Other items in today’s column include:
* House of Israel appealing for volunteers
* Butterfly Project to spread its wings wider in 2020
*Political bytes
*Coming our way
SAN DIEGO – Jewish Family Service is in the process of contracting for its fourth “Safe Parking” area for homeless persons who live in their motor vehicles. Three such areas are located in the City of San Diego – on Balboa Avenue, Aero Drive, and near the SDCCU stadium. The fourth, if given final approval Dec. 18 by the Encinitas City Council, will be located at the Leichtag Commons on Saxony Road.
The City Council on a 4-1 vote gave preliminary approval Nov. 20 for a JFS proposal to supervise 25 homeless families now residing in their vehicles. Aware that some residents were concerned that the facility could attract other homeless people to Encinitas, Mayor Catherine Blakespear, in a report to her constituents, said the proposed parking lot “will serve people already in Encinitas and provide them with services and counseling to help them get back into traditional housing.”
She stated that Jewish Family Service is “a reputable and highly regarded organization.” She added that JFS , in other initiatives, has been “instrumental in helping legal asylum seekers in the United States, and together with the ACLU and other partners, led the legal effort to end the inhumane family separation policy at the border.”
Explaining the need for the facility, Blakespear went on to say: “When people lose their homes for any reason—a large medical bill, job loss, death or injury of a family wage earner, you name it – many still have a vehicle. If we don’t want them to fall further down into actual street homelessness, it’s critical that help be provided at this stage.”
Jewish Family Service said its Safe Parking areas offer “more than a safe place to sleep at night. It provides a welcoming environment, meaningful resources and tools, and dignified support to help people stabilize and transition back into stable housing. Operating seven days a week from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m., clients meet with housing specialists to develop an action plan with an emphasis on finding housing solutions. We also provide access to bathrooms, handwashing stations, meals/food, benefits assistance, career coaching, financial literacy, parenting classes, and children’s services.”
JFS said that the people assisted by the Safe Parking program “are often experiencing homelessness for the first time, including: veterans, older adults (over the age of 55), college students, and families with young children. The program operates at no cost to the participants.”
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House of Israel appealing for volunteers
The House of Israel in Balboa Park is appealing for more volunteers to help keep the facility open. “Every Saturday and Sunday, we raise our flag and set out brochures and displays (including a life-size cutout of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman at the front door). Once our videos and music are playing and our bourekas are hot, we open the doors. We’re always aware that even a few minutes may be enough to change someone’s perspective, so no matter who comes in or what questions they ask, we greet them with a friendly smile, and answer honestly and respectfully. It’s the best feeling in the world to watch a visitor’s face change, and to know that a mind has changed.” Volunteering is not without its perks, according to Ruth Mastron and Helene Held, respectively the president and executive director of the House of Israel. “From time to time, we have the honor of welcoming VIPs who come to see the great work we do. This year, special visitors included Yehoram Gaon, Israel’s beloved iconic signer, and Ofir Libstein, the new mayor of Sha’ar Hanegev,” which is the partnership region for the Jewish Federation of San Diego County.
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Butterfly Project to spread its wings wider in 2020
Cheryl Rattner-Price, executive director of The Butterfly Project, which seeks to place 1.5 million ceramic butterflies in exhibits around the world to memorialize the 1.5 million children killed in the Holocaust, outlined some of the organization’s other goals. “As you know,” she wrote, “educators are overworked and underpaid. Holocaust education is not being taught effectively in many schools. We need assistance to provide more scholarships and support for educators, and continue providing teachers with access to much needed resources in order to gain in-depth competency about the Holocaust.” In 2020, she said, “we will build a virtual meeting space where our far-reaching network of educators and leaders can share best practices in one place!” Additionally, Rattner-Price said, “We are creating an educational exhibit that is being piloted in 2020 and will grow in partnership with museums, libraries, and community centers.”
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Political bytes
*Congressman Duncan Hunter, taking a break from pretrial hearings in his upcoming trial on charges of misappropriation of campaign funds, told reporters that whether an order from President Trump comes in a Tweet, or via official channels, it should be considered a direct order. Times of San Diego reporter Ken Stone said Hunter was asked outside the courthouse about the President’s firing of Navy Secretary Richard Spencer in a controversy over whether Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher should be permitted to retire with his Trident pin. “In this case,” said Hunter, “President Trump is the Secretary of the Navy’s boss. He’s everybody in the military’s boss. So, when he says something, whether he tweets it or not, or says it in a certain way or not, just because it’s not written in the perfect bureaucratic order or way that we’re used to from other people, doesn’t mean that he doesn’t mean what he says.”
*Back in 2016, when he served as treasurer for the California Young Democrats Latino Caucus as well as for Michael Jackson, who was running for the Chula Vista Elementary School Board, Kelvin Barrios wrote checks to himself to pay for personal, rather than campaign, expenses, the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission determined. The San Diego Union-Tribune’s David Garrick reported that the FPPC recently fined Barrios more than $4,000, which Barrios agreed to pay. Today, Barrios is running to succeed San Diego City Councilwoman Georgette Gomez in the 9th Council District. The FPPC action against Barrios may boost the prospects of rival candidates Sean Elo, Kevin Alston, Sam Bedwell, Andrew Gade, Johnny Lee, Ross Naismith and Elejandro Soto.
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Coming our way
* Women of Beth Jacob Congregation will celebrate Rosh Chodesh Kislev with a sing-along at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 27, at the home of Sarit Reich. For the address and other information contact Beth Jacob’s office via this email.
* Temple Beth Shalom presents a musical play, “Hershel and the Chanukah Goblins,” at 4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 29. The event which will continue through 7 p.m. also will include fresh latkes.
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Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com