One man's effort to help the homeless

"I have been through the fire and flood of life, the addiction and its misfortunes and I'm able to tell a story that people can relate to." -Carlton Mobley, 51

Outreach gives him 'purpose-driven life'

by Shannon Barry
Milpitas Post

Posted: 07/29/2009 03:20:37 PM PDT

Carlton Mobley doesn't hesitate to begin a story he has recounted countless times. It is one he has shared with those feeling lost, abandoned or struggling to clean up their act along life's way. And he makes it quite clear from the beginning: "I have no shame to tell you about my struggle."
Mobley's life began with a rocky start. He was one of seven children raised by his mother in a gang-infested area in South Philadelphia, Pa. He spent countless days of his youth out of school working for a moving truck company to help raise money for his family. As a sophomore in high school, Mobley dropped out altogether.
Life was difficult, "but I always had morals, I always had a heart," he recalled.
Mobley said the ultimate heartache that drove him away from Philly was when his mother died of breast cancer. He joined the military at the age of 21; a chance to search for his identity while traveling all over Europe, including Germany and Greece.
It was abroad that he began to develop his leadership skills, earning ranks as squad leader for his combat unit. After finding his place in the world, Mobley decided to embark upon another journey.
"I told my brother I was going to California one day and I finally did," he said. Mobley has a brother and sister living in Milpitas and another brother living in Stockton.
He got caught up in the ecstasy of a new life, elated past the point of no return and began to engage in risky behavior. He constantly stayed out until allhours of the night, snorting cocaine, going to clubs and chasing girls. Before long, his hopes of living a California dream turned to a nightmare. And after years of self-recovery from a drug addiction, it was one that came back to haunt him again later.
Eventually, Mobley married a cardiologist and aerobic kickboxing instructor after they dated for five months. They moved to Hayward where he had "a brand new house, a brand new car, a new life and a job that was five minutes from (their) house," Mobley said.
But there's one thing he didn't leave behind.
"I was clean and sober," he said. "I was struggling, but I felt good doing it. I was believing a lie that I was OK."
Mobley now cites his inability to go through the proper programming to battle his addiction as the ultimate downfall of tapping into his strength at the time.
He hung out at bars, not wanting to return home to his strong-willed wife who was beginning to grow concerned over his increasingly erratic behavior.
Drinking wasn't really his thing so Mobley wasn't concerned. The way he viewed it at the time was simple: "It was just a substitute."
But after 30 days of having a beer while seeking guidance from strangers at bars, he became a full-blown alcoholic.
"It ruined my life," he recalled. The couple went to counseling, split and he moved in with James, his brother living in Milpitas. In March 2008, after losing work because of a struggling economy, he relapsed into drugs as a "way out." It was then that his relationship with his brother began to fall apart.
"I created a cloud of dust in a trusted family," he said.
Mobley ended up leaving his brother's home to instead spend nights unsheltered, sleeping along train tracks. His brother supported Mobley through his long and difficult addiction. He paid people to find him "down the tracks he refused to walk down" so he could offer a shower, hot meal and above all else comfort.
Once Mobley finally decided to wise up, life had caught up with him.
"I said, 'Wait a minute, I'm 47 years old,'" Mobley said. "By that time it was too late for me to catch up with that last train."
With the support of his brother and San Jose Police Department Officer Ted Ramos, Mobley began walking the road to recovery instead of waiting for the next train.
"There are so many people who said, 'You can do it,' and I was the only one holding myself back," Mobley recalled.
Since then, he has reunited the trust in his family through a number of different accomplishments. He graduated Prop36, the Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act, and enrolled in EHC Lifebuilders transitional housing for veterans at the Boccardo Regional Reception Center in San Jose. While at the center, he has been able to access services, including checking employment in the computer room, attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and receiving support from staff.
Mobley is now entrusted with a leadership role at the center as a junior advocate in the veterans program.
"It's a wonderful job to be able to help people because I forget about my situation," he said. "Some people, they're not approachable because they're in a situation where they feel hurt or left out and abandoned and I've been through that."
Since Mobley can't change the past, he uses his experience to reach out to them instead.
"I have been through the fire and flood of life, the addiction and its misfortunes and I'm able to tell a story that people can relate to," he said. "And those who haven't been through it they can say, 'Oh that's what it was like.'"
Even though Mobley has made it through leaps and bounds, he continues to "live more than just one day at a time."
"I have goals, I have dreams," he said. "I can't afford to allow things to become an obstacle." That is why for the last two years Mobley has been writing an autobiography about his life, "Treasures of the Heart."
Mobley is on a quest to get his book published; continue supporting his three children, especially his youngest 17-year-old son; and keep moving forward.
"The thing about it that really brings a tear to a smile is when I look back and remember what my brother had told me," on his birthday June 12, Mobley recalled. "'You have finally made it to 51. No one thought you were going to make it this far.' And he was serious when he said that. That lets me know without a shadow of a doubt, I have a purpose-driven life and my purpose in life is to show people that they can make it. Because if I can make it, you can make it. ... Each day that I lay my head down, I've done something to where I can say it was a good day. Thank god for the day."

County would save on services through permanent housing
Even though Mobley has a guaranteed place to rest his head each night through EHC's veterans program, others aren't as fortunate. Each day, people line up at the organization's Boccardo Regional Reception Center in San Jose in the hopes of receiving shelter at the facility. People are selected to stay at the facility through a daily lottery drawing that usually begins around 3:15 p.m.
According to Jennifer Van Every, EHC director of communications, there are approximately 170 beds in the shelter.
"More people need beds than they can usually provide," she said.
Last quarter, the organization saw a 12-percent increase in need, something Van Every attributed to the economic downturn because there is now a combination of the "newly homeless" and chronically homeless (those people who have been homeless for at least a year or three periods during four years).
According to results that were released from Santa Clara County's 2009 Homeless Census and Survey, in the early mornings of Jan. 26 and 27 (when the census was conducted) there was a total of 7,086 homeless people in Santa Clara County. Although this represents a decrease of 2 percent since the last count in 2007, the number of chronically homeless persons has risen significantly, by 35 percent, from 1,680 to 2,270, during this same timeframe.
Supervisor Don Gage, who is co-chair of the county's "Destination: Home" program, said we are spending an estimated $60,000 a year on the average homeless person with a mental illness. That money goes toward services, shelters and emergency rooms visits, where they often go just to get out of the cold. Providing permanent housing changes that number to $16,000 annually.
Michelle Ogburn, EHC's One-Stop Homeless Prevention Center program manager, said she is not surprised by these numbers. She explained that if anyone were to hang around the center long enough, they would notice the constant use of police officers and ambulances.
"It's not the right focus for government dollars," Van Every said. "If we don't take care of them now, we will have to eventually. ... Let's try to end homelessness, not maintain it."
Since being implemented in December, Ogburn said the One-Stop program has helped place 114 chronically homeless people. Pictures of these faces, from all walks of life, are displayed proudly on a bulletin board at the site. Many of the people that have been placed, Ogburn explained, were previously on the streets for years. She referred proudly to one client who found a home after being homeless since the 1970s.
Although she said these results are impressive, there is a continued need to solving the issue of homelessness with the ever-growing pool of people losing their homes during the economic downturn.
On Monday, a 92-degree day, a line of people formed swiftly at the Boccardo Center, beginning to wrap around the corner of the building.
"Two years ago when it was warm out, not this many people were waiting for emergency shelter," Van Every said. "It is a reflection of the economic crisis."
With unemployment nearing 12 percent in Silicon Valley, it seems no one is immune to the possibility of homelessness.
"People feel misfortune can only be upon those who slip up but ... you get caught up in life situations that become a burden to you," Mobley said.
"Everyone's not crazy, just a little unwell," he said of the homeless population. "People have a stereotype for being in the shelter but it catches the best of us. We're just one paycheck away from (ruin) with so many people losing their jobs."

If you need assistance
If you are homeless, at risk of homelessness, know someone who is or would like more information on EHC programs, e-mail help@ehclifebuilders.org or call 539-2100, option 1. Walk-ins are also available, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, at the Boccardo Regional Reception Center located at 2011 Little Orchard St., San Jose.

You may also find assistance or information at these places:

Bay Area Shelter Hotline: 1 (800) 7-SHELTER
Bay Area Homeless Alliance: www.baha.org
California Runaway Hotline: 1 (800) 843-5200
Gateway Assessment Center (drug/alcohol screening): 1 (800) 488-9919
Santa Clara County Mental Health Department: 1 (800) 704-0900
Second Harvest Food Bank Food Connection: 1 (800) 984-3663

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This is the second in a two-part series about Santa Clara County's 2009 homeless census results.

Your feedback is welcomed. To post a comment on this story, please visit http://www.themilpitaspost.com/ci_12939479

Organization humanizes 2009 homeless census

"In the current economic climate, the threat of homelessness really is affecting everyone."-Ray Bramson, EHC Lifebuilders

by Shannon Barry
Milpitas Post

Posted: 07/22/2009 02:38:55 PM PDT

Milpitas residents may not witness people struggling with chronic homelessness on an everyday basis along their city's streets. But with Silicon Valley's unemployment rate reaching an all-time high of 11.8 percent last month, Ray Bramson said fewer people are immune to the growing threat.

Bramson, director of development for EHC Lifebuilders in Milpitas, met as a chance to humanize the recent statistics and results behind Santa Clara County's 2009 Homeless Census and Survey. The census was conducted in the early mornings of Jan. 26 and 27, and found a total of 7,086 homeless people in Santa Clara County. Although this represents a decrease of 2 percent since the last count in 2007, the number of chronically homeless persons (those people suffering long homeless episodes and a disabling condition) has risen significantly, by 35 percent, from 1,680 to 2,270, during this same timeframe.

"It's troubling because chronically homeless adults are the ones accessing community services more often," Bramson said, citing emergency rooms, ambulances and police. "Those are costly services to the community and these are people that have been out on the street for a long time and continue to rely on that."

Oftentimes, he said, such costly emergency outreach doesn't always help. According to Bramson, 83 people within the county died last year on the streets or in temporary housing.

"They were all homeless," he said. "It's a frightening reality. ... You can be homeless in a lot of different ways in this community. You can be couch surfing, sleeping in your car, staying in a motel. These are people that are episodically experiencing homelessness. They find shelter on a nightly basis as opposed to having a secured place to stay."

Bramson explained the most significant detail that leads to homelessness within the equation is the cost of Bay Area living.

"I mean, you think about it, to afford a fair market one-bedroom apartment in Santa Clara County, you need to be earning about $45,000 a year," he said.

Another challenge is created, he said, because the only growth in jobs right now are low-paying service jobs. Anyone earning minimum wage as a single provider is characterized as being below the federal poverty line for a family of four. So for a single-wage earner to be able to afford a one-bedroom apartment, Bramson said, this averages to at least 100 hours of work a week.

"It's out of reach," he said. "It is such a constant grind ... to bring in that income, that if you don't have it, it's terrifying."

Anecdotally, Bramson said, he sees the growing effects unemployment is having on the organization's network of shelters. The organization has nine sites throughout the valley that serve more than 10,000 people annually.

"People are flooding in the doors," he said.

At their Boccardo Regional Reception Center in San Jose, Bramson said people line up seeking a place to sleep for the night every afternoon by 3:30 p.m.

"There are more people seeking beds than we have to provide," he said.

Bramson said the need for shelter continues to grow with the ever-growing pool of people losing their homes during the economic downturn.

Beginning last winter and operating through March, EHC provided 400 beds of emergency shelter each night at its National Guard armories in Sunnyvale and Gilroy. This was up 37 percent, Bramson said, from the year before.

"In the current economic climate, the threat of homelessness really is affecting everyone," Bramson said. "More people than not live paycheck to paycheck in our community. A lot of people are fortunate to have family and friends in their own little network but it's amazing how fast you can burn through networks like that if you've lost your job and you've got a mortgage payment of three or four thousand dollars a month. You can only ask your friends and family to do so much. There is a point where it just breaks down."

He added that it is important to remember those who are suffering come from all walks of life.

"It's good for people to be aware there is no specific face and characteristics of what a homeless person is," Bramson said.

Last November, Bramson was visiting one of the armories when a client mentioned that he had lived in Santa Barbara for a stint. He later learned the man had lived there because he was attending Brooks Institute, where he eventually earned a bachelor of fine arts in photography. Years later, Bramson said, the man suffered head trauma caused from a car accident, began having seizures and could no longer work as a wedding photographer. The circumstances left him with a dwindling income, which led to his homelessness.

"There is this myth that a lot of people are homeless because they want to be," Bramson said. "I don't think anyone wants to spend a night in the freezing rain in December and suffer the detriments of exposure. ... People get a little bit dirty, they get a little bit tired but I think any one of us, if we had to spend a few nights out on the street, would look worse for wear."

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This is the first in a two-part series about the 2009 homeless census results. Next week's article will focus on clients served through EHC Lifebuilders.

Your feedback is welcomed. To post a comment on this story, please visit http://www.themilpitaspost.com/ci_12892240

Library usage increases as unemployment rises

"I think unemployment has definitely brought them here." -Darren Chan, president and chief executive of skilldoc

by Shannon Barry
Milpitas Post

Posted: 07/09/2009 02:37:06 PM PDT

Rosemary Valentin offers an intimate glimpse to a shatteringly high statistic. But nearly every day for the last couple months she has been heading to the Milpitas Public Library on North Main Street in the hopes of changing all this. She is one of more than 100,000 people looking for work in a recession-gripped economy. The Milpitas resident lives within Silicon Valley, an area that has the highest unemployment rate on record at 11.2 percent.

Valentin is motivated, against her odds. She explained enthusiastically that she was on her way out to take a call with a prospective employer. Even though her financial standing may turn around soon, she noted finding work has not come without patience and determination.

With a background in the medical field, Valentin used her experiences to work most recently as an employee for California Community Opportunities, a non-profit organization focused on serving people with severe to profound developmental disabilities.

After working with the company for a year, she became unemployed when work kept her from important personal obligations. She needed to visit her adult son and daughter, both single professionals living in the Philippines, but was restricted to a one-week vacation from work. The travel for the trip alone, she said, would have equated to two days. Once Valentin hit this brick wall, she quit her job voluntarily in order to devote an entire month overseas to help her children.

Since coming back from that trip, Valentin has been a frequent visitor to the library. She spends the majority of her time scouring the Internet and thumbing through newspapers for the latest job postings and advertisements.

"There are all the references you can get," she said about the library. "I have spent constant time looking here. It helps me a lot."

Valentin is not the only one who recognizes the benefits of libraries during the economic downturn.

According to Linda Arbaugh, the Milpitas community librarian, there has been a 12.2 percent increase in library usage from April 2009 versus April 2008 throughout the Santa Clara County Library system. In May 2009, there was a 9.2 percent increase from last year. Libraries designated as a part of the Santa Clara County Library system include the Bookmobile, Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Milpitas, Morgan Hill, Saratoga, Woodland Branch and Vision Literacy.

The Milpitas library on its own, Arbaugh said, has seen a much more significant increase than the countywide numbers. In May, 65,254 people visited the library, up from 51,533 in 2008. The month before, 70,667 people used the library compared to 59,696 in 2008.

In addition, circulation at the branch has grown substantially. In May, 218,527 materials were checked out compared to 185,255 the previous year. In April, the number was up to 233,365 compared to 188,459 in 2008.

Arbaugh said many factors contribute to these significant rises. But she cited specifically the opening of the new facility in January. Compared to the previous location, there are upgrades across the board that allow the library to house more people. There are 289 parking spots, up from 75; 107 computers, up from 31; and 300 chairs available for readers. Ultimately, she said, the new facility located at 160 N. Main Street is three times the size of the previous facility.

Although there is no documented direction correlation between the economy and increased library usage, Arbaugh has seen telling trends.

She began to notice a 50-percent jump in people updating their resumes on the library computers approximately six months ago. It isn't that the library offers classes to help people with their resumes. These are just people, she said, who come in on their own to use the equipment in the hopes of turning their lives around.

Darren Chan sat among patrons working at tables located behind a group of computers on the second floor of the library this week. The Milpitas resident is also the president and chief executive of skilldoc, a company he created to help people tap into popular social network Web sites (like Facebook and MySpace) and other people's friends to find the perfect candidate for a job opening.

He looked up from his laptop every once in a while to glance at what people were viewing on the monitors. The library is a place that allows him to research Internet trends which is something that is a pertinent part of the job. As a telecommuter, Chan said it is important to find a facility that can act as an office and supply all the necessities, including a bathroom and table.

Chan was previously setting up shop at local Starbucks and Peet's locations. It wasn't until last week he "discovered" the library and began to use it as a quiet place to work on a regular basis.

Already, he has become fairly used to the facility and its patrons.

"He's a regular," Chan said, while pointing to a man sitting at a computer.

He explained that it is interesting for him to look around the room, observe the diverse makeup of people and discover the different reasons why they are there. More often than not, he said, they are either looking for jobs and housing or preparing for upcoming academic tests.

He said it is not hard to see the benefits of using the library, no matter what the circumstances are.

"Obviously I am employed, but if I needed a quiet place to look for a job I would come here," Chan said. "I think unemployment has definitely brought them here."