Introduction
Previously called Our Place of Falls Church (OPFC) during it's (approximately) first year of development from the Empowered for a Change drop in center conference (created by OOOFC subcommittee) to the CWC reorganization.
March 4, 2005 Empowered for a Change lunch time organizing meeting with Rhonda and Michael P leading, Jerry attending (due to conference video & audio taping, trying to learn and network from national resources at the conference as well as other duties) got first meetings started.
Rhonda deserves much credit for starting OPFC but left to pursue full time paid work due to limitations of being paid as PRS Board Member and conflict of interest.
- Many site decisions and paint color choices were made in the mid county site for remodeling.
- Disputes of getting a washer/ shower for homeless were unsuccessful due to building, construction, organizational and fiscal limitations.
- Contacting the Fairfax City lawyer Ed Gross and Legal Aid for incorporation assistance...
Activities
Summary of work by Jerry and others in creating a drop in center in mid county.
Early Work
Susan attended OPFC meetings and went to a OOOFC meeting for information about creating meeting minutes. Later email discussions on how OPFC could do meeting minutes...
Rhonda, Mark, Jerry and some others attended the CSPNJ 2005 Conference with Tressa driving the county van in a caravan with Reston Drop In Center county vans.
(add conference pics)
Four OPFC and Tressa to Freehold, NJ and Salem, NJ self help centers on the last day returning from the CSPNJ 2005 conference.
(add group pics).
November 2005:
Jerry discovered with an insurance agent at Help the Homeless (orange shirt?) walkathon about 12 passenger vans being a high risk and expense...
MIAW2005 Panel
When Rhonda was not available, Jerry was recruited to speak at MIAW2005 by Wendy...
Jerry was on a consumer panel of drop in centers at MIAW2005.
Kathy was invited up to the podium to speak on the panel by Jerry and announced a OPFC meeting during the end of the panel.
Mark was a stable member of the original OPFC organizing committee and attended the CSPNJ 2005 Conference, CSPNJ 2005 Site Visits and helpful in focus groups, reporting work performed before Rhonda's departure.
Computer for Mark
Mark received a personal computer Jerry assembled, installed, configured and delivered with a rental car for editing draft documents, though recurring dial in charges were too expensive to fund personally...
Mark meeting with VOCAL monthly meeting in Chesterfield, VA
Jerry rented a car & took Mark down to a VOCAL statewide meeting in a Chesterfield clubhouse (suburb of Richmond with David Mangano and IG presentations after the MIAW2005 conference) talking about the [OPFC} organizing along the way. Ray, Bill, Sherry, Will G and others attended...
VOCAL Assistance
VOCAL help was solicited by OOOFC's Myra and three center coordination was attempted by Jerry in his belief that centers in the area should cooperate instead of backstabbing and competing, so renting cars to transport Brian between the train station and the three developing center locations. Resources such as the Non Profit Kit for Dummies and Board Cafe book were obtained at a Dutch Treat deli meeting in Old Town Alexandria.
Jerry arranged a meeting with Mark and Brian in Old Town Alexandria at the deli.
Jerry arranged a meeting with Kathy and Brian in Old Town Alexandria at the deli, renting a car to transport himself and Kathy from PRS Annandale...
Jerry rented cars to transport VOCAL COOP Brian between OOOFC and OPFC
and introduce VOCAL COOP to a local support group that might have been helpful in organizing the drop in center, but did not participate in OPFC start-up meetings over a year period and support development was later discontinued...
Site access problems
Jerry was locked out of the site while trying to get meetings going, frequently after winter 2 hour (each way) commutes by public transportation for what was a originally a 1 hour meeting at 1 pm in PRS Annandale, conflicting agendas, interpersonal issues and schedules of PRS members...
Organizing meetings at PRS
PRS meeting space was confusing, frustrating and demoralizing between two buildings and many conference rooms. PRS staff would also just walk into meetings interrupting OPFC business to discuss OOOFC food issues and a stable meeting room could not be determined. Use of copying machines and an occasional telephone call was appreciated. Wendy was helpful in meetings at her office and some coordination with Kathy.
Jerry stopped arranging meetings at the PRS sites due to such problems and transportation.
Organizing meetings at libraries and community locations
Jerry contacted Falls Church library about meeting space, policy and procedures.
Jerry contacted Falls Church community center about meeting space, policy and procedures.
Jerry contacted Fairfax libraries to determine meeting space options in the 7 Corners area.
Meeting site alternatives
Meetings were done individually with Mark and Kathy, though never successful in getting both members in the same room at the same time possibly due to conflicts only PRS day program clients would know about...
Kathy Recognition
Kathy hinted at being nominated for a PRS award in recognition of her OPFC efforts, but did not provide the information about in order to submit and Jerry having never attended PRS had insufficient information to make a nomination to another organizaion... {Mark] was contacted to see if he could do the nomination.
Kathy had estimated 40-50 hours of work in the OPFC organizing meetings and would need to document it to be reimbursed somehow...
Mark hours
Mark work faithfully on OPFC in the early development and should be reimbursed as well. His hours are approximated as roughly equivalent of Kathy's by Jerry though it could possibly be much higher if documented appropriately.
State Funding
Jerry seeked (with prominent NVMHCA advocates) $500k funding from the state for consumer run programs including a visit to the VA House and speaking, though likely with another hat of advocacy, it deserves mention...
As Reston was visited several times, hope and support was obtained including the idea of exchanging website development for RDIC as a first OPFC desktop machine...
Early Visits
Trying to get Brian to the Reston Drop In Center with winter storms and train delays was next to impossible.
Jerry visited the Reston Drop In Center several times, renting cars and later discovering the W&OD trail for commuting by bike...
Jerry biked to the Reston Drop In Center opening day in the cold windy winter and met with Lori & Tressa in the drop in center meeting room, carrying pounds of paper documentation for 30+ miles in likely below freezing winter weather.
Transportation Issues
In addition to the first OOOFC meeting with the county at the Sherwood Hall Library shortly before Halloween 2004, transporation was mentioned to county personnel as an issue of developing consumer run drop in centers and other services.
It was reiterated to Lori and Tressa during the winter months and requested as a startup reimbursement, as using personal funds for car rentals was prohibitive.
Site Meetings
Tressa met with Jerry at the 6245 Leesburg Pike Suite 420 location at least twice as construction was being completed. One such meeting may have caused concern regarding using the power plug for a notebook computer. The statement was made that the site was not approved, though a slip of paper was seen on site that said the site had passed...
At least 2 white boards were present and inventoried during one of those early meetings, later discovered to be missing by July 2006. There had been discussion of where to place the board on what walls.
Access Procedures
Conflicts over the access procedures and attempts to create a sign in sheet were sabotaged by county personnel.
Touring Facility
A local support group was given a brief tour by Jerry of the site with county knowledge and guard access for possible coordination in drop in center development.
Legal Advice
Jerry met with a lawyer informally (including at his dining room table) to discuss
incorporation options but transportation issues, low attendance at meetings and the strained consumer county relationship may be considered prohibitive issues...
Jerry rented a car for 3 days and spoke at the PeerConf1 reporting that Reston Drop In Center had opened in Northern Virginia. On Valentine's day 2006, a state hospital staff said as their small group was leaving "let's go kill the guy in blue" while Jerry was wearing a blue Help the Homeless t shirt... It was reported to authorities, but no action was reported back...
Peer Program Chart was created to summarize the developing consumer programs in the NoVA area for a research deliverable.
April 2006
Jerry was surprised to hear that the Lori & Tressa had recruited Reston Drop In Center's Elaine to be a technical consultant in forming CWC without notification while Jerry was developing state funding with RRWG for OPFC.
A slide show of consumer activities was shown to CWC members during a May 2006 meeting time as a possible research deliverable and introduction to the consumer run drop in developments but never formally accepted, nor purchased...
Peer Program Chart was circulated at CWC meetings for feedback as a possible research deliverable, but never formally accepted, nor purchased...
Research Rights
Jerry retains all rights to these personal deliverables for resale and reuse.
June 2006
Jerry attended the homeless community forum in mid county for seeking funding towards developing a consumer run housing program.
Jerry spoke at the western Fairfax community forum about homelessness seeking funding for consumer run housing programs.
Jerry reported the forum experience and delivered Quick Guide and other handouts to CWC for their files.
Page History
20060923 Jerry
- Create page from memory...
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