Lift Up Your Voice to End Homelessness is the arm of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura that answers the call to serve our homeless neighbors and those at risk of experiencing homelessness.. It lives our values of affirming the inherent worth and dignity of every person.  

Our mission is to: 

• advocate to end homelessness,
• empower homeless people to advocate for themselves,
• provide direct services to our homeless neighbors, and
• support congregants’ participation in programs outside the church that serve people without housing.

Our on-going efforts include:

-Move In (Kathy Powell) – We work with case workers to furnish apartments for referred clients who are lucky enough to get housed.  During COVID, Kathy noticed a lot of people renovating their homes and discarding gently used furnishings.  We began collecting the items in April 2020.  Now, we provide most everything needed including refrigerators, beds, furniture, kitchen and bathroom items needed to turn an empty apartment into a functional home.  Since we started, we furnished 523 households, helping 911people including 90 veterans and 314 children.

-Safe Sleep (Kappy Paulson) – Working with the City of Ventura’s contracted provider (who provides case management), we allowed up to 10 people living in their vehicles cars to sleep in our parking lot each night.  Our participation in the program ended in 2021 due to the lack of use.  In Spring 2023, we restarted the program with RVs but the City did not support the provider.  When the new provider begins, we will renew the program and we will eventually allow up to 10 RVs to stay in our lot each night.

-Motel Fund (Kathy Powell) – we provide 1-3 nights in a motel for folks in need of a temporary place to stay.  This may be folks waiting on housing, having health issues or just need a couple days of help. 

– Ventura Social Services Task Force (Rob March & Kappy Paulson) – We attend the VSSTF meetings and support their efforts to get more affordable housing in the City of Ventura.  Rob is Secretary/ Minutes Taker.  Sue & Kappy are Rob’s backups.  Kappy serves on the Faith subcommittee and newly formed the Gap Needs Subcommittee.

– The Longest Night Memorial to Remember Our Unhoused Neighbors (Gale Naylor & Sue Brinkmeyer) – We hold an annual interfaith event to remember people who died in the past year throughout Ventura County.  For about 15 years we sponsored the Memorial only in Ventura.  In 2019 & 2021, we joined with Oxnard to remember our deceased & unsheltered neighbors.  

– Homes for All (Kappy Paulson) – This community and government housing group advocates for moderate, low and ultra-low-income housing in the city of Ventura. We participate in the team. 

Efforts not specifically associated with LUYV but supported by the group include:

• Homelessness Prevention Program (Sue Brinkmeyer) – UUCV is the official business and mailing address of this 501(c)(3) charitable organization, which provides rental assistance to working individuals who, due to an unfortunate turn of events, e.g., medical, vehicle repair, etc., need short term help paying rent in order to stay housed. 
• Homeless Commission of Oxnard (Yukio Okano) – As a former commissioner Yukio serves the City of Oxnard in an unofficial advisor.
• Emergency Funding – on a case-by-case basis, we provide funds for limited assistance such as vehicle repairs & gas cards to help a person return to a distant home.
• Family to Family (Sue Brinkmeyer) – We serve lunches to the community on The First Monday of the month.  The group also distributes clothing.
• Foul Weather Shelter (Kappy & Yukio) – We commit to providing dinner and breakfast for about 25 people who are temporarily house in hotels during very cold and/or rainy weather.   We agree to be on call for two weeks in Ventura between December 1 and March 31.  Oxnard uses a different model.  

Participation – Open to members of the UUCV congregation and the community with a connection to this subject.

Meeting Location – Via the Internet (Zoom).  A link to each meeting will be sent to participants before the meeting.  You will need: reliable internet access and speed for smooth audio and visual communication, ideally a computer vs. a smart phone or tablet, your device should have a camera and microphone so you can participate in the program effectively.

Duration of the Program – ongoing

Meeting Days and Times – 2^nd Thursday 6:00pm to 7:30 pm.  We meet on Feb, Apr, Jun, Aug, Oct (even months Feb-Oct) and Nov and Dec

Costs to Attend – None

Chair – Kappy Paulson