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Forum topic at college is social services
Help from county and other agencies outlined in Oxnard
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Homeless families, abused women, and children who need medical insurance can get help through services offered by Ventura County and other agencies.
Some of those services were outlined Thursday afternoon at a forum attended by about 50 people at Oxnard College.
"There but for the grace of God go I," said Richard Durán, president of Oxnard College, introducing the five speakers. "We never know what will happen in life."
The forum on social services was one in a series that Durán has organized to encourage discussion between the college and the community.
The next forum, set for April 17, will be about transportation.
Organizations represented at Thursday's forum were the Ventura County Human Services Agency, Child Development Resources, the Ventura County Homeless and Housing Coalition, and the Cyrus Urban Inter-Church Sustainability Network.
The Human Services Agency, for example, offers coaching, counseling and training to prepare people for jobs. The agency also provides child care and transportation for those who need it.
"We can help someone not just get by, but get ahead," said Sonia Kroth, community relations manager.
Child Development Resources provides referrals for child care, although there aren't enough spaces and the cost can be prohibitive, said liaison Rafaela Frausto.
The Homeless and Housing Coalition recently conducted a survey of the homeless in Ventura County. The coalition also has come up with a 10-year plan to end homelessness, said Executive Director Cathy Brudnicki.
"There is no typical homeless person," Brudnicki said. "They're people like you and me who have run into some difficulty in their lives."
The key to helping others is listening and adopting some humility, said James Gilmer, president of the Inter-Church Sustainability Network.
"When you make it neighbor to neighbor, your heart tells you what to do and what's right," Gilmer said.
Posted by JeannetteMedrano on March 18, 2008 at 11:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Okay, but who qualifies for help like this?
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