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Springfield Franconia ❖ Kingstowne ❖ Newington Page 8 Classified, Page 16 Classified, ❖ An End To Sports, Page 12 ❖ Homelessness? Nurse Practitioner Lori McLean, a member of the Fairfax County 10-Year Mission, Page 3 Calendar, Page 7 Health Department, reaches out to the homeless community to get homeless individuals and families connected with Fairfax County’s Community Health Care Network. She travels with basic first aid supplies to pro- vide on-the-spot assistance to anyone who might request services. One of her ‘regular’ clients Al gives her a hug and thanks for the over the counter pain medicine she has given him at his request. PERMIT #86 PERMIT Martinsburg, WV Martinsburg, PAID U.S. Postage U.S. PRSRT STD PRSRT Photo by Deb Cobb/The Connection Photo www.ConnectionNewspapers.comAugust 18-24, 2011 online at www.connectionnewspapers.comSpringfield Connection ❖ August 18-24, 2011 ❖ 1 2 ❖ Springfield Connection ❖ August 18-24, 2011 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Springfield 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- substance abuse and mental health wants and because we have great partner- Falls Church Community Partnership Gov- Success Means Business challenges. ships with the faith community, nonprofit erning Board, a consortium of 20 high-pro- The Fairfax County government groups, business leaders and many others,” file business and community leaders, may have established the initiative, What may be even more surprising is that Hudgins said. “I’m always impressed by the elected officials and faith leaders who pro- but it’s the county’s residents who Fairfax County has been successful in tack- number of people who get involved.” vide policy direction, resources and creativ- have helped it to achieve success. ling what many consider an intractable “Fairfax County’s goal is to end ity in seeing that the plan works. In three years, Fairfax County has problem. While many communities across homelessness as we know it,” said Chair- “I don’t think people realize how many managed to reduce the number of the country have seen a slight rise in their man Sharon Bulova, (D-at large.) “And that working homeless there are here,” Leaf said. homeless by 15.6 percent, from 1,835 homeless population, Fairfax County has means that we will be able to make sure “I think it would really surprise people to people in 2008 to 1,549 in 2011. managed to reduce the number of home- that people have the opportunity for a roof know how many homeless families are try- This special issue of The Connec- less by 15.6 percent, from 1,835 people in over their heads, and they also have the ing to get their kids through school, trying tion examines what has led to this 2008 to 1,549 in 2011. Instrumental to that opportunity for the supportive services so to do all the normal things the rest of us achievement, but also what work re- success was the Board’s decision to estab- that they continue to be sheltered.” are doing, but without a place to live. It’s mains to be done. In these pages and lish an Office to Prevent and End “There are so many families affected by not just the stereotypical guy in the ragged on The Connection website Homelessness (OPEH) in 2008, created to [www.connectionnewspapers.com], manage, coordinate and monitor day-to-day readers will meet some of the indi- implementation of the 10-year-plan. viduals carrying out the county’s 10- “I believe that the establishment of the year plan and hear from some of the OPEH created the community focal point people who have received services. that we needed to effectively address the Also, readers will find resources on issue of homelessness,” said Supervisor how to access some of the county ser- Linda Smyth (D-Providence). “For years, we vices offered and how to help with had many advocacy groups and non-prof- the effort. its that tackled homelessness in their own In researching this story, one com- ways with their own limited resources. The ment heard again and again was this: Office to Prevent and End Homelessness has if you meet a homeless person – “up- been able to pull together all these groups close and personal,” as Fairfax County and coherently direct their energies to Board of Supervisors Chairman achieve the successes that we have seen.” Sharon Bulova said, you cannot turn Bulova said a disciplined business-like your back. approach, combined with the community’s The Connection would like to thank compassion has resulted in reducing the Dean Klein, the director of the Office number of homeless. to Prevent & End Homelessness, and “Even during the recession years, when the many other individuals who we were not creating new things, we cre- helped with the research for this ated one new thing, and that was the Of- project. fice to Prevent and End Homelessness, and Nurse Practitioner Lori McLean, McLean provides antibiotic ointment we hired one person, Dean Klein, as the — Connection Staff packets to a homeless man who requests them for a scrape on his elbow on Aug. 10. See Community, Page 13 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com Springfield 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.

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