Tracking

We need to clarify something before the blog post goes live next week.

We have a list of the unhoused people we work with. This list is not provided to ANYONE. The list doesn't even have names; it has tally marks.

Why? Because they deserve privacy, we know who they are, and they know who we are. A names list isn't required. We understand the list the county uses, "by-names list," for funding purposes. Here is the issue, though: if they want to access services, they have to agree to be put on this list, which is accessible to anyone within that department.

No one should be forced to have their name added to a list to access the services they need.

We have a family snack bag list; it's very simple and only for delivering the bags to their destinations.

We do not ask for anyone's name in the household. We only ask for the day and month of their birthday if they want to be added to the birthday box list for children 0-18. We only ask for the grade the child is going into if they want to be added to the school supply list. We do not ask parents for information either.

The list includes a first name, an email address, a delivery address and the number of school-aged children in the home. This list is ONLY accessible to 3 board members.

It is hard enough to reach out for help without the millions of questions and feeling like you are being judged for your circumstances.

Will our "don't ask questions" policy change in the future? Maybe, and if it has to, they will be the bare minimum and never bribed or forced.