Publication Date: Friday, October 28, 2005
Help, they need some money
Help, they need some money
(October 28, 2005) City-run Family Resources program tries to become fiscally solvent through fund raisers
by Jocelyn Dong
A modest city program that trains people to help others is receiving some aid itself to ensure the program's survival past next summer.
Anne Cribbs, who chaired the committee that campaigned to bring the 2012 Summer Olympics to the area, is developing a plan to raise $100,000 for the Family Resources program.
The 5-year-old service connects people in need of shelter, food, counseling, childcare, transportation, health care and more with the organizations providing the help.
Together with staff and program supporters, Cribbs hopes the funds raised will pay the annual salary of the full-time information coordinator, currently covered by the city. In June, the City Council agreed to fund the position through next summer, but warned it wouldn't do it again.
The program also employs a part-time manager.
Cribbs equated the fundraising initiative with turning the city program into a private/public partnership, an ideal solution "in this time of reduced funding for everything," she said.
The city is also eyeing a private/public partnership for a new police building, and several non-profit groups already contribute monies to such city amenities as the libraries and parks.
The Family Resources program consists of a Web site; resource kiosks in 60 locations throughout town; an information and referral office at Cubberley Community Center; and volunteer "ambassadors."
The program, in essence, leverages the programs that already exist, said Sharon Murphy, the Child and Family Resources manager for the city.
"People who've lived here for years say, 'Gosh, I didn't know about those services,'" she said. "We are rich indeed (in programs) but it doesn't do any good if people don't know about them."
The volunteer ambassadors are key to making the program work because they link people with information, according to Murphy. Just because the organizations are listed on the Internet or in the program's informational binders doesn't mean people are able to find them.
"Certain people will only be reached when people are talking," Murphy said.
That's part of the strategy -- to recruit volunteers from all walks of life who can in turn help their friends, acquaintances and customers. Among the 170 trained ambassadors are librarians, teachers, nurses, mothers' club members, lawyers, nonprofit agency staff, real estate agents, and even a taxi driver -- people who talk with others on a regular basis.
Murphy would like to see hairstylists, bartenders and barbers go through the training as well.
Veronica Melero was an ambassador for 4 and a half years. As the front-office secretary at Barron Park Elementary School, she's had plenty of opportunities to talk with parents about their needs and refer them to appropriate services. Just last week, a family approached her seeking food, and she directed them to Urban Ministries.
"It's really worked," Melero said of the program. "I'm always here. (Parents) know to call me."
She's also helped people with utilities, childcare, city recreational programs and more. Some parents regularly spend time poring over the resources binder, finding services for their families, Melero added.
Other ambassadors feel the program has benefited them as much as it's equipped them to help others. The volunteers attend training sessions in which staff members of the organizations explain their services and the issues they address. Through the training, ambassadors develop personal contacts for future referrals.
Louise Singleton has been an ambassador for a year and a half.
"The greatest benefit for me ... is that I now have the knowledge and the confidence to help other people. It goes hand in hand. I'm absolutely sure of the resources that can help people. That gives me the confidence to go ahead and try," she said.
She feels that more people in Palo Alto would benefit from the program but that a desire to fit in socially keeps people from getting the help they need.
"We have a lot of resources in our community -- and have very strong, successful people who don't want others to know they need help. Everyone wants to appear capable and not need anything. That's the biggest challenge," she said.
According to Murphy, the program shows positive benefits per costs. For every $1 spent on the Family Resources program, the volunteer ambassadors are able to refer people to about $2.60 worth in services.
It has also been recognized as a model program both regionally and nationally.
A plan to spin the program off into an independent nonprofit, as was originally planned in 1994 when the program was conceived and supported by then-Mayor Liz Kniss, may or may not occur, Murphy said. The costs may actually be greater if it were entirely separate, she said.
Cribbs, however, said there may be benefits to becoming a nonprofit organization and has urged staff to apply for the designation from the state.
Cribbs also said a report will come out in January detailing the Family Resources funding strategy. It could include ideas such as creating an endowment fund, forming a partnership with organizations such as schools and corporations, and placing advertising on the Web site and kiosks.
"The key is to make it sustainable," Cribbs said.
To find a kiosk location or search the Family Resources database, visit the Web site at www.cityofpaloalto.org/community-services/familyresources/. The site is in English, Chinese, Japanese, Russian and Spanish.
Senior Staff Writer Jocelyn Dong can be reached at jdong@paweekly.com.
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