Social Service Outreach
Provides immediate help and support to clients in need.

Outreach begins with listening. Our Social Service Coordinator or designated staff members meets with clients to understand their situation and evaluate the help we can provide to solve their problem or challenge. The list of needs are similar but the circumstances are always unique so each solution is tailored to meet the client's need. A summary of the types of requests we receive include:

• Housing requests
• Domestic violence concerns
• Veterans benefits
• Lost identification documents
• Help with benefit applications
• Clothing requests
• Disaster relief (referrals from the American Red Cross or other agencies)
• Diapers and other products for infant, toddler and adult care
• Transportation concerns
• Nutritional supplements

We try hard to provide immediate response to a client's needs. Sometimes we run out of resources and we provide information as to where a client can get help. Sometimes the problem requires referral to or the involvement of other agencies. This is where our Social Service Referral Referral Program is activated.

Social Service Referral

When the South Bay Outreach Center can't provide an immediate solution to a client's problem or challenge we find a partner agency to help.

We do not just provide an name and a number and pass our clients off to another agency; we help them understand the referral agency's process and many times stay with them through the process as a mentor or coach. Our objective is to get our client's  the help they need. It can be a long and sometimes complicated process.

We have many great partners in our social service support network. Below is a short list of those we frequently call for client support. We recommend your support of these agencies through civic action or fundraising for nonprofit agencies:

• LA 211 LA County - Check out their website for help in many areas: https://www.211la.org/ Call 211 to speak with an intake counselor.

• St. Margaret Center - Located in Lennox, CA. Telephone 310- 672-2208. Website: http://www.catholiccharitiesla.org. We make referrals for utility assistance; immigration processing; adult education classes ( ESL, Citizenship, GED); tutoring for adults and youth; CalFresh and MediCal application assistance; ans mobile shower programs.

• Harbor Interfaith Family Services - Located in San Pedro, CA. Telephone 310 831-9123. Website: www.harborinterfaith.org. We make referrals for shelter, transitional housing, job placement, childcare, education, and life-skills training.

Agency referrals can be very time consuming. We are always looking for volunteer social workers to help easy the workload of our  Social Service Coordinator. If you have the interest and background in providing this type of support, please call Donna Quirk and discuss you interest and availability. You can make a huge difference in the quality of someone's life.