Darlene is an Air Force Veteran who has partnered with Richard Bliss, an accomplished homeless advocate in Sacramento, to start their own foundation appropriately named “The D&R Foundation”.
Without a Roof spoke with Darlene about her goals for the foundation and her experience being homeless on the streets of Sacramento California…
“Our goal is to be able to go around the country and present what we are setting up and what we are doing so other people can replicate. Most people do not know how to go about setting up a transitional housing community, setting up a household. They don’t know how to do this or how to access some of the services. We’ve been there, we’ve done that.”
We want to be able to share that with other communities and have them move forward with the same idea. So that we don’t have a 1,000 people sleeping outside on the streets of Sacramento.
Q: “You said you have been there and done that. What is your personal history?”
A: “I have actually been out on the streets since May of this year trying to learn how to access services and being turned away. I find open doors once in a while and actually figure out how to put together what I need. It’s been an incredible journey one that I wouldn’t give up for anything. Now I can use all of those experiences and help somebody else. I never want to see someone as despondent as I was back in May.”
Q: “Are you housed now?”
A: “As of Today.” We exchange joyful, boisterous gratitude… “For the most part I have been sleeping on the steps of a local church here in Sacramento. I can’t divulge the name otherwise they would be inundated.”
“The church group has taken me in and made sure I was safe, that I was secure. I will be ever so grateful for all the stuff that I have learned, now I can go give it to someone else.”
Learn more about The D&R Foundation in this short video filmed after the Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee (SHOC) 10/28 weekly meeting where we presented them with a stocked backpack.
Learn more about The I Have a Name Project
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