How six homeless families at MOES will get new opportunities through motel rooms
Families with children living at the Modesto Outdoor Emergency Shelter are getting a break from the heat and a new opportunity to launch into the school year on the right foot. A grant from Community Housing and Shelter Services has provided motel rooms for six families, 24 people total, for 28 days.
“As soon as we got word of the grant, we knew we had to jump on it,” said Kelly Alvarado, the multidisciplinary team manager at MOES. Alvarado said she worked for over 12 hours straight, from Tuesday evening to Wednesday morning, to get logistics figured out so they could move the families as quickly as possible.
Though the grant provided very narrow guidelines, it was able to cover all of the families with young children, giving them a much-needed relief from the heat and tight quarters at MOES. Temperatures have soared throughout the summer, creating tents that bake in the summer sun and causing discomfort and medical problems in some of the residents.
“When you’re really uncomfortable, you’re not able to study, you can’t sleep through the night and so your ability to participate fully in school really degrades,” said Vicki Bauman, the prevention director at the Stanislaus County Office of Education. “This will give the kids stability, air conditioning, running water, Internet connection and easier access to better food.”
Though the name and location of the motel housing the families are being kept confidential for security reasons, it is close to town — and close to school.
Buses will pick up the children before school, and their school supplies — donated by SCOE and the Center for Human Services — will be delivered to their new, temporary home.
“This is a step in the right direction,” Bauman said. “These children can go to school clean, showered and with a better night’s sleep under them so they can do better in school.”
The ability to sleep under a solid roof with four solid walls may also give the children a much-needed confidence boost. Though most school kids do not disclose they are homeless for fear of bullying, they are still victims of taunts about the way they are dressed, or if they smell bad due to lack of running water for showers at MOES.
But the kids aren’t the only ones who will find the relocation benefiting. Alvarado said the 28 days will give the family plenty of time to turn its situation around. It’s an opportunity she hopes they take seriously and fully.
“When the parents are able to move beyond just the day-to-day survival, they can focus on more substantial things like finding a good job or viable housing,” Alvarado said. “This helps to stabilize the family and help them get through to start problem-solving and move on up through their current situation.”
This story was originally published July 26, 2019 at 6:15 PM.
