Homeless Stand Down 2012

A Wonderful Day for Those Experiencing Homelessness

2012 Homeless Stand Down (photo by William Gilmore)

2012 Stand Down at the Masonic Auditorium (photo by William Gilmore)

All reports from the Stand Down was that it was a great day for those experiencing homelessness.  There was a very good positive article in the Plain Dealer.  HandsOn NEO took the lead and did a great job coordinating this huge event.  Our long time partner, InterAct Cleveland, went out of business, and HandsOn Northeast Ohio took on all the responsibilities of this critical event.  This is the 20th year for the City of Cleveland to feature an all day service fair for veterans and non-veterans in the same facility on the same day.  Cleveland was the first city to expand the Stand Down to include non-veterans in the early 1990s.  Stand Down is a military term for a period of rest away from the battlefield.  The Stand Down originated in San Diego as a day in which every part of the Veterans Administration along and most other government agencies who serve veterans would meet on an open field and set up tents to provide housing, jobs, benefit check and health care screenings.

Cleveland has done the Stand Down at Cuyahoga Community College campus, Old Stone Church, Trinity Cathedral, the Cosgrove Center, the Convention Center and now at the Masonic Auditorium over the years.  We have served 700 to 1,700 people depending on the year and the size of the facility.  NEOCH began partnering with InterAct in 2003 after years of doing it ourselves.  We moved the Stand Down to the winter as a Winter ReStock operation.  The thinking was that those who spend time on the streets get a boost from all the volunteers and help during the holiday, but by the end of January all of those winter items were worn out or lost and they needed a hand up.  I really believe the Stand Down is an important event for the community that many wait months to attend.

It is important to have all the services in one place. The 2012 Stand Down took place on Sunday January 22  at the Masonic Auditorium on Euclid Ave.   It is great that all of these volunteers show up to help.  There are valuable items given away, and a great deal of information passed onto the community.  But on the individual level it is transformational for the people who attend.  I have seen many people show up beat down by the stress of finding a bed and food every day, and walk out with a full heart, full stomachs, a full bag of winter clothing, and full of hope for the future.  They get a haircut, a beautiful portrait, new clothing, and a relaxing day centered around their needs.  I have had women who had their lives saved after discovering a lump at the breast cancer screenings at the Stand Down. A lot of people who are resistant to shelter wait for the winter coats and boots.  There is entertainment, food, and a chance to catch up with a social worker or a friend you may not have seen for many years.

The care volunteers at the Stand Down are highly professional and sensitive to the needs of the population.  They go above and beyond to make the men and women feel welcome and the whole event is centered around those without housing.   Despite the large number of people, HandsOn did a nice job efficiently and effectively serving those who were requesting help.  Here are the numbers from the 2012 Stand Down:

840 people attended including families.
172 haircuts were completed free of charge.
89 Podiatry screenings.
147 non-food service volunteers helped out, and a total of 400 volunteers to stage the days activities. 

Thanks to the community for opening its arms to help those in need with some extra tender loving care on one day out of the year.

Brian
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Hand's On Needs Your Help with Stand Down

Stand Down 2012

The 2012 Stand Down is set for January 22, 2012 at the Masonic Auditorium.  Since InterACT has gone out of business, Hands On Northeast Ohio is taking the lead in the Stand Down.  They are doing most of the planning and especially gathering the volunteers.  They are looking for volunteers to help with the transportation and organizing of the event on the couple of days before the Stand Down.  Volunteers are gathering on Friday January 20th at Pilgrim Church in Tremont and Saturday January 21 to get ready for the event.  For more information or to volunteer call 216/432-9390. 

Larry Davis
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Tough Times for Non-Profits

Did the Recession Really End?

We received a media release on Friday that is a sign of the times.  InterAct Cleveland (formerly East Side Interfaith Ministry) is closing.   Twenty years ago, there was the East Side religious collaboration, West Side Ecumenical Ministry (WESM), and the Interchurch Council.  Now all are gone.  What happened?  They were all collaborations built on a foundation of providing food to the hungry and they grew to serve the social service needs of Greater Cleveland.  WESM grew into a huge organization and in 2011 merged with the Center for Families and Children to become a too big to fail non-profit.  The other two went out of business.  The Interchurch Council closing was messy with a large debt and the transfer of their emergency shelter to the Salvation Army (Zelma George) after the Hunger Network split off from the Council. 

InterAct is citing the lack of foundation support, contributions from local religious organizations drying up, and individual donors turning to other organizations.  The Board statement says that this unstable funding has resulted in the inability to keep or attract quality staff.  The statement on the InterAct website says that the Board has analyzed their situation and concluded that the agency is not viable in the long run. My experience is that they have not figured out how to promote themselves as an essential service in Cleveland.  I am sad to see the organization go out of business.   

I remember Lyn Cooper and her crowded office on Euclid Ave.  I remember the food program donated by the Cleveland Clinic over on Carnegie Ave.  I remember Tony and Suzanne in the newly renamed InterAct as our downstairs neighbor on Perkins.  They partnered with NEOCH and other social service providers on the Homeless Stand Down and moved it to the winter.  For the past six years, they have brought a great deal to the Stand Down, and made this a huge event for homeless people in Cleveland.  Sr. Donna, Pam, and Toni took the lead with the Stand Down and expanded it to three days.  I remember the great work that they did to calm the community after the attacks of September 11, 2001.  They moved over to Franklin Circle Church and struggled to find their footprint in Cleveland.

Does this mean religious groups of different faith traditions have outgrown the need to meet at the same table or have we outgrown this need in Cleveland?  Does it mean that different religious organizations cannot figure out a way to sit together and work to maintain a corporation?  Are the values of diverse religions not compatible with those of non-profit organizations?  The "one religion non-profits" like Lutheran Metro Ministry, Catholic Charities and Jewish Community Foundation, are not struggling and are moving forward during this stormy weather.  What has happened in Cleveland that we do not see the value of multi-denominational religious organizations?

This morning, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported that the Freedom Museum is in trouble and could close by the end of 2012.  How could the a freedom museum in the United States at the same time as Time Magazine identifying the protestor as the "Person of the Year" be in danger of closing?  This is insane that we could lose the Freedom Museum!  The Museum documents the history of the underground railroad and the critical role Ohio played in assisting slaves to freedom.  I think that both InterAct and the Freedom Museum have a needed role in our community.  It is a bad sign that we cannot sustain these social service and cultural institutions.

Brian
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Stand Down totals

Project Salute attended the Stand Down to assist Veterans. They are stationed out of Detroit, but came down to help. InterAct has a nice overview of the Stand Down. Here are the statistics from the Health and Services Stand Down on February 18, 2011:

• Over 350 guests came through check in
• Over 100 volunteers signed in
• Over 280 breakfasts were served
• Over 500 lunches were served
• 54 flu shots were given by the Cleveland Dept. of Public Health
• Over 90 haircuts were provided
• 30 mini-health exams were given
  
• Over 55 podiatry services were given, and over 100 bags of socks, powder and hand sanitizers were given away
• Over 500 hygiene kits were distributed
• Over 500 bus passes were distributed
• Over 50 social service agencies were available for information
• 14 Pap screenings were done by Cleveland Clinic and 15 Mammograms by Women's Diagnostic.

Overall with the two days of the Stand Down at the Masonic Temple

• Over 1,200 guests served
• Over 660 event volunteers from over 85 groups
• Over 100 groups provided in-kind support
• Over 30 different funders
• 129 haircuts
• 175 podiatry screenings
• 77 mini-check ups
• Over 1,800 hygiene kits, 2,000 diapers and pull ups, and 2,000 bagged lunches distributed over all 3 HSD events
• Over 370 portraits by the Cleveland Photographic Society, and over 890 volunteer hours. Click on the Youtube video from the day or the flikr photographs.
  
• 966 guests enjoyed a hot lunch of chili and chicken philly sandwiches
• 623 guests (including 117 veterans) accessed winter clothing, socks and underwear
• Live entertainment, including a participatory drum circle and open mic
• 383 volunteer hours provided by residents from Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry’s 2100 Lakeside Men’s Shelter
• 55 Health and Human Service agencies present
• Mock interviews by Cleveland Transfer Connection
• 14 pap smears (all negative) by Cleveland Clinic Foundation
• Various legal groups
• Youth Abilities and North Coast Academy led children’s activities, including puppy petting, and writing cards to military service members
• Sanford Brown College provided 75 massages, 65 blood pressure checks, 100 blankets, as well as 20 hat/gloves/scarves sets
• 15 mammograms were performed
• 6 hearing screenings were performed by The Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center

Plans have already begun for a 2012. Thanks to the hundreds of volunteers who helped with this important event. And thanks to the Masonic Temple for being willing to host hundreds of homeless people.

Brian
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Stand Down 2010

Images from the 2011 Stand Down at the Masonic Temple on February 18, 2011 in Cleveland Ohio.

Another wonderful event staged by InterAct Cleveland. We estimated 550 people attended the health fair on Friday. There were a couple hundred volunteers who helped with food, distribution of hygiene kits, and hospitality, also the Cleveland Photography group provided amazing portraits to around 100 people. The Cosgrove staff served a great lunch. Luke, our staff assigned to the event, wanted to highlight the hand and arm massages that had a long line throughout the day. He also wanted to mention Youthability and their lovable pooches, but I have no idea what that means.

There were health screenings, access to social service providers, and entertainment for the population. This is a relaxing day for those who struggle every day to try to find a stable place to live everyday, and the weary who have endured a tough winter.

Brian
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Nice Coverage in the Plain Dealer

Stand Down for Winter Clothing 2011

We had to move the Stand Down this year, because of the popularity of the event. We outgrew Pilgrim Church and the Convention Center is now closed. So, we moved over to the Masonic Temple on East 36th and Euclid Ave. The Plain Dealer did a fantastic job with a great array of photos on their website from the Stand Down yesterday.

From our volunteers at the Sunday Stand Down, here is what was reported. There were 650 people attending and most people loved the portraits that were taken at the event. That is a great service that people loved. There were long lines to get in the building, but once inside the individuals received a number so they did not have to wait in line for the winter clothing. They were just called to go pick up the clothing items that they needed. This was a much needed improvement.

There were a haircuts and doctors providing health screenings. It seemed that we saw more children show up at the Stand Down this year. The chili served by one of the church groups for lunch was excellent. There was a good mix of interfaith volunteers helping out at the Stand Down. The transportation seemed to work (Thanks Larry). Most people in need were able to get boots for the long winter ahead. Overall another positive event supervised by Toni and Sr. Donna at InterAct Cleveland. Thanks to everyone who made the Stand Down work again this year. Remember, the Health Fair/Stand Down is Friday February 18 at the Masonic Temple again.

Brian
Picture is of Ice from the 2010 Stand Down. We will have pictures of the Feb. 18 event.
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We Need Your Help!!!

Stand Down 2011 Coming

NEOCH is in need of transportation assistance for the Homeless Stand Down 2011

We are in need of people with vans to help transport guests to and from the Homeless Stand Down in 2011. As well as assisting to transport, we are looking for donated goods to the Homeless Stand Down. Transportation is vital to making the Homeless Stand Down possible. Listed below is the three dates of the event, transportation services needed for all three days.

Location and Dates

Sunday January 30: Masonic Temple, East 36th and Euclid Ave.

Winter Clothing Given Out, 9am – 2pm

Saturday February 12: HSD Care-Van traveling to various shelters in Cleveland.

Friday February 18: Health Fair, 9am-2pm

What is the Homeless Stand Down?

The Stand Down is a winter retreat for individuals experiencing homelessness and/ or poverty. Several social service providers offer free health screening, massages and haircuts to those in need at one location. Guests spend the day indoors, out of the cold enjoying food, a hand up, and entertainment. They are also provided with winter clothing and many more needed items.

For those with a few extra hours, we could use your help to volunteer with the transportation committee of the Homeless Stand Down. Contact Larry Davis, the director of transportation for the Homeless Stand Down at 216-432-0540 x 103 or at larrydavis (at) neoch (dot) org. Help give those in need a hand up, thank you and God bless.

Larry and Holly
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Don, a Stand Down volunteer who also does speaking engagements for NEOCH is pictured above. The bottom photo shows the crowd toward the beginning of the March 5 at the Cleveland Convention Center. All the red shirted people are volunteers. The Homeless Stand Down could not take place without the hundreds of volunteers. We owe all the volunteers a huge thank you.

Stand Down Details Friday March 5, 2010
Here are some more statistics from the last day of the Stand Down.

Day 3: Friday March 5, 2010 Health Fair

360 guests came through the front doors
409 guests checked in at the front desk.
260 volunteers were present on day three.
36 volunteers who receive services

270 guests enjoyed breakfast

279 guests enjoyed lunch

35 massages were provided

10 Reiki

57 podiatry exams were provided

298 hygiene kits were distributed

5 groups performed live entertainment

7 people were registered to vote

71 social service agencies were available for information

More details soon.

Brian
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Another Successful Stand Down

Friday's Health and Service Fair at the Convention Center

Larry, directing transportation outside, William sitting with a red shirted volunteer on Friday, and Luke checking a guest into breakfast attended all three Stand Down's this year. The final one wrapped up on Friday at the Cleveland Convention Center. We were able to serve over 1,700 guests over the three days and gave out hygiene kits, bus passes, information, haircuts, messages, and a ton of clothing.

InterAct Cleveland is the main sponsor of the Stand Down now, but the show could not go on without the hundreds of volunteers and all the social service and health care providers who attend. We gave out more haircuts than we have ever done in the past. In addition, we also had the largest number of social service providers gathered together to serve homeless people compared to the previous 18 years of Stand Downs. We have to recognize the City of Cleveland and the Department of Public Health for securing the facility and helping bring all the health care organizations to the event. The Department of Veterans Affairs does a tremendous amount of work helping to stage the Stand Down. Care Alliance and MetroHealth are critical healthcare partners for the success of this event. The FoodBank and Catholic Charities Cogrove Center are important partners to provide the breakfast and lunch. Finally, the Stand Down could not exist without Sr. Donna, Toni and Pam from InterAct Cleveland. They dedicate so much time to make this event a success. They deserve heaps of thank yous from all of us in the community for taking up this wonderful social service fair. It was another fantastic event with food, entertainment, health care, jobs, housing, referrals, and specialty services all in one place to provide for every need of the homeless population of Cleveland.

As we get more stats, we will post the information and more pics.

Brian
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Homeless Stand Down 2010

Photo from a 2005 Homeless Stand Down by staff

Time to Sign Up To Volunteer at Stand Down

It is time to sign up to volunteer for the 2010 Homeless Stand Down. InterAct Cleveland is now signing people up for the Cleveland Homeless Stand Down at the Convention Center. The dates for the Stand Down are February 7, February 28 and the big social service fair is set for Friday March 5, 2010. In the past, we have needed over 800 volunteers to stage these three important events. We will be giving away clothing on the first two dates and providing a day of rest on all three days. All volunteers sign up for a training session. Volunteer trainings are scheduled in January and February.

The 2010 Stand Down is expected to the biggest ever with the downturn in the economy and the lack of jobs. We hope that you can sign up as a volunteer on the InterAct Cleveland website. We need to collect winter clothing items, hygiene items, coats, and boots. We need congregations to sign up to make bagged lunches or donate RTA bus passes. All this information can be viewed on the InterAct website.

Brian
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Two Big Events This Week

Housing and Landlord Tenant Forums This Week

On September 22 at 3 p.m. at Franklin Circle Church (behind Lutheran Hospital at Franklin and Fulton Blvd. ) there will be a forum for homeless people and homeless service providers on the Fair Housing Laws as well as the Landlord Tenant Laws. Representatives from the Cleveland Tenants Organization and the Housing Research and Advocacy Coalition will each do a presentation and answer questions. Anyone is welcome to attend, but this is geared toward educating homeless people as they prepare to move back into housing. For questions call Brian at NEOCH at 216/432-0540.

On Friday September 25, a large group of agencies will present a Housing Fair for Homeless people at the Bishop Cosgrove Center Gymnasium. This forum will have owners of affordable housing available so homeless individuals are asked to bring identification and proof of income. The "From Homelessness to Housing" fair is from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at 1736 Superior Ave. The traditional fantastic Cosgrove lunch will be served, and many groups will be on hand to offer help. For more information call Randy Cunningham at 216/432-0616.

Brian
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2009 Homeless Stand Down

Another Successful Service Fair in 2009

Pictured above are Sean, Everett, and Cathy as they staffed the NEOCH table at the Stand Down. Everything went smoothly, and hundreds of people were served. There was wonderful food by the Foodbank and served by the Bishop Cosgrove staff and volunteers. InterAct does a great job training and preparing the hundreds of volunteers. There were plenty of bus passes and hygiene kits provided. There were 55 different service providers present including health care and social service providers. If you were homeless and showed up at the Convention Center yesterday, you could get a bone density screening, eye evaluation, diabetes screening, mental health or spirtual help. There were hearing and breathing and foot specialists on hand to provide evalutions for free. There were lawyers and agencies that serve children, and flu shots available. The City of Cleveland Department of Public Health pulls together this diverse group of providers to bring all this help under the same roof. After 18 years, I still do not understand why it does not get more press for such a huge event. No television or radio stations came this year to the Convention Center. The Plain Dealer and a few other print media attended, but no TV news. Radio One provided the entertainment, and Interfaith Hospitality Network and Pilgrim provided van transportation. It was a true community effort.

In all the doom and gloom of the economy, here are some good stories from the Stand Down. I got to see Ralph again who was recently featured in the LMM newsletter after moving into an apartment. He had been homeless for years, but had built some strong relationships on the near West Side. He is trying to find a place closer to his beloved Near West Side/Ohio City. Some people are very particular about where they live. They want to be near the stores that they are familiar with, and near the friends that they have made over the years. Another friend of NEOCH who went down to Columbus to testify in the voting case finally got into housing. He was able to get his identification and then was able to find housing this year. That is a big step, because he has been sleeping under a bridge for a couple of years. We provided 10 people with Community Voice Mail and gave 12 people the opportunity to sell the Homeless Grapevine newspaper. I got to see a few of the people who had graduated from the photo project and they were still taking pictures. There were well over 100 volunteers including our old friend, Lana, who was the previous director of Community Shares, helping to move bagged lunches out.

It was a good day to see the hundreds of haircuts, messages, and health care screenings provided to those struggling with their housing. February can be depressing in Cleveland with the snow turning brown or grey and the pot holes growing every day. Just spend a couple of hours walking around at the Stand Down to see suburbanites reaching out to men looking for work or women seeking help from the Veteran's Administration, and you get a new energy to make it until the first flowers poke through the snow in March.

Brian
Posts by Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless staff and Board.

Things are Tough All Over

Bad Economic Times=Cuts for the Shelters

FOR THOSE ALREADY DEPRESSED BY THE CURRENT ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, DO NOT READ THIS! SKIP THIS--GO SOMEWHERE ELSE! When the numbers of homeless people are at an all time high, the services most in need are being cut. The three big shelters in Cleveland each received a 5% cut from the County. Community Voice Mail increased their fees for the agencies by 800% this year, this means that many agencies must drop or significantly curtail the service. Cleveland Furniture Bank (formerly St. Vincent DePaul) is no longer giving out clothing vouchers to poor people. A few shelters are cutting their hours or dropping prepared food, or limiting items that they give out. NEOCH had to cut our staff from 7.75 staff in 2007 to 2.75 in 2009. We had to layoff our Community Organizer at the beginning of the year, and give away two of our programs. A few of the staff from the shelters or outreach workers are cutting back on staff hours in order to make the budget. The money for rental assistance to prevent evictions for families was eliminated, and it does not look like the County will be able to replace those funds in 2009. Foundations are cutting back and suggesting that the agencies consolidate or merge to save money. The shelters and services are suffering, but all these cuts hurt real people suffering the most because of poverty.

In the end, it will be harder to get some help with rent. It will be harder to pay for birth certificates and bus tickets will be scarce. Access to clothing is going to become an issue, and it will be harder to track down a relative who has become homeless. Moms will have a more difficult time keeping their families together because shelter stays will increase thus making the wait time for a quality shelter bed significantly longer. Waiting lists will grow across the community, and this will test the patience of those requesting help along with those offering the assistance. There will be more people sleeping in abandoned buildings or cars, and more people showing up looking for a hot meal in Cuyahoga County. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it is going to be a rough 2009 for homeless people. I will try to collect some positive stories at the 2009 Stand Down on Friday at the convention center to cheer up our loyal readers. Stay tuned and don't get too depressed.

Brian
Posts by Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless staff and Board.

What Can You Do to Help???

Stand Down is Coming Soon!!!




Speaking of the Homeless Stand Down, there are still opportunities to participate in this year's service fair for homeless people. We still need volunteers. We still need hygiene kits, and bagged lunches. We still need boots and coats. These are perfect volunteer activities for groups to think about working on over the next month. All of the information is available on our Stand Down website www.homelessstanddown.org. If you want to volunteer call Toni at InterAct Cleveland 216/241-0230 or complete the application on-line. We will most likely serve 2,400 people over the three days, and we need all the help we can get. This year the Stand Down is January 31 (boots and coats) in Tremont. We are doing the Health Fair event at the Convention Center on February 6, 2009, and then respite from cold at Trinity Cathedral on President's Day all under the banner of the Stand Down.

With the rough economy, we need your help to to make this 18th Stand Down in Cleveland a success.

Brian
Posts by Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless staff and Board.

Kickoff for 2009 Stand Down

Photo by InterAct Cleveland of the Ear, Nose and Throat Docs from MetroHealth Hospital who attended the 2008 Stand Down for free exams.

Stand Up for the Next Stand Down

It is time to gear up for the next Stand Down. We will begin the process for collecting clothing, hygiene kits, and winter clothing. We will begin gathering volunteers for this huge undertaking of three days of social services, rest and relaxation. The official kick off is Sunday September 21 at 2 p.m. at Calvary Presbyterian Church at East 79th and Euclid Ave. The 2009 is set to begin the last week in January in 2009 with the big event at the Convention Center on Friday February 6. Presenters will talk about opportunities to volunteer, goals for this year, and an overview of the previous efforts. For more information call Toni Sacco at InterAct at 216/241-0230 for more information.

Brian Davis
Posts by Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless staff and Board.

Stand Down 2008

Homeless Attend Health Fair at Cleveland Convention Center

On Friday February 1, 2008 at the Cleveland Convention Center over 600 homeless people attended one of the largest Health and Human Services fairs in our history. We should have final numbers in two weeks, but it was packed Friday. The Convention Center is a great place for the event, and we thank them for all their help. There were 60 providers including 20 health care providers on site. Haircuts and massage specialists. Great food from Catholic Charities, and nearly every shelter were a vital part of this year's event. In the picture, you can see Leonard Spence registering people to vote. We registered 21 people to vote. (Yes, homeless people do vote!) NEOCH also signed up 23 people with new voice mail telephone numbers.

It was a great event this year, and there will be plenty more photos in the next Grapevine. Gospel artist Jeff Major attended and then did a concert at the Word Church. Radio One did a large amount of free advertising of the event, and we had help from the County, City of Cleveland, Salvation Army, Veterans Administration, Cosgrove Center, Trinity Cathedral, Lakeside Shelter, and InterAct Cleveland. There are two more smaller events coming over the next two weeks. InterAct is still looking for a few volunteers for the Stand Down on President's Day. Special thanks to Pam, Megan, and Sr. Donna from InterAct, Nicole from Cosgrove, Kathy and Karil from the Department of Public Health, Rosemary from County Office of Homeless Services, Josh and Larry from NEOCH, Toni from the VA, and Dorothy from Divine Outreach Ministry for all their work in planning this event.

Brian
Posts by Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless staff and Board.

Upcoming Coalition Events

Events of the Homeless Coalition

1. Please join us on Thursday night September 25 at 5:30 p.m. to begin the planning on our Annual fund raiser for 2008. If you like planning special events or want to help NEOCH get the word out about the organization. We need your help. If you can offer time to help with the NEOCH fundraiser call Teri’ at 216/432-0540 ext. 101.

2. Lt. Governor and Director of the Ohio Department of Development, Lee Fisher, will speak to the Cuyahoga Affordable Housing Alliance on Monday October 1 at 1:30 p.m. at the lower level of the HUD/US Bank Building. Free and open to the public this forum will focus on state efforts to preserve and expand affordable housing in Ohio. Fisher will touch on the foreclosure crisis and the impact of the State Housing Trust fund, and will take time to answer questions. The forum in at 1350 Euclid Ave. in the Playhouse Square section of Cleveland.

3. The 2008 Stand Down health fair is set for February 1, 2008. In an effort to raise supplies and funds for the anticipated 1,000 homeless people who attend the Stand Down, NEOCH is partnering with InterAct Cleveland to kick off the Homeless Stand Down season on October 27, 2007 at 1 p.m. at Calvary Presbyterian Church at East 79^th near Euclid Ave. We will begin collecting winter coats, hats, and gloves as well as other supplies for the Stand Down. For more information call InterAct 216/241-0230.

4. The NEOCH website was recently updated please check it out and give us your feedback www.neoch.org. There is a common design and theme, some great pictures, statistics, and solutions to homelessness. We have a few job openings listed on the website and a calendar of events. We also have links to our partners and to our two blogs. You can also donate directly on our website through Network for Good. Please give us some feedback on the site and let us know what you think.

5. A few other upcoming events to put on your calendar:

December 1, 2007 is the Annual Woodchoppers Ball in Kent.

December 10, 2007 is the Philanthropia luncheon at Landerhaven

December 21, 2007 is the annual Homeless Memorial Day

As always if you have any questions or concerns feel free to call NEOCH at 216/432-0540.

Brian
Posts by Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless staff and Board.