- Video shows Flood Ministries hosting their monthly Coat and Blanket Drive in the city of Arvin.
- Community members struggling with homelessness were able to receive food, clothes, health services and more.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Flood Ministries hosted another Coat and Blanket Drive that welcomed those in the community struggling with homelessness. 23 ABC spoke to their Program Manager Andrew Dominguez who says that the purpose of this program is to get as many people as possible under a roof.
"Our thing is housing first and before housing we want to make them as stable as possible so that could look like addressing certain issues like substance abuse and providing set gateway, mental health conditions and providing mental health services from whatever healthcare providers are in the area," said Dominguez.
He said that their drive is organized in partnership with multiple agencies including Clinica Sierra Vista and Smile Makers Mobile dental Care.
"Today we have Dr. Bowens who is a mobile dentist service she provides mobile dentist service throughout the county Delano, Bakersfield, and Arvin etc. We also have Clinica Sierra Vista mental health offering mental health services and it always changes throughout the months people who want to show up and donate their time," explained Dominguez.
Though flood ministries provides these services every day, Dominguez says that guests are able to obtain a more intense treatment on these monthly events. "We know that it is a big step for them to be integrated back into society," he said.
The organization has been serving the Arvin community for about a year. Dominguez says that they usually serve the same monthly cohort of 15-20 guests and have managed to house 8 individuals.
"We believe that you know a nonprofit like us can come in and do so much but it really takes a whole village the whole community in order to make true change," said Dominguez.
He added that the Arvin community has been very supportive of their program, so much that flood ministries created a donation store where guests can obtain donated items and learn life skills.
"They receive money and all this stuff to gain those life skills back the whole store is filled up of the donations from the community of Arvin and Lamont."
The Coat and Blanket drive takes place every 4th Tuesday from 10 am to 12 pm and the donation store is available Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4 pm.
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