Seizing the motivating opportunity created by pregnancy and parenthood, HPP joins with families to help them recognize their strengths and trust in their capacity to transform their lives to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty. HPP’s mission is to provide a continuum of care and support for homeless, pregnant and/or parenting women that will ensure healthy birth outcomes and enhance the quality of life for each woman and her family. On a drop-in basis, clients receive support services designed to help them identify their own strengths and obtain the assistance they need to move out of homelessness and off dependence on public assistance.
Since 1992, the HPP has been an independent nonprofit. Our program has grown to serve the expanding needs of families. In our first year of services, we provided help to 72 pregnant women and their families. On one day recently, we provided services to 76 families. More than 2,400 families will come to us for help this year.
Our services include:
* Housing assistance.
* Prenatal and parenting education program that teaches women about pregnancy and birth and how to raise a healthy child.
* An intensive on-the-job paid internship that prepares formerly homeless mothers for the workforce.
* A Community Technology Center where clients learn computer skills.
* ESL classes.
* Mental health services for parents and children.
* An on-site drop-in childcare center so parents can meet privately with a counselor, or attend a class or support group.
* Substance abuse services to help parents get into residential and outpatient treatment programs and help them retain custody of their children.
* Family violence prevention services offering therapy and referrals to emergency shelters.
* Immigrant support services, including advocacy with the schools and courts.
* Mental health services for parents and children.
* A wellness center featuring yoga classes, massage and chiropractic treatments that help clients reduce stress and adopt healthy lifestyle practices.
* An arts corner where clients use art projects as therapy as well as creative expression.
* Free tax preparation for low income families.
The HPP CTC was created in 2004 through a grant from The California Technology Foundation. The CTC offers access to technology and bilingual classes for our clients, as well as provide technical training for our staff. Since the beginning of HPP's CTC, we have had three CTC VISTAs that have provided the foundation for the CTC today.
The 2008-2009 CTC VISTA will work as part of the Technology Team to organize and develop our digital media into a manageable and searchable archive. This will include: documenting trainings, conducting digital storytelling workshops, archiving video and audio of staff and client stories and gathering information for our growing CMS. With an abundance of uncaptured content, from professional training workshops to client success stories, the CTC VISTA will build a sustainable infrastructure for our digital media archive. This digital media archive will serve as a vital resource to staff, donors and clients for training purposes, self-sufficiency building and fundraising.