Here’s a note from our partner of the month!
Travelers Aid Society of Greater New Orleans provides services to unhoused individuals in New Orleans, Louisiana. Its Frontlines Street Outreach team focuses on those unhoused individuals who are not being served in traditional drop-in or shelter settings, for any reason, and thus endeavors to bring services directly to people wherever they are living - in encampments, parks, doorways, sidewalks, abandoned buildings, vehicles, etc.
So far in 2023, our Frontlines Street Outreach team has reconnected 68 unhoused individuals to their vital documents, and this has opened doors for many of them to go on to accomplish other goals. For instance, two of our unhoused clients were able to purchase Amtrak tickets to return home to live with family once they had their IDs, as Amtrak now requires ticket holders to show ID. Several other clients have used their IDs to prove their identity to their banking and financial institutions, which has allowed them to regain access to funds they have been cut off from for weeks or months. Others have used their IDs to prove their eligibility for SNAP benefits, housing programs, or employment opportunities.
Truly, it all starts with an ID, so we are very grateful to Spread the Vote + Project ID for letting us offer vital document assistance with so few barriers - we do our best to meet our clients where they are, and Project ID meets us where we areby providing us the flexibility and funds to help our clients immediately.
