VeraMax House For Older Homeless Women
VeraMax House is a 501c3 not-for-profit, based in San Francisco, California, established to serve homeless women age 50 and over. We help these women by developing a relationship with them individually. We listen to their stories, try to get a real understanding of how they got to where they are and what is keeping them there. Then we help them access the services they need, not just by giving them referrals, but by helping them navigate these systems to get their needs met. We also provide therapy to help women effect real change in their lives. We may not be able to end all homelessness, but we can make a true and lasting difference in individual lives, giving these women the compassion, respect and assistance they need and deserve.
Description:
Based upon estimates from the city government, there are approximately 200 women over the age of 50 living on the streets of San Francisco.
Women of this age group often fall between the cracks of the services provided by the city and other service organizations. These women have difficulty accessing services, do not feel safe in the shelters and are often easy targets for those that steal or wish to do harm.
VeraMax House is a 501c3 not-for-profit, based in San Francisco, California established to serve homeless women age 55 and over. We help these women by developing a relationship with them individually. We listen to their stories, try to get a real understanding of how they got to where they are and what is keeping them there. Then we help them access the services they need, not just by giving them referrals, but by helping them navigate these systems to get their needs met. We also provide therapy to help women effect real change in their lives. We may not be able to end all homelessness, but we can make a true and lasting difference in individual lives, giving these women the compassion, respect and assistance they need and deserve.
We recently opened our doors in June of 2009. In partnership with the Mary Elizabeth Inn, we’ve established an office in their Homeless Women’s Center on Bush and Jones in Downtown San Francisco. With private donations we’ve been able to hire one part-time employee to provide case management, therapy and outreach.
History:
Chairman’s Message
Mike Dulworth, Founder and Chairman of the Board
I became sensitized to the problem of older homeless women while walking each workday around the city’s Financial District. I saw so many women on the street asking for help that I stopped one day to speak to Sharon Wilkens. Sharon explained to me that women of this age group often fall between the cracks of the services provided by the city and other service organizations. She said that older homeless women do not feel safe in the shelters and are often easy targets for those that steal or wish to do harm. While I have a lot of sympathy and compassion for all homeless people, I felt particularly connected to this population because it just seemed to me that they are some of the most vulnerable people forced by circumstances to live on the street. So I (with a group of my friends) decided to try to do something about it and the formation of the VeraMax House for Older Homeless Women is the outcome of that effort.
As you’ll see in this blog, the VeraMax House is now a 501c3 not-for-profit and we’re attempting to raise funds to “hit the streets” to try to help these women – mainly through counseling and case management services. We also hope to raise money to fund the transition of older homeless women off the streets (e.g., an annual package of rent, food, clothing and other support services). And finally, in the future, we hope to build a permanent supportive housing facility for older homeless women. Our goal is to begin making a difference today, plus plan for and execute a broader vision in the future.
For your information, the name VeraMax is a combination of my two grandmother’s names — Vera Dulworth and Maxine Cross.
Sincerely,
Michael Dulworth
Contact people:
Address:
 |
1006 Bush Street, Homeless Women's Center
San Francisco, CA 94109
(See a map) |
Web Site: http://www.veramaxhouse.org
| Last updated on April 30, 2010 |
