Walnut Creek students experience homelessness through “Project Safety Net”
Run Date: February 7, 2009
Contra Costa Times
WALNUT CREEK—Up to 50 students at Walnut Creek’s Las Lomas High School will experience what it means to be homeless through HomeAid/Northern California’s “Project Safety Net” starting Monday, Feb. 9 through Thursday, Feb. 12.
Project Safety Net is an immersion project where students give up their “safety nets” and generate increased awareness among fellow students about what life is like for the temporarily homeless.
During Project Safety Net students will have a small bag of toiletries and can give up:
1. Sleeping in a bed
2. Changing clothes
3. Shaving or styling hair
4. Autos – They will be using public transportation, walking or riding a bike to school.
5. Use of cell phones, TV, iPod/video games, computer/Internet
Tuesday, February 10, 6:00 p.m. “A Knight Without A Home”: Starting at 6:00 p.m., HomeAid/Northern California representatives, homeless shelter operators and community leaders will discuss homelessness with students. These will include testimonials from those who have been homeless. Issues to be discussed include myths, stereotypes, how youth are affected and what might be some workable solutions.
Participating students will spend the night on cots in the school gym or cafeteria, as if in an actual homeless shelter. Students will see the movie “From Homeless to Harvard.” Their evening meal will include lentil soup and fruit with oatmeal served at breakfast the following morning. They will attend class in the clothes they slept in.
Community representatives that night to include:
1. Mark Williams and Julie O’Connor – HomeAid/Northern California
2. Ron Marlette – Mission Solano/Fairfield
3. Tim O’Keefe – SHELTER, Inc.
4. Cindy Gershen – Sunrise Bistro (discussing obesity in homeless children)
Los Lomas student Trent Sanson is coordinating the Project Safety Net program as part of the high school’s “Random Acts of Kindness” Week.
On The ‘Moneytrack’
Run Date: February 5, 2009
Program finds home in San Ramon – Model House at Windemere will be used as a set for investment series aired on PBS.
A PBS financial program is using a Dougherty Valley home as a set for filming its upcoming season.
“MoneyTrack” a weekly series that educates readers about investments, was looking for a home to use a set for co-hosts Pam Krueger the show’s creator, and Jack Gallagher to show packaged pieces on various investment topics.
The show looks for a model home to use a set, because many financial decisions are made in the home, said Katie Horgan, the show’s associate producer and marketing manager.
They look for houses in communities that represent a slice of “Americana” — and they found it at a model house on Emerson Lane in the Windemere development. The neighborhood amenities, such as its 18 parks and five schools, won over the show’s producers. Windemere first opened in 2002 and will have about 5,000 homes at build out.
“They have the parks, the community center,” Horgan said.
An 18-member crew filmed at the location Wednesday and will be filming again today. They will return later in the year to do more shots.
The house will be used in about 10 of 15 episodes of the series’ third season, which airs on more than 200 PBS channels.
The episodes will begin airing in September. The program aims to show success stories of everyday people as well as offer advice from big name financial experts such as Warren Buffett and CNBC’s “Mad Money” personality Jim Cramer.
Photo credit: Jim Stevens/Staff
