Friends In Deed Aids 332 Program Participants in Pasadena, Shelters 168

Friends In Deed’s Street Outreach and Housing team has supported 332 local program participants in Pasadena over the past year, including providing shelter for 168 individuals, the organization announced.

The team, which began operations in 2018, focuses on identifying and assisting unsheltered individuals on Pasadena’s streets. Their efforts include distributing essential goods, facilitating health assessments, and connecting clients with supportive services.

“We literally meet clients where they are using traumainformed and housing first approaches,” said Tish Inong, Director of Street Outreach and Housing for Friends in Deed. “The heart of what we do is instilling hope in people during the most challenging times of their lives. We treat them with dignity and worth, show them that they are not alone and help them see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

The organization reported distributing 612 essential items, including clothing, hygiene supplies, pet supplies, and harm reduction kits. Mental health and substance use specialists conducted 166 assessments for 78 individuals.

Friends In Deed made 111 referrals for supportive services and provided nearly $29,000 in financial assistance to help stabilize clients’ lives.

The team addresses immediate needs such as new socks, food, and water, while also connecting participants to services for physical and mental health treatment, documentation and benefits assistance, substance abuse treatment, employment programs, domestic violence support, and legal aid.

Through community partnerships the team has expanded its services and now offers weekly in-house mental health sessions, monthly mobile clinic visits, and temporary housing in partner motels.

A new intensive case management program aims to teach vital life skills and increase housing retention for newly housed individuals. The primary goal remains reducing housing barriers and ultimately transitioning individuals into temporary or permanent housing.

Friends In Deed, celebrating its 130th anniversary in 2024, operates several programs addressing homelessness and poverty in the Pasadena area, including a Food Pantry, The Women’s Room (a day shelter for homeless and at-risk women), Bad Weather Shelter, and Eviction Prevention and Rental Assistance.