Introducing Dorothy Day House's new Horizon Transitional Village Program
Updated: Jun 11, 2021
At Dorothy Day House, we pride ourselves on being an organization for the community, by the community. Our latest step towards providing support to the unhoused in our area is our new Horizon Transitional Village (HTV) Program, which is officially set to begin on July 1st.
With the help of many dedicated volunteers and our Community Partners, including Rebuilding Together East Bay Network and the City of Berkeley, Dorothy Day House’s goal with the HTV program is to provide yet another dedicated safe space for the unhoused in Berkeley.
Living on the street becomes a cycle very quickly – when a person is homeless, they live in survival mode. This means that they do not have the capacity to look towards the future – they are forced to constantly consider their safety, the safety of their belongings, and where their next meal is coming from.
With those immediate needs met – their belongings secured and safe from theft, a regular three meals per day, and a safe place to rest at night, these individuals can focus on more than just surviving each day. Our goal with the HTV Program is to ensure these basic, minimum needs are met – thereby lightening the load and allowing the unhoused to turn towards their future – such as getting their required documentation together and making plans for long-term housing stability.
Dorothy Day House’s Horizon Transitional Village Program will take in 50 unhoused men and women from nearby encampments, who will be provided access not only to laundry, shower, and meal services, but to workshops by locally based volunteer facilitators, health and wellness services, a community clothing closet, and ongoing mentorship and support from our 13 on-location staff members.
Below are some current shots of the interior and exterior. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be sharing more images as the project comes fully to life.
Like the rest of Dorothy Day House’s initiatives, the end goal of this program is to provide a solid foundation from which the unhoused can build a path to a better future.
Would you like to get involved? Please visit our Volunteer Page and check out our latest volunteer opportunities.
We could not do this without you.