…Emergency Services Case Manager Lauren Fabella
9:00 a.m. Checking messages is always first on my list when I get into the office. JFS is a referral given by the 211 Crisis Clinic program, and the housing line I monitor from that referral source is critical. People calling the housing line are looking for shelter vouchers and rent and move-in assistance. I get 10-15 daily voicemails on this line alone.
10:00 a.m. I wasn’t able to finish up a Homeless to Renter (H2R) client application yesterday afternoon so I continue to work on it this morning since I know the client is eager to get moved into their new, stable housing situation. I also place a quarterly phone call to one of our H2R clients to see how they are doing. The one I’m able to reach said they are doing very well and are paying their bills on time, which I’m thrilled to hear.
10:30 a.m. I meet with a new client for the Consolidated Homeless Grant (CHG) rental assistance. We begin filling out the 30-page application by hand and gathering all the documents required with the application – plus the documents that their landlord will need to provide to complete the application. I make a list of the resources that might help them lower their bills. We help approximately 12 clients per year through this program. At the end of the meeting, I take them to the Polack Food Bank so they can select some groceries to bring home to their family.
1:00 p.m. I meet with Carol Mullin, Director of Emergency Services, and we talk through a few client situations to make sure we’re serving them to the best of our ability. We help an average of 15 clients per month. One is a long-term client who needs assistance with a dental bill. The other is a new client I met with last week. I had a sense that there was a need for some addiction counseling so we agreed that I would reach out to our Addiction Counselor and Educator Laura Kramer.
2:15 p.m. JFS offers funding for Jewish families who need summer childcare. Families that apply must be under 200% of the federal poverty level. This program serves about 50 children I make phone calls to the final few families letting them know that their children made it into the program. All were extremely grateful that their children would have a safe and supportive place to go this summer.
3:30 p.m. I meet with a client I’ve seen a few times now. We talk about money management and how they might be able to cut some of their bills down to help their financial situation. This is always a difficult conversation, but we make a plan for them to reconsider their cable bill and take a closer look at their food budget. They leave with numerous resources and plenty of homework.
4:55pm I check my emails one last time and am pleased to read a thank you note from a client we helped six months ago. She has a child with a lot of health issues and was unable to keep her job because the child was in the hospital so much. We helped her with rent during that time, which really made a difference for them. I shut down my computer knowing I did something really great!
When Lauren isn’t working with clients, she enjoys Thai food, chasing around her two kids both under the age of 4 and camping in the Pacific Northwest.
By Leslie Sugiura
Savvy cook, extreme clam digger, urban gardener and mom to Stella the dog are just a few of the titles Leslie Sugiura keeps in rotation. She’s also the Director of Special Events for JFS where she spearheads the annual Community of Caring Luncheon.
