Daniel Pena

I have included an article I wrote for a newsletter on our current Champion Guidance Center intern Daniel Pena:

Daniel Pena stared at a giant frosted cake, pleasantly surprised at the chorus of Happy Birthday ringing forth from the street-weathered faces of the Champion Guidance Center guests. "You guys got me a cake, and half an hour later, I was offered a job. It was a great birthday," he recounted. As an Intern, Daniel is expected to lead "in-service" guests (homeless men who volunteer to serve other homeless men). He is responsible for tracking services provided, keeping the center clean, and providing information and referrals to those in need. The hardest and most rewarding part of the job, Daniel explained, is fostering a supportive culture amongst a community of men who's spirits are broken by years of institutionalization and life on the streets. Daniel knows all about these challenges, because he too has been homeless.

During the colder months, Daniel slept at Oakland Army Base Winter Shelter beside the same men he served at the Guidance Center. After his first experience with homelessness in 2002, Daniel has been in and out of work. Like many of his clients, he became involved at the Men's Center for the free laundry and shower services. Soon, he began volunteering to stay active. He recalled, "It felt good to help… it was satisfying to be doing something." Daniel enjoyed being able to give something back to the organization that had helped him, while simultaneously supporting others in need.

Daniel's paid internship is part of what is now being called transitional employment. The three to six month part-time job is designed to provide the employee with some income and recent work experience as he or she seeks something more permanent. Since taking over the position last March, Daniel has found a new calling. "Before I was looking for office work, or just something I had done before. Now, I want to do something that I really enjoy and get more out of. I am interested in case management." The intern position at SVdP, has helped Daniel to make the contacts he needs to later transition into this field.

"One of the most important things I learned was how to handle a crisis or emergency situation in a professional way." Daniel has developed relationships with other SVdP programs and local resources in an effort to promote the supportive and collaborative culture within the downtown campus. Daniel feels his greatest impact on SVdP has grown out of these relationships, which he has developed with both his coworkers and clients, "I fuse the positive in there with the negative and I help people to look upon themselves differently."