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Homelessness: The Service Providers by Aileen Zhao Facing Civic Center Park, the Veterans Memorial Building is host to the heart of Berkeley’s services for the homeless. Venture inside to see that the first floor has been allocated to the Options Recovery Services for drug rehabilitation. You’ll see that the staff has adapted the formerly elegant auditorium stage to accommodate cubicle office space. The basement has been converted into a daytime drop-in center and a nightly men’s shelter. It is ironic that a space originally built for war veterans is now a shelter for the homeless. Coffee, snacks, health and housing services are all provided by dedicated social workers. Some of the workers have been on staff for over a decade; some newer members are graduates of the recovery program themselves. All are excited to witness the growth of the programs, encouraged by city grants. The success of these services has attracted the homeless from other cities (approximately half of the recipients live in Berkeley). However, not everyone is enchanted; those who wish to stay on the streets have not stepped foot into the Veterans Building for years.  |
The courtyard behind the Veterans' Building | 
The "Lockers to Housing" program finds permanent housing for locker users. | 
Robert Long | 
Janice Small is the receptionist at Options Recovery Services, and a graduate of the program. | 
Sara Ghebremichael, 25, Administrative Director of O.R.S. | 
A shopping cart in a corner of Civic Center Park. | 
Cynthia Andrew | 
A man exits the basement of the Veterans Building |