eyeglasses, or signing up for medical benefits. Our Case Managers and Employment Specialists work with Team Members to assess their skill levels and needs, and develop an action plan that includes resume building, interview readiness, communication skills, literacy resources, and so on.

Incentives: All Team Members receive a basic-needs stipend that can be used to buy essentials like food, clothing, medicine, and transportation.