❖ ❖ Fairfax Station Clifton Lorton Page 14 Classified, Page 12 Classified, On Aug. 10, a homeless man ❖ gets dinner for his family at the FACETS distribution site in Fairfax. Volunteer Phyllis Harrington reaches into a cooler to get some milk to go with the meals the man has in the grocery bag. Entertainment, Page 6 ❖ Sports, Page 12 AnAn EndEnd ToTo Homelessness?Homelessness? 10-Year10-Year Mission,Mission, PagePage 33 Requested in home 8-19-11 home in Requested Time sensitive material. sensitive Time Attention Postmaster: Attention PERMIT #322 PERMIT Easton, MD Easton, PAID U.S. Postage U.S. PRSRT STD PRSRT Photo by Deb Cobb/The Connection Photo www.ConnectionNewspapers.comAugust 18-24, 2011 onlineFairfax Station/Clifton/Lortonat www.connectionnewspapers.com Connection ❖ August 18-24, 2011 ❖ 1 2 ❖ Fairfax Station/Clifton/Lorton Connection ❖ August 18-24, 2011 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Lorton/Fairfax Station/Clifton Connection Editor Michael O’Connell 10-Year Mission 703-778-9416 or [email protected] Can Fairfax End Homelessness? Making Fairfax County A Plan dedicates resources, The Connection energy, services to its examines Fairfax 10-year mission. plan to prevent, Photos by Photos end homelessness. By Victoria Ross The Connection Deb Cobb t seems like a naïve goal. Poverty n Fairfax County, approximately one Ihas been around forever, and the in every 700 people is homeless. homeless, no matter how pros- IThat’s less than 1 percent of the 1 /The Connection perous a nation or a county might be, million people who live in a county seem to be omnipresent. that is consistently ranked as one of But in 2008, Fairfax County, one of America’s richest communities. the nation’s most affluent localities, Although the 1,549 homeless children committed itself to preventing and and adults who live here is statistically a ending homelessness in 10 years. That small number, Fairfax County officials and commitment is not just one of money community leaders want to make that num- Nurse Practitioner Lori McLean, a member of the Fairfax County Health and personnel, but of a partnership ber even smaller. By 2018, they’ve pledged Department, reaches out to the homeless community to get homeless that extends throughout the commu- to change that number to zero. individuals and families connected with Fairfax County’s Community nity, from church kitchens that daily “It’s an achievable goal,” said Supervisor Health Care Network. She travels with basic first aid supplies to pro- prepare meals for people living on the Cathy Hudgins (D-Hunter Mill), who was vide on the spot assistance to anyone who might request services. On streets, to shelters that aid displaced on the Board of Supervisors in 2008 when Aug. 10, she is searching through her trunk for over the counter pain teens and families, to businesses that it officially adopted the 10-year-plan to pre- reliever for one of her clients. raise money and provide volunteers, vent and homeless. to social workers and health care pro- “We believed the commitment could be this,” said Dan P. Leaf, a vice president with shirt. It’s surprising.” viders that assist individuals facing made because it’s what the community Northrop Grumman. Leaf sits on the Fairfax- What may be even more surprising is that substance abuse and mental health wants and because we have great partner- Falls Church Community Partnership Gov- Fairfax County has been successful in tack- challenges. ships with the faith community, nonprofit erning Board, a consortium of 20 high-pro- ling what many consider an intractable The Fairfax County government groups, business leaders and many others,” file business and community leaders, problem. While many communities across may have established the initiative, Hudgins said. “I’m always impressed by the elected officials and faith leaders who pro- the country have seen a slight rise in their but it’s the county’s residents who number of people who get involved.” vide policy direction, resources and creativ- homeless population, Fairfax County has have helped it to achieve success. “Fairfax County’s goal is to end ity in seeing that the plan works. managed to reduce the number of home- In three years, Fairfax County has homelessness as we know it,” said Chair- “I don’t think people realize how many less by 15.6 percent, from 1,835 people in managed to reduce the number of man Sharon Bulova, (D-at large.) “And that working homeless there are here,” Leaf said. 2008 to 1,549 in 2011. Instrumental to that homeless by 15.6 percent, from 1,835 means that we will be able to make sure “I think it would really surprise people to success was the Board’s decision to estab- people in 2008 to 1,549 in 2011. that people have the opportunity for a roof know how many homeless families are try- lish an Office to Prevent and End This special issue of The Connec- over their heads, and they also have the ing to get their kids through school, trying Homelessness (OPEH) in 2008, created to tion examines what has led to this opportunity for the supportive services so to do all the normal things the rest of us manage, coordinate and monitor day-to-day achievement, but also what work re- that they continue to be sheltered.” are doing, but without a place to live. It’s implementation of the 10-year-plan. mains to be done. In these pages and “There are so many families affected by not just the stereotypical guy in the ragged “I believe that the establishment of the on The Connection website OPEH created the community focal point [www.connectionnewspapers.com], that we needed to effectively address the readers will meet some of the indi- issue of homelessness,” said Supervisor viduals carrying out the county’s 10- Linda Smyth (D-Providence). “For years, we year plan and hear from some of the had many advocacy groups and non-prof- people who have received services. its that tackled homelessness in their own Also, readers will find resources on ways with their own limited resources. The how to access some of the county ser- Office to Prevent and End Homelessness has vices offered and how to help with been able to pull together all these groups the effort. and coherently direct their energies to In researching this story, one com- achieve the successes that we have seen.” ment heard again and again was this: Bulova said a disciplined business-like if you meet a homeless person – “up- approach, combined with the community’s close and personal,” as Fairfax County compassion has resulted in reducing the Board of Supervisors Chairman number of homeless. Sharon Bulova said, you cannot turn “Even during the recession years, when your back. we were not creating new things, we cre- The Connection would like to thank ated one new thing, and that was the Of- Dean Klein, the director of the Office fice to Prevent and End Homelessness, and to Prevent & End Homelessness, and we hired one person, Dean Klein, as the the many other individuals who director. And it’s a small office that makes helped with the research for this a huge difference, because it’s leveraged by project. a governing board that consists of corpo- Nurse Practitioner Lori McLean, McLean provides antibiotic ointment rate leaders and nonprofits,” Bulova said. — Connection Staff packets to a homeless man who requests them for a scrape on his elbow on Aug. 10. See Community, Page 6 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Fairfax Station/Clifton/Lorton Connection ❖ August 18-24, 2011 ❖ 3 Guest Editorial 10-Year Mission Advocating for The Homeless FACETS advocates for unsheltered population. By Amanda Andere FACETS ACETS envisions a day when Feveryone in Fairfax County has access to adequate and affordable housing and nobody is homeless. I want to be part of ending homelessness in my community. Photo Donated So much of what I and my staff do, as advocates for people who are homeless and suffering the ef- fects of poverty, is about encour- agement, resourcefulness and re- The hot meal prep team from Christ Lutheran Church of Fairfax puts together 100 siliency. Amanda Andere meals to distribute on a hot meals run with FACETS on Aug. 10. From left are Eliza- Living and working in one of the beth Simpson, Phyllis Harrington, Alice Marsolais, Jan Walters, Pat Nau, Kathy wealthiest communities in the country, poverty in Fairfax Putnam, David Rourk and Allen Griffith. County so often goes unnoticed. We help and encourage people to understand the needs of those who live in poverty and the lack of affordable housing. We encourage people to make a difference in the lives of their neighbors, get involved and extend a helping hand up. Hot Meals At FACETS, our case managers meet regularly with fami- lies and individuals who are homeless or on the brink of los- ing their home. For our clients, it is a time of uncertainty, upheaval, stress, fear and change as they adapt to new social Served Daily and economic realities, but they are not on their own. Our case managers encourage them to set and achieve goals for stable housing and are just a call away if there are any needs Volunteers prepare, distribute or worries. We are always looking for innovative ways to collaborate hot food to the homeless. with other agencies, partners and organizations in the com- munity to share resources for the benefit of our clients and n Combination with 35 faith communities, FAC- provide services more effectively and efficiently. ETS, an outreach organization in Fairfax The program staff at FACETS helps the people we serve ICounty, provides 42,000 hot meals to home connect to resources for housing, clothing, food and other less individuals and families living in and basic needs.