Speaker Series: Eileen Richardson and Romie Nottage, Downtown Streets Team

Downtown Streets Team is a volunteer Work-Experience program in which homeless and at-risk Team Members beautify their community and provide homeless outreach services in exchange for case management, employment services, and a basic needs stipend.  Through their volunteer work, Team Members rebuild effective work habits, take on leadership opportunities, further their education and ready themselves to reenter the workforce through the support of a positive community. Team Members earn valuable work-experience while improving their city.  Founded in 2005, Downtown Streets Team is now beautifying thirteen Bay Area communities, including San Francisco.  Downtown Streets Team recently started managing a new project in the Tenderloin.

Resheemah White, DST Team Member:  “Everybody's just one paycheck away from being homeless and I think that we all deserve a chance. I wish people had a better understanding of what we go through because a lot of people haven't been homeless so they really don't know. Well, get a chance to know us and you'll see. It feels good that someone is willing to listen and hear me and not just say ‘Oh what she got is not important.’ Because I'm human and I'm somebody, and it feels good to be recognized as somebody.”