On May 10, 2023, 18 volunteers from the Justice & Diversity Center gathered early in the morning at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium to assist participants at the Project Homeless Connect (PHC) Community Day of Service. The gathering marks the return of JDC volunteers to the event since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, organizers were forced to pause what had been a quarterly event. Now, organizers are gradually restarting the event with a limited group of government agencies and nonprofit providers, with the intention of expanding the number of providers going forward.
The Community Day of Service offers an efficient means of providing homeless people with access to supportive services under one roof. Approximately 20 service providers, including representatives from the California Department of Motor Vehicles and dental, medical, mental health, legal and employment services groups, were present.
About an hour before the doors opened, young and older adults and people with disabilities stood in line outside the multipurpose auditorium. Some had experienced a significant life change, such as a serious health condition, job loss, divorce or domestic violence, that led to them being unhoused. Others are employed, yet they can’t afford housing in the Bay Area and must sleep in their cars.
Government-issued identification cards of people who are unhoused often are lost or stolen, and many lack the resources to replace them. Without an ID, they can’t access temporary or permanent housing, mail or employment services, or food stamps. Moreover, they can’t identify themselves to law enforcement when asked to do so.
Recognizing this and other needs, volunteers eagerly assisted more than 600 participants, including 186 with DMV-related needs. Volunteers helped participants complete DMV ID card applications and verification of homelessness forms that enabled them to obtain waivers for the ID card fee. Others were offered resources and information on how to navigate the DMV process based on their unique circumstances. Participants with completed paperwork were directed by volunteers to wait in the adjacent DMV line for further processing. If the DMV approved the application, participants had their photo taken for their new ID. If they did not have a mailing address, PHC coordinated the ID delivery by providing a physical mailing address for participant pickups.
Longtime volunteers joined JDC in returning to this crucial event
One of our returning volunteers was Peter Burns, who is of counsel at Cooley. Peter started volunteering at one of the first PHC events in 2004. A few years later, he took charge of organizing an ever-changing group of Cooley volunteers for each PHC event, and he has been participating in and coordinating Cooley’s presence at PHC ever since.
While the volunteer tasks at PHC events do not concern substantive areas of law, Peter believes that volunteering can have a large impact on not only the participants, but also the volunteers. This event “helps ground people in what is important in life,” Peter explained, by helping volunteers understand how lucky they are to have what they have. The camaraderie also is significant, as many of the volunteers consistently participate together to work as a team helping people without housing or at risk of becoming homeless.
Outside of PHC, Peter is prolific in his pro bono work, taking on 12 to 14 pro bono clients each year. When asked how he manages to do so much pro bono work, Peter responded that “as long as you are able to keep billable clients happy and maintain a regular workload, it’s the right thing to do – and I’m grateful to be at a place that enables me to do it.”
New volunteers found the experience to be ‘transformative’
Throughout the event, Cooley associates conducted legal counseling intakes, while JDC staff and private attorneys provided consultations on housing, family and immigration law issues. Participants also received referrals to and information about additional resources. Anne Luquette, a first-time volunteer and Cooley associate who conducted intakes, shared a few thoughts and insights after the event. “As someone who has experienced homelessness, I am uniquely attuned to the horrible feeling of having nowhere to go to find solutions to what seem like unsolvable problems. The event was truly transformative,” Anne said. She continued, “It was an eye-opening experience to witness the immense legal challenges faced by the homeless population and the impact we could make by offering our expertise. We had the opportunity to listen to their stories, understand their struggles and provide them with a glimmer of hope through connecting them to legal assistance … I could not have had a better experience!”
JDC thanks Peter, Anne, and all of our amazing volunteers for contributing their time and talent. We look forward to continuing to partner with PHC to provide these essential services at future PHC events.
If you would like to volunteer in the community and have an immediate impact, email probono@sfbar.org for more information. No experience is required.
