Various (poverty)

COMMUNITY PARTNER

Lodestar Day Resource Center (LDRC)

ABOUT THE INTERNSHIP

Duties

 ASU Interns would assist in engaging and orienting newcomers that are curious about services, recovery, and support groups for homeless adults . Additionally, ASU  interns could mentor, teach reading, stress reduction, art, creative writing and/or anything that may be of interest and of practical or creative value to clients.

We also have started a social enterprise selling natural body products. "Just B" need help with marketing, fundraising, sales strategies, various education and trainings, community events, and much more. The idea is to engage the homeless community to participate and learn about business while they interact with the larger community to sell products and educate them about homelessness. Just B is a successful socially conscious enterprise where all people can participate and thrive.

Population served

LDRC serves 200 - 400 individuals each day. Clients are 18 and older and represent a diverse population of Caucasian, Hispanic, African-American, Native American, and other ethnic groups living at very low-income status. Many have physical or mental disabilities, substance abuse histories, or are coming out of the corrections system.  By collaborating with a group of service providers, the LDRC offers restrooms, hydration, a post office, phones, housing assistance, employment services, government benefit eligibility, substance abuse counseling and 12-step groups, mental health services, identification, GED and computer tutoring, art, yoga, writing and other programming. 

Community need/impact

 In April, 2008, the Lodestar Day Resource Center (LDRC) created a “homeless sober club” called the New Arid Club (NAC) in the basement of an old building on the Human Service Campus. The creation of this program was made possible by leveraging the strengths of the local 12 Step communities. This community and their desire to help others achieve sobriety has resulted in an organically developed, peer driven, and volunteer powered program that utilizes a self-help model in helping people address their homelessness and addictions. Currently, there are over thirty 12 Step meetings a week, five client interns who live in and maintain the building, a token economy, a computer lab, a sobriety phone, skill workshops, meditation, kitchen availability, and a special section of beds designated for NAC members at the CASS Overflow Shelter.  Clean and sober members of the homeless community run all of these programs and facilities and make the existence of the NAC possible. This program is primarily an educational and capacity building program providing a valuable service to the Lodestar Day Resource Center (LDRC) in a client's developing important life, vocational skills and engaging in other meaningful educational programming.

ASU Interns model hope and  positive professional behavior for individuals who are experiencing homelessness. We find that the positive impact is in the engagement between the students and our population.  ASU Interns bring more than skills and education; they care; they help; they teach; and they encourage. They facillatate change and growth.