MALIBU—A group of local volunteers committed to enhancing the welfare of Malibu’s homeless have raised $100,000 in a campaign that is aimed to address the needs and safeguard of the community in its entirety.
The Malibu Task Force on Homelessness, formed in February 2016, is more than half way to its $200,000 goal – phase one of two in the task’s fundraising campaign, which focuses on gifts of $1,000 or more. Phase two of the campaign will broaden the Task Force’s fundraising agenda to all of Malibu, and is expected to follow shortly.
The goal of the Malibu Task Force is to raise the money necessary for the Ocean Park Community Center (OPCC) to continue to function and effectively address the needs of homeless individuals in Malibu – OPCC is the only West LA-based agency that offers a comprehensive system of care to assess the complex problems of the homeless population.
Over $200,000 is the amount needed to fund the OPCC’s work in Malibu for one year.
OPCC, headquartered in Santa Monica, is a 53-year-old non-profit social services organization that provides the homeless with integrated facilities for housing, mental health, medical care, domestic violence, substance abuse treatment, income, and wellness and life skills.
OPCC is expected to begin its work in Malibu sometime this summer – their labors will employ two full-time professionals who will mostly be doing fieldwork, which entails engaging homeless individuals wherever they are on the streets, hillsides, and beaches.
The organization directs their efforts toward building trusting relationships with the homeless and linking them to OPCC services.
An emphasis will be placed on finding permanent housing for Malibu’s homeless, and those most vulnerable. The agency is renowned for its record of moving over 750 people off the streets and into interim or permanent housing each year, and 95 percent of those stay housed, according to a statement from the task force.
The Malibu Task Force on Homelessness noted in a statement that the OPCC’s efforts will likely not only benefit the homeless, but the community as a whole – potential benefits to those who work and live in Malibu include, reduced risk of fires from hillside encampments and aggressive behavior by individuals in need of mental health care or addiction treatment.
Other members of the Malibu Task Force on Homelessness include: Matt deNicola, Reverend Paul Elder, Dr. Renee Kaswan, Burt and Joan Ross, and “Junior member” Cooper deNicola.
Those interested in contributing to the “gift” portion of the campaign are asked to call Conley Ulich at (310 699-0424 or Scott at (310) 266-5516
For more information or to help, email pamela@malibulocalbroker.com or scottjc42@verizon.net.
