Michael Thompson always thought life was meant to be simple.
Do some time in the military. Get married. Go to work. Raise a family. Simple plans. Simple things.
But, sometimes, even the simplest of plans can go off track.
“I came up under the belief that if you do the right things, then the right things will happen to you,” Thompson, 65, said recently at his apartment in Oakley. “But I didn’t foresee any storms coming.”
Those storms included heart surgery several years ago, losing his home two years ago, and, eventually, he and his wife breaking up. Thompson, who had been in what he calls “semi-retirement” after years of working as a substance abuse counselor, also found himself having to get back into the workforce and in need of training and help getting re-certified as a counselor.
Thompson, who served four years in the Air Force during the 1960s, went to the Veteran’s Administration for help. And it was there that he was put in contact with Shelter, Inc.
Based in Concord, Shelter, Inc. is an agency that works to prevent and end homelessness in Contra Costa County and beyond by finding people in need temporary housing in shelters, and also working so that individuals and families who are going through setbacks can remain in their homes until they can get back on their feet and pay their rent or house payments.
Leslie Gleason, director of programs with Shelter, Inc., said because the need for housing and work assistance continues to grow, the agency has expanded its efforts beyond Conta Costa County by taking control of the largest overnight shelter for individuals and families in Solano County. Shelter, Inc. now serves about 2,300 people a year, with 1,000 of those being children, and it also controls between 150 and 200 housing units.
The organization has received funding this year from Share the Spirit, an annual holiday campaign that serves disadvantaged residents in the East Bay. Donations helped support 49 nonprofit agencies in Contra Costa and Alameda counties. Shelter, Inc. will use the grant to bolster its homeless prevention fund, purchase holiday gifts for individuals and families and to purchase new mattresses.
Gleason said the organization focuses its efforts on people who need a leg up and can, hopefully, get past the stressful situation that comes from losing a home, or knowing that they aren’t far from being put out on the street.
“We work with an eye on helping people develop their skills toward greater self-sufficiency so that when they are done with our program they can maintain their housing,” Gleason said. “There are statistics that say 85% of Americans are one paycheck away from having a serious housing crisis. If you’re just barely making it, you don’t have any savings, and something happens — you lose your breadwinner, you lose some hours at work, you’ve got to fix your car — you might still be able to feed your family. But, when rent starts to go unpaid, that creates a housing crisis.”
The organization’s funding comes from a mix of assistance from federal, state and county programs, as well as contributions from individuals, foundations, corporations, civic groups and faith communities. Gleason says that with an annual budget of about $11 million, Shelter Inc. aims its resources toward helping people develop the skills and financial ability to sustain housing once their crisis situation has passed.
“They may still be living on the edge, but they won’t have to start behind the eight-ball again,” Gleason said. “It’s still an art, not a science. But we know that if we don’t use the money wisely, we won’t get it to do enough for everybody else.”
For Thompson, Shelter, Inc. provided him with an employment specialist who assessed his needs and enrolled him in the organization’s employment services program. Together, they created an employment plan and set goals for Thompson to reach as he went through the job-hunting process.
Thompson said that because of the length of time he wasn’t working, he needed to get re-certified as an alcohol and drug counselor. Shelter, Inc. connected him with a re-certification program, and since March, he has been working as a counselor at Diablo Valley Ranch, a rehabilitation center in Clayton. The organization also helped Thompson with finding a new, two-bedroom apartment in Oakley where he and his 17-year-old son, Devin, have lived for about a year.
“The most important thing they have done is assisted me,” Thompson said. “They made sure I was applying for jobs and getting re-acclimated with counseling. It stabilized me to where I can pursue and achieve my goals.”
Now that he’s working regularly, and the weight of homeless is off his shoulders, Thompson is not only thankful for the help, he is also philosophical about everything he has gone through to get to where he is now, and what the future may hold.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without my experiences,” Thompson said. “I took it not as a step backwards, but as a step forwards. Maybe I can take this experience and help someone else.”
Share the Spirit
The Share the Spirit holiday campaign, sponsored by the Bay Area News Group, funds nonprofit holiday and outreach programs in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
To make a tax-deductible contribution, clip the coupon accompanying this story or go to www.sharethespiriteastbay.org/donate. Readers with questions, and individuals or businesses interested in making large contributions, may contact the Share the Spirit program at 925-472-5760 or sharethespirit@crisis-center.org.