For the first time ever in Malibu, a group of public and private agencies are putting on a half-day fair, “Homeless Connect Day,” at the old courthouse on Wednesday, Oct. 28 in an effort to reach out and provide services to the city’s homeless population. The event is being coordinated by Malibu’s grassroots Community Assistance Resource Team (CART), headed by Carol Moss, and the office of Sheila Kuehl, L.A. County Supervisor for the 3rd District.
The event will give homeless people direct access to booths staffed by nonprofit organizations and government agencies that can provide help, cutting out some of the red tape and problems with access and transportation that the homeless often encounter when they try to seek assistance. By attending the fair, a homeless person can find out in just half of a day what might normally take them several months when they have to travel from office to office.
For example, the closest Social Security Administration (SSA) office to Malibu is in Westwood — a long, round-trip bus ride for a homeless person, not to mention the time spent on-site at SSA offices finding the right person to help.
Molly Rysman, Housing and Homelessness Deputy with Kuehl’s office, was responsible for organizing the multiagency meeting with CART.
“We wanted to bring the resources here so people know how to connect with them — county, nonprofit and public agencies. Very few (if any) of these agencies have a footprint in Malibu now,” she said.
At the Malibu fair, attendees can learn about the services offered by many agencies, and will often find out right away if they have a chance of qualifying for help. The services being represented cover public benefits of all kinds, including Medi-Cal enrollment, affordable housing, health screenings, social services, emergency shelters and veterans’ benefits.
As an additional incentive for attending, the often-reluctant homeless are being offered some freebies just for showing up: free haircuts by local stylists, flu vaccines, and a free boxed lunch and service kit.
Any Malibu resident who has contact with a homeless person is urged to invite them to this event — and encouraged to give them transportation to it, if necessary. Some services are available for homeless undocumented workers, who are also invited to attend.
Members of the CART group have been handing out flyers, as well as the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department and the Malibu Community Labor Exchange, but organizers appreciate any help from residents in getting the word out. A downloadable version of the flyer has been posted on the Malibu Chamber of Commerce website.
With the recent closure of The Artifac Tree, which operated in Malibu for over 40 years giving the homeless clothes, shoes, bedding, bus fare, etc., there are essentially no services being offered to the homeless except for free dinners at the Malibu United Methodist Church (MUMC) on Wednesday and Thursday evenings.
Rev. Sandy Liddell of MUMC said, “[Homeless] people are coming to this church more and more for help with food, kids and finding jobs. It continues to increase, and we have people needing assistance at all times.”
No one knows for sure how many homeless people live in Malibu. Although the first homeless count in the city was taken last January as part of a countywide program, the methods used were questionable for a mostly rural area with canyons. Local Realtor Bianca Torrence, who served as volunteer coordinator, said “I don’t think the count we got for Malibu was at all accurate.”
The following organizations have confirmed that they will attend the fair: L.A. County Public Health, Santa Monica’s OPCC, Westside Coalition, Venice Family Clinic, United Way of Greater L.A., Safe Place for Youth, St. Joseph Center, L.A. Homeless Services Authority, L.A. County Department of Mental Health, New Directions for Veterans, Social Security Administration, DMV, Home for Good, Veteran’s Administration, Chrysalis and State Senator Richard Bloom’s office.
Anyone interested in volunteering for Malibu’s first “Homeless Connect Day” can contact Christine O’Rourke with St. Joseph Center at 310.396.6468 ext. 326.
Malibu “Homeless Connect Day” will take place at the former Malibu County Courthouse, 23525 Civic Center Way (next to the Malibu Public Library) on Oct. 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.