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POV
Homeless Help
and Are Helped
San Rafael’s unemployed are cleaning up the town —
and improving themselves. BY JIM WOOD
We’re a first step for the
homeless and unemployed
seeking to rejoin
mainstream society.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re applying for a
job in food prep, dishwashing or busing tables,”
de la Fonteijne-Barnett told the group. “Show
up for your appointment on time, look us in
the eye and have a firm handshake.” Equally
important, she said, “is that you understand
what our business does and what makes us dif-
ferent from others — which means you should
visit our store before your interview.”
On subsequent days, DST San Rafael crews
swept and picked up litter along Fourth Street
and in Gerstle Park. Then, on Wednesday at 1 p.m.
at the First Presbyterian Church on Fifth Street,
the group held its weekly Success Meeting; 30
members attended. “On job applications,” urged
Malvern Spencer, age 50 and an enthusiastic
green-shirted supervisor, “don’t write what you
think they want to hear. Tell them the honest
truth; that’s how you’ll get the job.”
Spencer then presented a POT W
(Participant of the Week) award to Bobby
Wood, a young man who suffered a traumatic
brain injury in a cycling accident and now
hopes to find work as a graphic artist. “Bobby
showed up ahead of time every day this week
and had that look in his eye that encouraged
others,” Spencer said. Wood’s acceptance
speech was short: “Doing an awesome job feels
really good.” A survey of those present indi-
cated all have lived in San Rafael “for several
years.” Two responded with “I grew up here.”
The City of San Rafael has a one-year
$274,000 contract with Downtown Streets Team
funded by the Marin Community Foundation,
Kaiser Permanente, Marin County and the city.
The collaborative effort to reduce homelessness and joblessness also involves Ritter Center,
Community Action Marin, Homeward Bound,
Image for Success, St. Vincent de Paul Society’s
dining hall, Helen Vine Detox Center and
Enterprise Resource Center.
Downtown Streets Team San Rafael is an
exceptional and yet simple employment readiness concept just recently launched. It is to be
commended as well as encouraged and, whenever possible, assisted by those in a position to
do so. That’s my point of view. What’s yours?
Email pov@marinmagazine.com.
IT’S A SIMPLE concept: Put unemployed people — most of them homeless — to work cleaning city sidewalks, curbsides and public parks. To see this idea in action, visit downtown San Rafael any
weekday between 8 a.m. and noon. The workers wearing yellow T-shirts are the Downtown
Streets Team; their supervisors, also unemployed, wear green jerseys.
“Basically,” says Andrew Hening, project
director for the San Rafael team, “we’re a first
step for the homeless and unemployed seek-
ing to rejoin mainstream society.” Hening,
27 and a history graduate of the University
of Virginia, previously managed similar pro-
grams in San Jose, Sunnyvale and Palo Alto.
The team’s tagline is: “Creating Hope Through
the Dignity of Work.”
Last Monday morning, Hening and his
yellow-clad volunteers were in San Rafael’s
Albert Park picking up wrappers, paper cups
and cigarette butts from sidewalks, curbs and
planted areas. Here’s how volunteer Alexis
Gonzales, 21, who sleeps at the Mill Street
Homeless Center, described her involvement:
“I really like having something to do, and if it
makes the city look nicer, that’s cool too.”
“Volunteer” may not be the right word. At the
end of each week, Gonzales will receive a $100
voucher for food, transportation and phone services. ”I use mine for food,” says Gonzales, who’s
attractive and well groomed but doesn’t appear
confident about attaining full-time employment. And that’s where Downtown Streets
Team takes joblessness to the next level.
As the group ends its work at Albert Park,
Jennifer de la Fonteijne-Barnett is intro-
duced. “Jennifer manages Rustic Bakery in
Marin Country Mart,” announces Hening.
“She oversees 18 employees and will tell us
what she looks for when hiring.”
