Queertopia Inc

Food Sustainability - checking in on the amount of food CFV residents have meals on wheels grocery store runs often paid for by Queertopia if someone is out of and cant afford food coordinating communal meals with other residents to make sure those who cant cook have something home-cooked redistributing personal food pantry items spending hours at pantries. St Johns Wednesday camp meals & Sat thanks FNB!. SNAP benefits - applying online or in person at Health & Human Services Offices for emergency same-day cards. CFV Residents - rides to JDs nearest grocery store open past 5 PM accepting food stamps. Metro only runs hourly. 2-Year Bus Passes thanks Cap Metro!. Transportation & Advocacy at any needed appointment.

Provided housing for 3-7 individuals at a time at 17101 Tortoise St. Individuals were offered room and board after signing a rental agreement and had no eviction date so long as they complied with shelter rules. 16 guests stayed in the shelter over the course of the year 2023 52 in total from 2021-2023. 94% went directly into housing programs after their stay.

Medical insurance - ordering online or bringing folks to MAP Medical Access Program office switching Medicaid Medicare recipients to dual plans picking out plans creating YourTexasHealth & SSI.gov accounts. Medical Appointments - assisting with scheduling doctor appointments signing up for home health transportation & advocacy at appointments. Calling every morning & closing time to check on cancellations to try to get sooner appointments. There is one phone line for all Lone Star clinics & one for all Community Care clinics. Medication - pickup reminders occasional $ assistance. Reunification - locating and contacting family if someone is unconscious and unstable in the ICU QT has reconnected multiple families this way or at least given a form of closure chance to grieve. COVID vaccinations & aftercare support STI testing.

Vital Documents - mandatory for housing including following up with VitalCheck SS admin & DPS if they havent arrived promptly need more documentation. 50+ questionnaire filled out over time establishing trust. HMIS updates & Coordinated Assessment connections. Service Point IDs & Enhanced Library Cards. Missing Community Members - literally driving on end for hours for days alerting trusted unhoused community members contacting HOST without alerting APD putting out an MPA on a Black person could have very fatal results checking with hospitals morgue & jails. Pets - partnership with Firehouse RoundRock trips to AAC to choose a pet have it spayed neutered get shots register with apartment offer training advice if willing transporting people with their pets occasional food money.

Ranges from: Visiting for an hour-ish every couple of days. Staying at the hospital until we both leave or they are admitted system-impacted people are admitted less frequently and the more marginalized intersections someone is the lower their care might be. Sleeping overnight in the ICU or ER until they wake up then visiting daily every other day having a support system increases chances of recovery. Pushing back at hospital staff if they default to treating a patient as drug-seeking fighting for care when someones been Narcaned EMS regularly Narcan unhoused folks as a line of offense-not because they know they have used drugs because if they have Narcan can be a miracle. Educating staff on bedside manner and why a patient is acting how they are and how to find a solution hospitals have strict meal schedules but you can request double portions. When someone is unable to access their drug of choice it can be physically painful. More food especially sweets helps calm nerves.

House Tidying - assisting in cleaning someones home ranges from organizing paperwork removing expired food disposing of hazardous waste and deep cleaning. Massively improves depression executive functioning. Supplies & Hygiene - bug spray counter cleaners laundry detergent thanks Earth Breeze! deodorant razors etc. Yearly Holiday Gift occasional door decorating. Furniture - Locating on Buy Nothing Marketplace and donors with new items. Physically moving items into apartments & helping arrange how residents want moving items out & into new location if residents move. Household Supplies potentially including dishware TV microwave trash bins towels etc. Community Clothing Closet & Household Repairs.