“We’re glad to see you”
“We’re glad to see you” were the words spoken to a PATH Dallas employee, by a man who is homeless, leaning against a fence, waiting in line to receive a noontime meal at a local service provider in Downtown Dallas. Perhaps he was reacting to the enthusiasm and energy shown on the faces of the 40 PATH Dallas employees, as we were walking toward our soon to be completed new home, The Bridge (http://www.pathdallas.org/), a sprawling 4 building campus that has been much anticipated in this area for the past 4 years.
For the past 20 years, I have worked with humanitarian organizations that work with the homeless, and I have to say that I have never been as excited about the opening of a place like The Bridge. Brought into being by the City of Dallas, public and private contributions, and under the leadership of the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance, The Bridge is largely based on the PATH Partner’s “services-to-housing” model, which, along with other services, will provide for the rapid re-housing of people who are experiencing homelessness.
Another similarity to PATH Partners is that PATH Dallas will operate in facility tailored after the PATH Mall in Los Angeles (http://www.epath.org/services/pathmall.php). Some 15 or so organizations will be housed and working together on one campus, in a combined effort to facilitate immediate care and service delivery to anyone who is homeless, and who desires assistance in seeking vocational, housing, medical, legal, educational, counseling and other assistance, in their effort to exit homelessness.
The gentleman we encountered on our walk mentioned he was glad to see us. Like him, I too am enthusiastic as I anticipate the day that the Bridge will open. Like him, I am truly encouraged as I walk the streets of Dallas with our 40 employees, knowing that our partnership together with the City of Dallas, and the 15 partner agencies at the Bridge, in our “mall-like” atmosphere will deliver effective services that will help men and women like this gentleman escape homelessness. The gentleman is glad to see us working together to help people who are homeless.
For the past 20 years, I have worked with humanitarian organizations that work with the homeless, and I have to say that I have never been as excited about the opening of a place like The Bridge. Brought into being by the City of Dallas, public and private contributions, and under the leadership of the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance, The Bridge is largely based on the PATH Partner’s “services-to-housing” model, which, along with other services, will provide for the rapid re-housing of people who are experiencing homelessness.
Another similarity to PATH Partners is that PATH Dallas will operate in facility tailored after the PATH Mall in Los Angeles (http://www.epath.org/services/pathmall.php). Some 15 or so organizations will be housed and working together on one campus, in a combined effort to facilitate immediate care and service delivery to anyone who is homeless, and who desires assistance in seeking vocational, housing, medical, legal, educational, counseling and other assistance, in their effort to exit homelessness.
The gentleman we encountered on our walk mentioned he was glad to see us. Like him, I too am enthusiastic as I anticipate the day that the Bridge will open. Like him, I am truly encouraged as I walk the streets of Dallas with our 40 employees, knowing that our partnership together with the City of Dallas, and the 15 partner agencies at the Bridge, in our “mall-like” atmosphere will deliver effective services that will help men and women like this gentleman escape homelessness. The gentleman is glad to see us working together to help people who are homeless.
On behalf of the PATH Dallas employees and the partner agencies who will help the homeless, I’m glad to see us as well.
Dr Ken McGill, LMFT
Director
Director
PATH Dallas
posted by LA's Homeless Blog at
9:14 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home