Our Programs

Social Services Navigation Center

Del Norte Mission Possible serves as a navigation center for our local homeless community. Working with local governmental and other charitable organization, our homeless clients are able to access a variety of supportive services. Health Care, Social Services, Mental Health, emergency food and clothing, access to employment, and job trai

Show Less

Mission Possible House

Social Services Navigation Center

Del Norte Mission Possible is excited to announce the opening of our Mission Possible Home. The MP Home is transitional in nature and exists to help participants build success in life and move forward out of homelessness.

We serve a target population of:

(1) low-risk, homeless women

(2) who have pre-existing health conditions making them

We serve a target population of:

(1) low-risk, homeless women

(2) who have pre-existing health conditions making them more susceptible to COVID,

(3) and who have a desire to learn, accept help and utilize relationship case management to overcome barriers that have prevented them from self-sufficiency.

The Mission Possible Home is focused on whole person healing coupled with life-skills. Everything we do has a foundation of restoring value to each woman. We offer a supportive environment that empowers women to self-sufficiency. Each woman will be valuable contributors to the process of upkeep, cleaning, cooking, gardening, planning activities and healthy meals. This is a 3-month program, and works toward the goal of permanent housing and skills to sustain that housing. We will consider a longer stay if participant is working toward goal and is unable to find housing. We also require 60% of income to be put into a savings. The financial model is used by Rouge retreat and is a proven best practice for achieving stability while promoting self-worth.

In addition, each woman agrees to work with a case manager and set weekly goals to work toward their unique end goals for the program. We celebrate each success together, and learn valuable tools along the way. We are grateful for partnerships within the community that assist to link women to services and agencies. Our goal for each woman who graduates our program is that they will learn to THRIVE and not just survive…for some, this will develop into peer-support specialist opportunities as they help at the house and in the field.

We have beds for 5 women, but are planning on starting small with 2, and building upon our success. We have an application process to ensure the right fit for our unique program. A desire to utilize case management to reach goals is essential.

We have a team of women who are coming together to form a solid support system for our residents and are volunteering overnight stays. Each comes with a wealth of experience, expertise and heart to oversee and encourage the women, so there is always supportive supervision with a unique quality of friendship that will remain even after the resident leaves. If you or someone you know would be interested in volunteering, please contact Daphne 707-954-7319. This is an excellent opportunity for those who are working in furthering his or her education in the field of social services.

We have several women in our community who are coming together to make a difference by lending their skills. Some offer clerical help while others offer their wealth of life experience offering friendship and support. Some will come to teach art, health, exercise, therapeutic activities, make-up etc. Our desire is a community effort where women form a strong support group that will last after they leave the home.

In addition, we will be using the home for emergency interventions for low-risk overnight stays to keep women safe and secure while they are awaiting services or emergency appointments for doctor appointments.

We are working in partnership with DNATL Community Food Council to assist us with purchasing healthy food, and the Permaculture Guild is working with us in establishing a raised garden bed for healthy eating and therapeutic purposes.

This is an exciting endeavor, and an amazing opportunity to meet the needs of women in our community. As always, I am so honored to be able to offer these much-needed services.

Working closely with Social Services, HUD, Behavioral Services, Open Door Clinic, Sutter Coast Hospital and other agencies will be a vital part of the relationship case management that we are offering. So, I appreciate ideas, questions and opportunities to work together more efficiently to achieve our end goal of promoting a healthy community. The partnerships and case management skills I am learning on a small scale now will be beneficial when opening the 52-bed shelter. I am grateful for your partnership and support. You are incredible, and together are making a difference!

We would like to thank our partners! And invite our community to actively be a part of changing lives. For some it is through lending their skills, for others it is donations that are necessary for us to succeed. Together we can “flip the script”, and our ladies are more than worth it!

Faithfully,

Daphne Cortese-Lambert, Director

Del Norte Mission Possible

900 Northcrest Dr. PMB 74

707-460-1411 (MP home)

707-954-7319 (cell phone)

Show Less

Community Showers Program

Social Services Navigation Center

Community Showers Program

It is our honor to partner with Del Norte County and Wild Rivers Foundation who have given Mission Possible the opportunity to facilitate the Community Showers Program every Tuesday. The showers are made by appointment and are held at the Coastal Inn and Suites. Through community support, we offer snacks, clean clothing, hygiene items and COVID safety materials. One of the key elements that make this program unique is the relationship-based case management that occurs. It helps add to the experience of dignity, hope, and empowerment to overcome barriers.

A dedicated team of volunteers disinfects the showers, runs timers for showers, and assists in any way possible, so that I can make a personal connection with people. This has evolved to building trusted relationships, so I can help those struggling to survive, some dealing with trauma from living on the streets, others dealing with untreated mental health disorders, to get services. It is a privilege to welcome and bring hope to people who are struggling through building a trusting relationship. Hope, encouragement and empowerment go hand in hand. I am amazed at how key the “relationship-based” case management is to those who have had trauma and are facing hardship.

If you know anyone who would benefit from these services, please have them call 707-954-7319 and ask for Daphne. I would love to meet them.

If you would like to partner with our community in this endeavor, please make a donation and designate that you would like funding to go to this program. We will use your donation to purchase items that are necessary to meeting the basic needs that our neighbors are so grateful for.

Show Less

Winter Shelter-In-Place Project

Mission statement: Del Norte Mission Possible provides emergency shelter, relationship-based case management, and connection to support services for those who are homeless or at risk of being homeless. We also partner with individuals and agencies in the community to collaborate on locally-driven solutions to the growing homeless epidemic.

Project Intent: Our intent is to provide supportive services to homeless people by meeting essential and life-preserving needs as they shelter in place. Once immediate needs are met, we will implement relationship-based case management to connect people to services.

Purpose: Our Winter Shelter-in-Place Project’s purpose is to save lives and provide a bridge to services while collecting data to support an accurate count of Del Norte County’s homeless population.

Project Plan:

Project duration is 4 months commencing January 2021 and terminating the last week in April 2021. Mission Possible will visit four of the largest homeless encampments in the Crescent City area at a scheduled time, one day per week. The number of client/homeless person contacts is estimated at 50 per week. Initially, staff will work on establishing a relationship of trust with each of the contacted individuals. Tarps, socks, rain gear, first aid kits, hand warmers, gloves, candles, food boxes and PPE will be offered during each visit. During each visit staff will offer focused work with 3-4 homeless individuals in each camp to link them to services and gather the necessary information to register them in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). Interns and volunteers were recruited in the month of November to assist with delivery of the care packages and providing client services.

The HMIS is a software application used by the NorCal Continuum of Care. It is used by homeless assistance providers to collect client-level data for the purpose of coordinating care, managing operations and better serving our clients. This outreach will assist us in reaching a homeless population that is elusive and underserved.

In addition, we are partnering with the Solid Waste Management Authority to help the homeless clean up their encampments. We will provide them the garbage bags for clean-up and we will collect the bags of trash the following week for disposal at the transfer station. The Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority has agreed to waive the fees.

Goals:

The primary goal of this project is to sustain life and link homeless individuals to services. This plan is a response to the Governor’s recommendation to find alternatives to congregate sheltering, because the need for shelter far exceeds the non-congregate shelter options available in Del Norte County. Many people are hidden deep within their camps and are afraid to leave. They struggle to get connected to services. The plan is to help the homeless people survive the harsh weather conditions while sheltering in place. In order to support sheltering in place, we are going to drop off life-sustaining items at designated spots and times. In addition to providing food, tarps, socks, first aid kits, gloves and hand warmers, we will use relationship-based case management to connect them to services. Our plan is to register 3-4 people per week into the HMIS system.

This project will offer training opportunities for interns and provide them with the necessary skills in working with the homeless population, relationship-based counseling and navigation to services that is fundamental in meeting the needs of those who are homeless and have experienced trauma.

Training Plan:

Mission Possible staff will train interns and volunteers in strategies to work with the homeless population, to use the paper application form for the licensee to transfer data into the HMIS. Training will consist of teaching relationship-based case management and knowledge of navigation to services, policies and procedures for interviewing and gathering information and providing necessary resource information for client services. Interns and volunteers will receive 6-8 hours of on-the-job training per week during the course of this project. Interns will also spend up to 4 hours per week learning relationship-based case management techniques.

Volunteer drivers will be required to provide proof of insurance and a current California Driver’s License. They will also be required to sign a waiver.

Interns will be required to fill out an Internship Agreement specifying the days and hours that they will work and sign confidentiality forms and waivers.

Community Engagement:

The community will be engaged through public service announcements, social media and on-air radio interviews to solicit monetary donations and donations of gloves, socks and hand warmers. Staff will contact the community to assist in collecting these items, and will contact several merchants to request that they allow Mission Possible to place drop off boxes at their business.

Partnerships: Wild Rivers Community Foundation, Humboldt Area Foundation, Del Norte Senior Center, DNATL Food Council, Del Norte County, Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority, Wal-Mart, Harbor Freight, Safeway, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and the community at large.

Costs:

Staff and Direct Costs $7,420

Supply Costs $14,668

PPE $ 525

Total Costs of the program $22,613

Value of Donated Items $5,228

Value of Volunteers and Interns $7,488

Finance Plan:

Wild Rivers Community Foundation/Humboldt Area Foundation is funding the majority of this project through their Rapid Response funds. We are most appreciative of their support of our mission to provide life sustaining supplies and link homeless individuals to services. We are also grateful to Del Norte Senior Center for the provision of direct and indirect support services. Community engagement is proceeding with donations currently coming in from local churches and community members. We will be working on further community engagement opportunities in the weeks ahead. Mission Possible board will work with Kindful to promote community-wide contributions with a focus on small contributions from many people.

Funding:

WRCF/HAF $22,300

Private party donations $ 313

Total Funding $22,613

Direct and Indirect administrative services provided by Del Norte Senior Center.