A place to live, a place to work, a place to belong.

Expand existing program

While this is being submitted by Kingdom Causes Bellflower (KCB), expertise will be solicited from area volunteers, other non-profit organizations, small businesses, churches, law enforcement and city leadership. In addition, this program will collaboratively promoted by local constituencies, and referrals for participation will be solicited from partner agencies.

People who struggle with homelessness face many barriers. These barriers include affordable housing, deficient job opportunities, addictions, mental health difficulties, and lack of supportive communities. Overcoming barriers often requires long-term solutions. While it is valuable to prioritize major obstacles, there is value in addressing practical lifestyle gaps. Life skills classes give neighbors a chance to discover new abilities and put knowledge towards individual growth. By addressing lifestyle and environment, residents build on their likelihood of success. The use of an expanded volunteer program increases the investment of broader society in community development. Transformation for our homeless and low-income neighbors will result in housing retention and increase their contribution to the community. The “Strong Neighbors” program will allow development of needed skills to obtain and retain housing, while providing support that cannot be fully offered by case management.

Kingdom Causes Bellflower (KCB) helps people get off the street, provides support services to those at risk of homelessness, creates pathways to sustainable work through social enterprise, and offers training and education to the community. KCB inspires, equips, and mobilizes hundreds of volunteers each year from churches, businesses, city leadership, service clubs, and other non-profit organizations. By balancing services, partnerships, and ongoing community dialogue, KCB maintains a philosophy that all of us are better than any of us. KCB dreams of a flourishing community where everyone has a place to live, a place to work, and a place to belong. KCB was founded in 2001 by residents who desired collaborative solutions to the tangible challenges facing low-income families. Today, KCB is an experienced homeless services provider but also utilizes existing neighborhood resources, facilitates strategic conversations, and seeks solutions that maximize community investment.

The population served by Kingdom Causes Bellflower (KCB) is the low-income residents of Bellflower, California, though the organization also serves residents from surrounding cities in Los Angeles County. These cities include Artesia, Cerritos, Compton, Downey, Lynwood, Norwalk, and Paramount. Our proposal will provide practical, developmental skills for 150 individuals who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness. There will be 12 different educational opportunities, and emphasis will be placed on recruiting a diversity of volunteer facilitators, including formerly homeless individuals. The indirect impact will encompass the larger constituency of KCB, and include aspects of awareness and opportunities for volunteering.