TRANFORMATION STORIES
Kenneth - Open Door
“Having fun turned into terror,” says Kenneth, regarding his mid-life-crisis partying that turned into a cocaine addiction and time in prison.
Open Door
Living on the streets of Los Angeles is not an easy existence, but for many it becomes reality with the loss of a job, a traumatic event, an abusive or neglectful upbringing, or a series of poor life choices. The Open Door program at the Weingart Center helps homeless men and women in the middle of crisis to stabilize their lives, and most importantly, to believe that a better life awaits.
Open Door is a 90-day emergency shelter program that helps homeless men and women to get off the streets, stabilize their lives and move forward. Because Open Door provides emergency shelter, it is an intensive program that:
- Addresses why someone became homeless
- Links individuals to services needed
- Works with participants to set attainable goals including finding permanent housing.
Homeless men and women come into the Open Door emergency shelter program from a variety of ways. The Weingart Center’s AmeriCorps program performs street outreach to help get homeless people into the services they need while the Weingart Center’s Hope Row Resource Center serves as a walk-in portal for assessment and resource referrals both newly homeless and chronically homeless individuals.
Participants in Open Door attend onsite groups twice a week which address various psychological and substance abuse issues as well as encourage ‘power enhancement’. Group topics include: mindfulness relaxation and breathing techniques to help participants sleep better, forgiveness relating to bad decisions participants have made in the past and learning how to let go of hurt caused by family. Case managers also discuss resources for permanent housing as well as plan icebreakers and fun activities like charades.
Basic Necessities
We provide basic necessities — transitional housing, meals, clothing, laundry and toiletries, and even voicemail and mail drop — so our participants can transform their lives and focus on their future goals.
Participants who complete the 90-day Open Door program are encouraged to move into a transitional housing program like the Weingart Center’s Emerge Program which focuses on the importance of securing and maintaining employment. For those participants who are ready and able to move into permanent housing, case mangers turn to the Weingart Center’s HPRP rapid re-housing program for assistance.
Contact Information
To request services for Open Door, please contact the program manager at 213.689.2154.
