Event: Tiny Homes Big Solutions

Ellen Stone, Greg Anglea, and Renee McLaughlin

Host Greg Anglea, CEO of Interfaith Community Services, welcomes you to the Homeless in San Diego Podcast — Season Two: “Homebound.”

This season we are diving into: Housing, Recovery, Poverty, and Mental Health.

Here to talk about their expertise with (tiny) Housing is Ellen Stone and Renee McLaughlin.

Ellen is the Founder and Managing Director of Tiny Home Central Consulting and Renee is the CEO of, the much anticipated, TinyFest.

Ellen and Renee partnered with Interfaith Community Services to bring you a showcase of "Tiny Homes" - an alternative, compact, and efficient way of living. Much can be said about these tiny homes, but can they be a big solution for Housing? Listen and find out!

TinyFest Ad Break:

Interfaith Community Services along with our wonderful guests, Ellen and Renee, bring you an amazing opportunity at TinyFest! Curious about Tiny Homes? Want to support Interfaith? Thanks to TinyFest Events, you have a chance to come and join the fun while supporting your local non-profit.

The event will be on Sat, Feb 29, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM & Sun, Mar 1, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM.

Come on down to the Del Mar Fairgrounds - 2260 Jimmy Durante Boulevard, Del Mar, CA 92014.

Visit tinyfest.events to purchase your tickets.

Ellen’s Call to Action:

Visit San Diego’s Chapter of the American Tiny Homes Association and join the Tiny House Enthusiasts Meetup Group. For more information: Americantinyhouseassociation.org

Renee’s Call to Action:

Andrew Heben: One of the creators of the SquareOne Tiny Home Village, wrote a book about this housing option. Tent City Urbanism: From Self-organized Camps to Tiny House Villages.

Community First! Village: One of the largest examples of Tiny Home Villages for formerly homeless individuals. For more information visit: Mlf.org/community-first

Housing: Affirming Our Mission

Dana Derderian-Ibarra, Greg Anglea, and Heather Pollock-Averick.

Host Greg Anglea, CEO of Interfaith Community Services, welcomes you to the Homeless in San Diego Podcast — Season Two: “Homebound.”

This season we will cover: Housing, Recovery, Poverty, and Mental Health.

Here to talk about their expertise with Housing is Dana Derderian-Ibarra and Heather Pollock-Averick.

Dana is Interfaith’s Director of Quality Assurance and Compliance and Heather is Affirmed Housing’s Director of Supportive Housing Services.

Dana and Heather collaborated on the new partnership between Interfaith and Affirmed Housing. The Stella Housing Development in Mission Valley is now home to 62 formerly homeless individuals with help from Interfaith’s Case Managers. Work well done.

Dana and Heather’s Way to Give:

Support Affirmed Housing: Developers like Affirmed Housing help the community in many ways. Make sure to educate yourself and advocate for future projects. Learn more about how you can help by visiting: www.affirmedhousing.com/

Housing: SOAR to Success

Greg Anglea, Kate Jones, and Gregory Moore

Welcome to Homeless in San Diego! Host Greg Anglea, CEO of Interfaith Community Services, welcomes you to Season Two: “Homebound.” This season we will cover: Housing, Recovery, Poverty, and Mental Health.

Here to talk about his experience with Housing is Gregory Moore. Greg is a formerly homeless client, son of a peanut farmer, and the very first success story from our “SOAR” program. Joining him to give us some perspective on SOAR is, Interfaith SOAR Case Manager, Kate Jones.

Special Announcement:

At Interfaith Community Services, we pride ourselves on bringing people together. People like Greg and Kate help make Interfaith a more connected community by working together.

So how do we ensure that’s possible? To keep our community connected, we need a database network we are sticking together. Unfortunately, without a strong database, we cannot properly track the success of the programs we run and the people we help.

Yet, thanks to Funders Together to End Homelessness, we have a $25,000 matching grant opportunity for this endeavor. That means every dollar you give will be matched 100% down to the cent. The total cost of revamping our database will near $115,000. And so far, we’ve raised $60,000. If we can reach that goal, our project will be nearly fully funded.

With your support, we can help thousands more successfully reconnect with their community.

To donate please visit our website interfaithservices.org/donate and select “Matching Opportunity” in the drop-down menu.

Congressional Testimony:

Interfaith testified in front of Congress on behalf of our Veterans. #EveryVeteran deserves a chance to receive the benefits they are entitled. View our Congressional Testimony.

Kate’s Call for Change:

On average, S.S.I. is $1,000 per month, while a one-bedroom apartment in San Diego is $1,600. Help support the expansion of HUD’s Permanent Supportive Housing to account for this.

Reach out to your local representatives to voice your support.

“With stable housing and stable income, recovery is not only possible, it’s probable.”

Greg’s Call for Change:

Regulate rent prices.

“I’ve talked to people who’ve said ‘I got kicked out because I couldn’t afford my rent.’ That right there should be fixed. ”

Housing: New Beginnings

Tom Jensen and Greg Anglea

Homeless in San Diego is back! Host Greg Anglea, CEO of Interfaith Community Services, welcomes you to Season Two: “Homebound.” This season we will cover: Housing, Recovery, Poverty, and Mental Health.

All in an effort to give people a pathway home.

Here to talk about his experience with Housing is Tom Jensen. Tom is a formerly homeless client, returning guest to the podcast, and overall friend of Interfaith.

Special Announcement:

Interfaith Community Services pledged to end and prevent homelessness for 2,019 men, women, and children, by the end of 2019. By mid-December, we had made good on that promise and housed a grand total of 2,022 people throughout San Diego. Every day, individuals like Tom enter Interfaith’s doors seeking help. It is only through the support of people like you, that Interfaith continues to be there.

To donate or volunteer visit our website at interfaithservices.org.

To volunteer for the Point in Time Count visit: interfaithservices.org/volunteer/

Tom’s Transformative Thought:

“To become a Zen Master, you have to possess three things: The clothes on your back, food to eat, and shelter.”

A Salute to Good Endings

Marlon and Greg in the studio

On the season finale of 'Homeless in San Diego: Real People, Real Stories,' host Greg Anglea, CEO of Interfaith Community Services, welcomes Marlon Blue. Marlon is a Navy veteran from New Jersey. After serving for 20 years and being deployed to San Diego, he was able to retire in 2012. Yet, after being affected by an identity fraud scam, he was forced to come out of retirement and struggled financially. Fortunately, after connecting with someone who referred him to Interfaith, he was able to receive the right job training to put his life back on course.

Today, Marlon is doing a lot for himself and his community. He is the founder and owner of his own business, Blue Sky Enterprise (BSE) Security Services. He actively employs veterans and refers them to job training opportunities; all while taking the first steps to establish his own non-profit. Named LOV (Love Our Veterans), Marlon plans on building a veterans home for young and old vets to help one another achieve success.

Call to Actions:

• Please Give Us a Call at (760) 618-6811 - We are taking a break from the podcast and we need your feedback. Let us know what topics you want to hear more of or even what you want to hear less of… it’s all helpful!

• Treat People with Respect – Speak to one another like brothers and sisters and we’ll all go a long way.

• You Can Do Anything You Put Your Mind To – If you put your mind to it, and not let anyone put you down, you can do anything.

• Put Money Aside – Take it from Marlon, if you’re active duty, put a little something aside for the 6 months after finishing your deployment. You never know how much it could help.

• Be That Person for Someone– For Marlon, veterans job training programs supported his path to success. Visit VVSD’s website and Interfaith’s website for more information on these programs.

• Contact Marlon Directly:

  Phone: (619) 368-3119 or at Marlon’s Linkedin

• Thank You Everyone! - Thank you to staff, volunteers, board members, Voice of San Diego, A/V producers, our guests, and you, our listeners! See you next season.

A Common Thread

On this episode of 'Homeless in San Diego: Real People, Real Stories,' host Greg Anglea, CEO of Interfaith Community Services, welcomes Carl Falconer and David Gruber. Carl is the President and CEO of the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance and David is their Development and Communications Director. In our first ever phone call podcast, calling from miles and miles away, the good people at MDHA discuss some of the work our organizations have in common.

David, podcast aficionado, found out about our work through this very podcast! Wanting to speak about the homelessness crisis, David understands that this issue isn’t unique to any one city. From street outreach to permanent housing, the services we both provide and the coalitions we seek to form, perhaps speak to something deeper: a shared commitment to helping our fellow neighbor…. Even if that neighbor is miles and miles away!

Call to Actions:

• Please give us a call at (760) 618-6811 - To all you podcast aficionados out there: We are taking a break from the podcast and we need your feedback. Let us know what topics you want to hear more of or even what you want to hear less of… it’s all helpful!

• Learn more about Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance by visiting their website.

• Read about MDHA’s Flex Fund.

• Learn more about Shearith Israel’s homelessness project.

• Learn more about the Faith Forward Dallas coalition.

• Learn more about Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance’s shared homelessness initiative.

• Read more about the “Evicted” book.

• Watch this  video to learn more about Trauma Informed Care.

• Visit the San Diego Point-in-Time Count from the Regional Taskforce on the Homeless.

• Attention Congregations - Give in ways that are going to be impactful. Work with existing groups that have proven strategies in place. Any and all congregations can reach out to us to see how to get involved.

A Case for Fairness

Coleen and Greg at the studio

On this episode of 'Homeless in San Diego: Real People, Real Stories,' host Greg Anglea, CEO of Interfaith Community Services, welcomes Coleen Cusack. At her previous job, Coleen saw firsthand the legal obstacles endured by people experiencing homelessness. Today, she is a Criminal Defense Attorney who focuses on helping our homeless populations through the injustices they face.

As Coleen became actively aware of the laws around homelessness, she developed a unique perspective on the repercussions of these practices. Coleen believes that many of the policies in place do not take the right measures when it comes to helping the situation. So in an effort to legally affect change, she defends persons who are being charged in infractions court for unjust ordinances. Coleen is a prime example of someone who is fighting for social justice and equality in our community by setting precedents for large-scale legal change.

Call to Actions:

• Join Coleen - Law students, professionals, and passionate individuals, please contact Coleen to get involved:

  Contact Coleen:

  ccusack.policy@gmail.com

We Are Just Here to Help Each Other

On this episode of 'Homeless in San Diego: Real People, Real Stories,' host Greg Anglea, CEO of Interfaith Community Services, welcomes Dennis Larkin. Dennis is a resident of Talmadge Gateway Apartments, an affordable housing development for seniors who have struggled with homelessness. From the partnership between Wakeland Housing & Development and St. Paul’s Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly, 60 residents are able to have a safe place to live independently.

Dennis has lived a long and eventful life. From helping flood victims in Thailand to becoming the founder of a successful drug and alcohol program, he truly has a lively spirit. Yet after his wife passed, he fell into a self-destructive lifestyle. He developed an alcohol problem and lost all financial stability. Things worsened so much that it led to him living out of his car and developing health problems. Fortunately, through Dennis’ own strength and the help of organizations such as Wakeland, he managed to secure a place at Talmadge as the 60th resident.

Call to Action:

• Visit the Talmadge Gateway Community – See the potential and good that is happening at these facilities.

Turning Everything Around

Dana, Greg, and Jo at the podcast studio

On this episode of 'Homeless in San Diego: Real People, Real Stories,' host Greg Anglea, CEO of Interfaith Community Services, welcomes Dana and Jo. Dana is the founder and CEO of Leap to Success, an organization that works with women who are rebuilding their lives. Leap to Success connected with Jo at one of the lowest points in her life and supported her as she turned everything around.

Jo fell under hard times during the market crash. Having had an established job as a Finance Analyst with the Boeing Company, she was unfortunately caught in a series of tragic family events during that time and lost everything. In an incredible story of overcoming adversity, Jo’s struggle shows us that homelessness can affect anyone if they are hit with the wrong set of circumstances.

Calls to Action:

• Access to More Housing – Encourage elected officials and private citizens to be part of the change to open the doors for people who need supportive services, whether it be in the public or private sector. Contact your representatives to voice your opinion.

• Leap to Success – Learn about how they empower women in San Diego and be a part of that support by donating to their matching gift of up to $1,000. Learn more by visiting their website.

  Contact Dana to get involved: Dana@leaptosuccess.org

• Think about the complexity – It is important to keep in mind that, whether it be advocates, institutions, or resources, there are many factors that need to be actively working for someone to find their way out of homelessness.

Go Out and Smile

On this episode of 'Homeless in San Diego: Real People, Real Stories,' host Greg Anglea, CEO of Interfaith Community Services, welcomes Robert and Judy. Here to share their story of overcoming alcoholism, they actually have a special connection to our organization. Now happily married and successful business owners, once upon a time they first met at Interfaith!

Robert and Judy would have never imagined they would be in the position they are today. Years ago, Robert was suffering from alcoholism, caught up in the musician’s lifestyle, while Judy was a recent divorcee drinking away the pain of a failing marriage. After alcoholism severely crippled their life, they found a sense of peace and safety at Interfaith. They entered our addiction recovery services and graduated the programs; ensuring their path to regaining their lives. Now, fully sober and continuing their business ventures, they are enjoying life and awaiting Robert’s new position as a member on Interfaith’s board of directors. Glad to have you Robert!

Calls to Action:

• Please give us a call at (760) 618-6811. We want to hear your messages about your good deeds. Tell us what you do to bring love to our world. We will be sharing those stories in future episodes.

• See Us in Action : On June 12th, Interfaith will be celebrating our 40-year anniversary. In an effort to showcase our service center’s operations, we will be opening our doors to you for a walkthrough of our facilities. Learn more about our Appreciation Event on our website.

• Detox Rocks: Make sure to go support Robert’s band The Blackouts at the 3rd Annual Detox Rocks Benefiting First Step House of North County.

• Sungold Soaps: Learn more about Judy’s extraordinary hand-crafted soaps company by visiting their website.

• Balloon Guru:  Learn more about Robert’s balloon company by visiting their website.

• Get Involved: Volunteer your services to help those who need it most. Learn more about how you can volunteer by visiting our website.

• Smile: Be kind. Reach out to your fellow neighbor. It may go a long way.