 Check out this article about Wings in the Santa Cruz Sentinel!
"SANTA CRUZ >> In the storage room of a homeless advocacy nonprofit, baby blue washing tubs of new-home supplies are crammed with practical things such as coffee cups, toilet plungers and paper towels. One item stands out: the potted spider plants.The Felton-based Wings Homeless Advocacy recruits community members to serve as volunteer advocates for those moving out of homelessness. “To me, it has a message: ‘We believe you’re going to stay here. We believe that you’re successful and that you’re going to stay here and here’s a plant for you to take care of,’” said Peggy Benedum, standing amidst the neatly shelved supplies."  "For 10 years, 72-year-old Ernest Keller was homeless. A few of those years, he was able to crash at people’s homes, but for most of them, he was living in his own 'cardboard castle,' as he puts it.
...Shortly after being housed, Keller received a call from Wings Homeless Advocacy. Volunteers brought him a brand new bed, among other things, including a welcome basket, with basic home supplies like a toothbrush, toilet paper and a plunger. They asked Keller what else he needed, and he told them: a dresser, a dining room table and some chairs, all of which they took care of getting for him. 'I felt like, ‘Gee, I’m starting to feel like I have a home,’' Keller says. 'I feel like I won the lotto. I feel like I got a brand-new life, even though I’m 72.'" Read the full article here. |