What is Beyond Shelter?

Beyond Shelter was founded in 1988 in response to the increasing crisis of family homelessness in Los Angeles. Today, the agency’s mission is to develop systemic approaches to combat poverty and homelessness among families with children and enhance family economic security and well-being.

As found on their website Beyondshelter.org, “Beyond Shelter accomplishes its goals through responsive service delivery, people-centered community development, and the creation of knowledge for social change...Beyond Shelter currently promotes four main initiatives to address chronic poverty, homelessness and welfare dependency...The focus of each initiative is to promote systemic change on a national, regional and local scale. This is accomplished primarily through the agency's Institute for Research, Training and Technical Assistance. These initiatives include the following: Housing First, Service-Enriched Housing, Neighborhood-based Service Coordination, and Welfare to Work.”

“Service-enriched housing” refers primarily to permanent, basic rental housing for the low-income population at-large in which social services are available either by referral or on-site. In addition, residents are significantly involved in the decision-making process. Housing can be nonprofit, private, HUD-assisted, unsubsidized, mixed income or any combination of the above.

Broadway Village II

When over fifty families moved into Beyond Shelter’s newest apartment complex, Broadway Village II on Broadway and 52nd street in June, 2006, Temple Isaiah partnered with Beyond Shelter to welcome them. Approximately 25 families had been completely homeless, and 15 were coming from Skid Row. Two families had lost their homes in Katrina. One family was a single mother whose son had Downs Syndrome and they were drowning in medical bills. Another had taken in their nieces and nephews after the children’s parents were killed in a car accident. Most of the families came with nothing.

In an initiative we called “Home Sweet Hope,” Temple Isaiah coordinators were matched with Broadway Village families and welcomed them to their new homes with giant boxes filled with supplies. We supplied brand new kitchenware, bedding appropriate for boys or girls depending on the families, and everything for a bathroom from bathmat to shower curtain.

We also arranged for 100 mattresses to be delivered in time for the move-in. One of our bar mitzvah students assembled a complete library for Beyond Shelter and initiated a reading program. Another student helped arrange a furniture drive and we drove to members’ houses in rented trucks picking up couches, tables and chairs. Other students have arranged to bring sports supplies.

In December last year we held a holiday party at Isaiah for the residents of Broadway Village II and over seventy people joined us at our temple for homemade food, moonbouce, a terrific rock and roll band, art projects and fun.

A number of dentists and oral surgeons in our congregation joined to be able to reconstruct a smile for a resident of Beyond Shelter who had been battered.

For Big Sunday, we arranged numerous community project at Broadway Village II including planting and taking mothers out for a special tea. One of our Tot Shabbat mornings devoted their time to projects benefiting Beyond Shelter. We look forward to strengthening our relationship with the families of Beyond Shelter and deepening our partnership with the wonderful people at Beyond Shelter.