Help "Clean Up" Myths about the Homeless 4/29 in East San Rafael with the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce Leadership Institute

Local community leaders from the San Rafael Leadership Institute, business owners, Mayor Phillips, City Council members Gamblin, Colin, McCullough, and County Supervisors Connolly, Sears, Arnold and Rice, as well as volunteers will join members of the Downtown Streets Team, a Bay Area nonprofit homeless employment assistance organization, to clean up East San Rafael. The event, hosted by the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce Leadership Institute, will clean up three routes throughout East San Rafael the morning of Friday, April 29th. Board Chair Robert Herbst will open the program at 8:30 am at the Marin County Health & Wellness Campus at 3240 Kerner Blvd in San Rafael and will be joined by Supervisor Damon Connolly and Supervisor Katie Rice.

This event will integrate homeless people with other members of our community to expose homelessness myths by working alongside members of the Downtown Streets Team. The cleanup day aims to myth bust commonly held beliefs about homelessness; and provide a platform to connect the business community with homeless job seekers in hopes of creating meaningful employment experiences - all while cleaning up the streets of East San Rafael.

With 1,309 homeless individuals in Marin County, the San Rafael Leadership Institute understands the societal importance of homelessness on the landscape of our community. It is the number one concern of San Rafael residents and a growing concern for business owners in San Rafael. Bob Herbst, current San Rafael Chamber Board Chair, said, “This project hopes to show the community that by giving the homeless the tools, resources and services they need to be successful, they can be productive members of our community. We hope to strengthen collective efforts to move people off the streets and into jobs.”

The Downtown Streets Team’s success of moving people into employment and into homes is evident. “To date, we’ve helped obtain jobs for 59 Team Members and helped secure housing for 31 people in Marin County,” reported Logan McDonnell, Project Manager of the Marin County Streets Team and current Leadership Institute member. He stressed the importance of job creation and building self-esteem among team members, in addition to the commitment to beautify our city and county.

Joanne Webster, President and CEO of the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce, underscored the importance of helping the homeless members of Downtown Streets Team get jobs, explaining that cleaning up our streets is about more than employment success — it is “about dignity, respect, and providing opportunities for fragile members of our society.”