DRC Solutions

The summer holidays are replete with red, white, and blue: Memorial Day, Independence Day, and (we're counting it as "summer" even if school has started!) Patriot's Day. It's a time for all of us to reflect on the sacrifices of our heroes and appreciate their service.

At the DRC, we encounter veterans often. This is just one of their stories:

D.W. is an America hero. A native of Fort Worth and a United States military veteran, he served our country with honor for many years. But like many others who put their lives on the line for our freedoms, D.W. fell on hard times, and life happened. Homeless for over a decade, D.W. had given up hope of finding housing due to the many barriers he had previously experienced in the system. D.W. is a talented artist with a tender heart for people, and he used his artistic talents to bring in a meager income to survive.

D.W. was living under a bridge on Riverside Drive with other people experiencing homelessness when he was introduced by JPS Health Outreach to Brodie Harrison and Elizabeth Pennell, DRC Street Outreach Mobile Assessors. D.W. shared with Harrison and Pennell how scared he was of failing again and how glad he was to have them both to walk with him out of homelessness.

First up: an ID. Harrison and Pennell connected D.W. with Denise Yeager, the DRC's critical document specialist. Yeager helped D.W. obtain a state-issued identification card, and he was on his way!

Through the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition Continuum of Care system, D.W. was matched with a housing program through the Salvation Army. Harrison and Pennell helped him make all his appointments for registration, enrollment, and orientation for the program.

Through it all, D.W. remained afraid -- afraid of disappointment if it did not work out; afraid of a new journey if it did. Says Harrison, "D.W. represents so many clients who desire to be housed but are scared of the barriers they face and also new beginnings." Harrison and Pennell did not give up on him and cheered him on till he walked through the door of his own apartment, overjoyed to see the smile on his face.

Through this experience, Harrison says D.W. developed a new trust for people by forming trusting relationships with DRC team members. "D.W. is a testament that the work we do is not only important but inspirational. He reminded us the reason why we continue to do this work each day." Adds Harrison, "We brought him some gifts for his new art projects. He told us he would never forget us. He inspires us to continue the work to eradicate homelessness."

Thank you for supporting the DRC. You, too, inspire us to continue to work to eradicate homelessness. Thank you!

The Summer 2024 issue of the DRC's Homecomer newsletter is now available online at https://drc-solutions.org/publications/. Check it out!
Need a hardcopy? Email us at [email protected]. We're happy to pop one in the mail for you!

Join us in congratulating DRC CEO Bruce Frankel for being named one of Inc. 's 400 Most Influential People in Fort Worth.

When we moved offices in March, we ended up in a great location -- that people had a hard time finding! Now thanks to Michael Signs, we have lots of visibility! Thank you, Mike!

For most of us, we have the luxury of driving to the grocery store, either to shop for ourselves, or since the pandemic, pick up an order. Some of us even have the luxury of having our weekly shopping delivered right to our doorsteps.

But for many people, driving to the grocery store is just not an option, and managing a load of groceries on public transportation proves an added challenge.

Such was the case for J.F.

J.F. has recently escaped homelessness and works with DRC Housing Case Manager Natalia Zamora for follow up case management. J.F.'s apartment is about a mile from a city bus stop, and he regularly makes the walk to the bus to go to appointments or meet with friends. He is happily self-reliant in many ways, but he struggled to get groceries. Natalia regularly brought groceries to J.F., but he knew this was something he'd like to do for himself. Natalia and J.F. discussed what could change to make it possible for him to take on this errand independently, and they decided all he really needed was a hand cart. But even the relatively small cost of a hand cart was out of reach for J.F.

Enter Trinity Episcopal Church of Fort Worth, Texas. The kind and generous congregation had made a gift to the DRC in support of client needs, and J.F. certainly had a need. The grant gift from Trinity Episcopal made it possible for the DRC to supply J.F. with a new, sturdy, easily-maneuverable and roomy hand cart.

Now, J.F. and his handy-dandy cart are regulars on his bus route. He is able to visit a local food bank and pick up groceries on his own. He feels pride in his independence and has established a routine, and he enjoys getting out of his apartment and being in the community.

Sometimes the little things aren't so little. Sometimes they're life-changing.

Many thanks to Trinity Episcopal Church for understanding how important small things can be and stepping up to meet those needs. Many thanks to you, who help ensure there is a Natalia to work with folks like J.F. to put their lives back together after homelessness.

To learn more about DRC programs, visit https://drc-solutions.org/challenges.
To make a gift of support, visit https://drc-solutions.org/donate.

Photo courtesy of our friends at Community Food Bank.

Register for the DRC's "Conversations about Homelessness" today at https://drc-solutions.org/conversations/.

At the DRC, we are proud to have Tony Wilson, LMSW leading our programs. Read more about this TCU Department of Social Work alum!

From the Marines to Combatting Homelessness This Social Work alum's journey to TCU is unlike the typical path most students tread. After joining the Marine Corps, he found himself deploying to Afghanistan. His return to the states marked the beginning of a new chapter as he utilized his military benefits to enroll at TCU.

It is a fact that all of our lives have been touched in some way by addiction. Whether we ourselves struggle with an addiction, or we have witnessed loved ones, friends, family, colleagues, or coworkers in the throes of drug or alcohol abuse, or even some other type of addiction, none of us has escaped unscathed. Addiction is no respecter of persons; it doesn't care about your education or bank account or background. It strikes indiscriminately.

Even for those who have strong support networks, a clean and safe place to live, access to treatment, and transportation to group meetings, recovery from addiction is a difficult road to trudge. For people living unsheltered, without support, without access, and existing in physical and emotional pain every day, recovering from addiction is almost impossible. When each day is a constant struggle to survive, when fear and uncertainty are ever present, escape through drugs or alcohol can look like the answer.

Addiction can also lead to homelessness. Poor work performance, poor work attendance, poor choices with finances, poor choices with family -- all the hallmarks of addiction -- make for unstable living situations. When friends, family, the boss, and the landlord say, "You're no longer welcome here," people may find themselves on the streets.

The University of Georgia recently published an article explaining a multi-year study of substance abuse deaths among people experiencing homelessness (https://news.uga.edu/homelessness-leads-to-more-drug-alcohol-poisoning-deaths/). The study's key finding: Reducing homelessness by 25% could save almost 2,000 lives lost to opioid overdoses, 850 lives from alcohol poisoning, and 540 from co***ne overdoses.

So what does this look like in person?

John lived with crippling alcoholism unsheltered on the streets for over twenty years. He had a long arrest record of public intoxication and criminal trespass, which can be issued when someone attempts to sleep or set up camp on private or public property. The Fort Worth Police Department began taking John to Tarrant County mental health diversion centers instead of jail, a way to bring services to people who are not violent offenders but who have specific needs. However, John would leave the center because he needed to drink. Not only was he psychologically dependent on alcohol, but his body had become dependent on it, too. John was an exceptionally high user of JPS Hospital ER services. To put it bluntly, John had become a serious problem for taxpayers.

In 2023, the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition had assigned John to a permanent supportive housing program, but nobody could find him. He would disappear for days, and he had no identity documents. In August, a member of the JPS Street Medicine team contacted Victoria Kaelin, Program Manager for DRC's Site Based Permanent Supportive Housing Program, letting Kaelin know they had located John. At this point, there was an opening coming up at the Palm Tree Apartments, where the DRC provides housing case management. In preparation for housing, DRC Critical Document Specialist managed to work with John to replace his birth certificate, social security card, and state-issued ID.

John was arrested twice before he could be moved in.

Finally in November, the apartment was ready, and John moved in. Clean, safe, fully stocked with housewares and furniture. Heating, a refrigerator, clean water, a toilet, a shower. All the things John needed but did not have on the streets, plus DRC housing case manager Amanda was there to guide him.

While at Palm Tree, John was never arrested and never visited JPS. He took daily walks and seemed to improve. He settled into the Palm Tree community. He was still drinking, but he was doing so in the safety of his own apartment.

John died in his apartment on February 29, 2024 of complications due to alcohol addiction. Instead of out in the elements, somewhere in the underbrush or behind a building, John passed in the relative dignity of his own home. John had no next-of-kin on record. There was nobody to contact, nobody to claim his body, nobody to mourn for him besides the many service workers who had tried to help him over his two decades on the streets.

DRC Chief Operations Officer Tony Wilson, LMSW, says, "Every month, I'm contacted by either another agency or the ME's office asking if we have next-of-kin information for someone who has been found deceased on the streets of Tarrant County. And we rarely, if ever, have that information. It's very sad."

According to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner's website, "The Tarrant County Commissioner's Court has contracted with the University of North Texas Health Sciences Center Willed Body Program to handle final disposition of decedents who have not been claimed within the legal time frame due to financial difficulties." In death, John will allow medical students to learn about the human body, helping the next generation of physicians to gain the knowledge they'll need to treat the rest of us.

What could have become of John had he been housed earlier? How many arrests avoided? How many trips to JPS averted? How many tax dollars saved? Could he have finally started recovery from alcohol addiction? Could he have cobbled together a "family of choice" or even reconnected with his actual family? Could he have enjoyed life and been a productive member of society?

We'll never know.

What we do know is that there are many, many people like John still on the streets of Tarrant County right now, and housing could make the difference in both their lives and ours.

Thank you for supporting the DRC. YOU make the difference possible.

Breakfast with the Mayor photos are ready!
Peruse them all at https://drc-solutions.org/bwtm

This is VERY exciting! Tarrant County is in dire need of mental health services for people experiencing homelessness, and we are thrilled that City of Fort Worth Council and Mayor Mattie Parker have taken this bold step. My Health My Resources of Tarrant County will do a wonderful job assisting the people who benefit from this program as they exit homelessness and rebuild their lives. BRAVO!

Fort Worth starts $1M pilot program to help rid homelessness The partnership with a nonprofit would offer permanent housing and counseling services to people facing homelessness for extended periods of time, or suffering severe mental illness.

Registration for DRC's Spring 2024 "Conversations about Homelessness" Series is now open! Learn more and grab your spot at https://drc-solutions.org/conversations/.

Drumroll please: The DRC Solutions 2023 Annual Report is now available!

Read all about the amazing things you made possible in 2023 at https://indd.adobe.com/view/0b13155f-6e8e-4cb6-9646-24e9e4487fa5

Or visit our website at https://drc-solutions.org/publications/ to see all DRC recent publications.

Publications – DRC Solutions Publications Annual Reports 2023 2022 2021 2020 Newsletters Winter 2024 Fall 2023 Summer 2023 Join our mailing list. Videos A Day with DRC Solutions Critical Documents A Day with DRC Street Outreach Busting the Myths of Homelessness Community Impacts of Homelssness Available and Affordable? Understa...

It's no secret that many people struggled during the pandemic. Many people lost their jobs, and although their rent was staved off for a while, those bills came due eventually. Many people found themselves tens of thousands of dollars behind with no possible way of catching up.

This is what happened to Tiara.

DRC Street Outreach team lead Diana encountered Tiara over the winter, and suggested one of the emergency overflow shelters. Tiara and her son did go to the shelter, but because of his severe developmental delays, he easily becomes agitated and quite loud. Tiara was worried she and her son would eventually be asked not to return, as his behavior was disturbing the other guests.

Diana helped Tiara secure an Emergency Housing Voucher issued through the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. But obtaining a voucher is just the first step; Tiara now had to find an apartment complex to accept the voucher and who would approve her despite her outstanding debt to her previous landlord.

Enter the DRC Navigation team. The DRC Navigators are professionals who work with property managers and landlords to help people locate appropriate apartments for people with housing vouchers. They also work with people like Tiara who have from slight to significant issues on their rental history, credit, or even criminal history.

Tiara did have a misdemeanor on her record, and combined with her recent eviction, it was a struggle even for the DRC Navigators. This property would accept her credit history, but not her criminal history. That property would accept her criminal background, but not her eviction. Even "second chance" properties turned her down.

Through hard work and diligence, the DRC Navigators were eventually able to connect Tiara with a private landlord willing to give her a chance. Because she has a housing voucher, the landlord can rest easy in the knowledge that her rent will be paid.

There was one more hurdle: Tiara's son had been in an educational program through Fort Worth ISD that met his special needs and where he was accustomed to the routine, teachers, and space. To move him would be severely disruptive. DRC Navigators and Outreach Team workers worked with FWISD to ensure that her son could stay in his school despite now living outside of the district. Not only that, but he would continue to have transportation to his school.

Tiara did hit a rough patch a few months into her housing when a relative attempted to take advantage of her new apartment and move in. DRC staff and her MHMR case manager helped her to understand that allowing anyone to live in her apartment was a violation of her lease and voucher agreement, and she was in danger of losing both if her relative continued to live there. This is a common issue when people finally receive housing -- their friends and family who are also struggling pressure them to allow them to live there, too. These pressures can be hard to resist, but it is critical that residents understand they can lose it all if they violate their lease and voucher agreement in this way. Tiara was able to get the relative out of her apartment.

Tiara and her son are now doing well, working regularly with their MHMR case manager, and truly thriving.

All because you support the DRC.

https://drc-solutions.org/donate/

DRC is CLOSED this week as we move offices.
We'll be back on Monday, March 4 at 1813 E. Lancaster.

On January 28, Beth-El Congregation Fort Worth, Congregation Ahavath Sholom, Chabad of Fort Worth, Congregation Beth Israel- Colleyville, TX, Chabad of Southlake, and Congregation Beth Shalom Arlington joined together for Mitzvah Day 2024 . Assembling hygiene kits and blessing bags for donation to the DRC were two of the many activities for children (and their adults!) We are so thankful to these communities of faith and their love and care for our neighbors without homes. Thank you! Your gifts will make a difference for so many.

Photos by Phil Kabakoff

We are so thankful for our partners Project Home Furnishings DFW! They are making a huge difference for people escaping homelessness, truly welcoming people home. THANK YOU!!!

Back in January on MLK Day, hosted a Day of Service for all students, faculty, and staff. The students assembled over 3,000 hygiene kits and donated them to the DRC for distribution to our neighbors without homes. Way to go, and thank you! It took three trucks and two SUVs for us to transport them! We are so thankful to TVS. These kits will be a true comfort to so many. Go Trojans!

The Winter 2024 issue of the DRC's Homcomer newsletter is out now!

Read it online at https://indd.adobe.com/view/18bb8d7f-2962-42fd-abf7-4cea2e3d1883

Our new website is LIVE! Check it out at https://drc-solutions.org.

Are you interested in helping with the 2024 point-in-time count? Contact Tarrant County Homeless Coalition!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Trinity Valley School Partnering with DRC Solutions on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day To Impact Fort Worth’s Unsheltered Community
–Over 1,000 TVS Students and Educators–

[Fort Worth, January 3, 2024]
“Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve.” - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

On Friday, January 12, 2024, students and faculty will gather to remember the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and engage in service learning for Trinity Valley’s Second Annual MLK Day of Service!

The TVS Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Community has planned a morning that allows for cross-divisional collaboration, meaningful service, and reflection on intelligent citizenship in our community. Anthony Cooper, TVS 6th grader, will kick off the Day of Service by speaking about Dr. King. Older students will partner with younger students as buddies to work on this project. Then we will join together for a picnic lunch in our central courtyard.

Our focus this year is housing insecurity in our city. Students will have the opportunity to create hygiene kits for distribution by the DRC Solutions Street Outreach Team to people living unsheltered in Tarrant County. DRC Solutions staff will be on hand to receive these kits.

Trinity Valley School is proud to partner with DRC Solutions on this project!

Says Tony Wilson, LMSW and COO of DRC Solutions, “We are thrilled to have the support of the students, parents, faculty, and staff of Trinity Valley School. The DRC Street Outreach Team visits with approximately 2,000 individuals living unsheltered each year, and hygiene kits are always needed. Thank you to TVS for this amazing service project. Your efforts will bring comfort to people as they journey towards housing of their own.”

Dr. Trevon Jones, Trinity Valley’s Director of Equity, Inclusion, and Community shares, “TVS is committed to creating a school experience that develops students to be upstanding and empathetic leaders to shape a more hopeful world. In service of our values, our annual MLK Day of Service is one of the ways we create authentic learning experiences for our students to grow as leaders and global citizens. We are grateful to DRC Solutions for partnering with TVS to create an opportunity for students to serve the city and learn more about housing insecurity in Fort Worth.”

ABOUT TRINITY VALLEY SCHOOL
Founded in 1959, Trinity Valley School is a PK-12, co-ed, independent school located in Fort Worth, Texas. Trinity Valley School has four main objectives for its students: fine scholarship with its fulfillment at college; the development of wide constructive interests; intelligent citizenship; and spiritual and moral development which promotes lasting values. Trinity Valley School is a member of the Southwest Preparatory Conference and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS). For more information: www.tvs.org.

ABOUT DRC SOLUTIONS
DRC Solutions, also known as the DRC, is a pioneer and provider of services essential to ending homelessness in Tarrant County. The DRC provides critical, evidence-based solutions that house people experiencing homelessness, set the stage for housing, or satisfy unmet needs in the community. All of the DRC’s programs approach the issue of homelessness with housing in mind, working to prepare, place, and support individuals and families as they journey out of homelessness into a place of their own. For more information, visit https://drc-solutions.org/.

# # #

Contacts:

Ashley Robinson
Director of Strategic Marketing & Communications
Trinity Valley School
[email protected]
(817)321-0100

Liesl Gray Manone
Chief Development Officer
DRC Solutions
[email protected]
(817) 767-3779

NBC DFW CBS11 FOX 4 News WFAA Fort Worth Star-Telegram Fort Worth Report Fort Worth Business Press Fort Worth Magazine FW Inc.
Trinity Valley School

Today, DRC staff, members of the homeless services community, and residents of the Palm Tree Apartments gathered to remember and honor our friend Flora Brewer.

Said DRC Solutions CEO/President Bruce Frankel, "Flora has left a legacy not only for us as individuals, but for all of us as a community."

Said Tarrant County Homeless Coalition Executive Director Lauren King, "Flora was always about 'What if this works?' She really pushed everyone to do better. Her impact will last for generations."

Said a resident of Palm Tree who moved in when the complex opened, "When I look back over what I had and what I have now, what's she's given me is so much. She was a good advocate for the people around here. I could have been dead out there a long time ago, but Flora saved my life. I already miss her."

Godspeed, Flora. And thank you for everything.

Join the DRC in congratulating our staff members who were honored last week by Tarrant County Homeless Coalition.

Fatimah Robinson was named TCHC's 2023 Outreach Worker of the Year, and Natalia Zamora was named TCHC's 2023 Housing Case Manager of the Year.

The DRC is proud Fatimah and Natalia and thankful for the amazing work they do in our community. We are proud of all of our staff members who work tirelessly every day to help people escape homelessness and rebuild their lives.

Click on the photos to read more from each of these amazing professionals!

The DRC works with many families experiencing homelessness, but we also see a lot of people no spouse, no children, no siblings, no parents--nobody to lean on in times of trouble. We also encounter people who have crafted chosen families from those experiencing similar circumstances, who understand, who have "been there." Maintaining those bonds can be vital to housing success for many.

Since 2021, Calvin and Roger had both been living at a local long-term shelter. Both senior citizens, the two met at the shelter and became fast friends. Calvin and Roger leaned on one another for support as neither had any family to help.

After a couple of years, it was time for both men to move on. Both Calvin and Roger were issued housing vouchers by Tarrant County Homeless Coalition at the same time, and by coincidence, both were assigned to the same DRC Housing Navigator, Jess.

Says Jess, "Often when I was on the phone with one, the other would be there, too. For a while, I was able to update both men with one phone call."

Calvin and Roger were worried they'd lose touch and the stability their friendship gave them when they moved into apartments of their own, so Jess worked with them to look at options for apartments in the same complex. This is not always easy, as available units are hard to come by these days, much less two in one complex. However, Jess found an apartment community not only with two units available, but just two doors down from each other. Calvin and Roger were elated. They applied and were approved.

Calvin's unit passed inspection, and he was able to move promptly. Roger's unit needed some repairs, so there was a 2-week delay, during which Roger visited Calvin every day until his own home was ready for him.

Now, through the DRC Housing Navigation made possible through support of the DRC by people like you, Roger and Calvin are in secure housing of their own. They continue to navigate life together, laugh together, and lean on one another, chosen brothers.

Make your end-of-the-year gift to the DRC today, and help ensure there is a person like Jess for people like Calvin and Roger.

Make your gift today at https://drc-solutions.org/2324give.

We now have MERCH! Check out the DRC Solutions Bonfire Store at https://www.bonfire.com/store/drc-solutions/

Children are bearing the brunt of homelessness.

Tarrant’s evicted children and the state’s hidden homeless crisis | Fort Worth Report About 125,000 children are evicted annually across Texas. The traumatic event can hurt children’s development.

Housing vouchers can be a touchy subject, but for some people, they're the only thing standing between their family and homelessness.

For those who receive vouchers through the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition, DRC Solutions' Housing Navigation Program helps them find a place to accept their voucher. It is difficult work, as landlords can be hesitant to take a chance and often lists provided to program participants are out of date as soon as they're printed.

Fort Worth’s high voucher denial rate intensifies as rental prices rise | Fort Worth Report High denial rates leave housing voucher holders in Fort Worth struggling to find a place to stay amid rising rents and dwindling supply.

https://fortworthreport.org/2023/11/21/tarrant-county-homeless-coalition-receives-2-5-million-bezos-grant-to-help-families/

This is AMAZING!!! Congratulations to Tarrant County Homeless Coalition! We are rejoicing with you and all the people served by TCHC and your partner organizations. YAY!

“Help families be more successful:” $2.5M grant assists Tarrant County Homeless Coalition | Fort Worth Report The Tarrant County Homeless Coalition received its largest private gift and will use the money to address rising family homelessness.

We are excited to be a part of the H-E-B Feast of Sharing!