At Raphael House, we mourn the death of #GeorgeFloyd and the many black lives lost through unnecessary violence.
Raphael House continues to foster physical and emotional safety in our Residential Shelter and Bridge Programs to help families heal from traumas, grow stronger together, and move forward in life feeling confident and able to succeed.
Being homeless is itself a trauma that injures family bonds, but for most Raphael House families there are a multitude of additional traumas that often precede and accompany homelessness. Racial inequality, extreme poverty, exposure to violence and dangerous environments, and repeated loss of family members through death or removal by the state are just a few of these.
According to The National Alliance to End Homelessness, African Americans make up 40% of the homeless population despite only representing 13% of the general population. In San Francisco, 37% of the homeless population is disproportionately black (source).
Raphael House is always looking ahead and thinking of ways to better support the families in our Residential Shelter, most of which are black families or families of color. We thank and appreciate our supporters and community partners who enable us to continue serving the hard-working families in our Programs.
Our team continues to meet regularly to better support families in our Residential Shelter as they work on their self-identified needs. We provide trauma-sensitive wellness check-ins and individual or family support sessions, and external referrals to trained professionals as needed. In addition, families continue to have access to our services after leaving our Residential Shelter through our Bridge Program.
At Raphael House, families can begin taking steps towards recovering from those traumas, and it is especially important in this moment that we continue our supportive services as families in our Residential Shelter and staff grieve.
The past few months have been especially difficult to navigate, but we remain alongside our neighbors experiencing trauma. Our hearts are with the families of #GeorgeFloyd, #AhmaudArbery, #BreonnaTaylor and everyone who is navigating these challenging times.
We thank you for continuing to support Raphael House, our team, and the families who call it home.
*Art above is by children in our Residential Shelter Program.