Bay Area Reporter - August 16, 2007
Seth Hemmelgarn

James has since died, and the agency itself was struggling to survive just a few years ago. But this year the organization, now known as Positive Resource Center, is commemorating its 20th anniversary.

The center offers free assistance to clients who need help getting health care benefits or re-entering the workforce. Staff members trained in the maze of benefits counseling help clients navigate the complex Social Security system, and employment counselors help with everything from writing cover letters to computer training and job searches.

"It really, honestly does change people's lives," said Jen Olson, president of the agency's board of directors.

Every year, the group holds a benefit gala. This year, the gala will be known as Club Paradise and Paradise Found and will take place over two days û October 13 and 14. A dance-a-thon a the Forum at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts will be part of the festivities on Saturday, with a party at Slide on Sunday. Registration for the dance-a-thon is now under way. There is no registration fee but when the dancers visit the Web site http://www.clubparadisefound.org, they have to commit to raising a minimum of $100, Andrews said.

"It's a great opportunity to celebrate the fact that we're still here," Executive Director Brett Andrews said of the upcoming events.

In 2001, a financial crisis hit the agency, which had to cut staff and almost had to close its doors. Andrews came on board in 2003, and he said the community, board of directors, and government officials û who are especially important in a time of shrinking funds availability û have helped ensure survival with their strong commitment to the organization.

As part of a mutli-pronged approach the agency refined financial schedules and reports, among other cost-saving measures. It also updated figures on how much it costs to provide services to each client, in order to get accurate reimbursements from the government. This helped avoid more staff cuts.

The center serves more than 2,400 clients annually. It has 32 staff members and a budget of almost $3 million, and they've worked to reach out to everyone, including women, people of color, immigrants, people with mental health issues who are at risk for HIV, people who use drugs, and people who have been incarcerated.

Andrews cited Department of Public Health estimates that state more than half of the 20,000 people in the city living with HIV and AIDS are unemployed. Andrews said the agency's clients, 91 percent of whom live at or below the poverty level, may be unaware of what services are available, or aren't able to navigate the system in order to get the right help.

"I was amazed at what they were able to do and help me with," said Jack Barnes, who has used both the benefits counseling and employment services.

Winfort Battle, another client, said he had trouble getting Social Security benefits after finishing an eight-and-a-half year prison sentence, but with the center's help, his benefits were recently reinstated.

"They gave me a lot of help," he said of PRC. "They can't get anything but goodness from me."

Another client, Ross Woodall, said he had gone to other agencies for help looking for a job, but nobody's been able to help him like PRC.

The center "was the only one who really tried to understand me and try to move me forward," he said, rather than trying "to put a square peg in a round hole."

Andrews said the services not only help the client, but they also help the city and county, since their services help keep people off general assistance. Clients who get jobs also contribute to the tax base and employers provide health insurance.

This all means the agency offers a strong return on investment for local government, Andrews said, noting a Department of Rehabilitation study that found the benefits counseling program resulted in a 5-to-1 return for every dollar spent by the city and county of San Francisco.

The jobs include positions in retail, hospitality, and the nonprofit industry. The agency also introduces clients to the Small Business Administration and the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center so they can get help starting their own businesses.

In 2006, the center helped win 492 Social Security disability claims and helped make 384 job placements, 171 of them long-term, Andrews said .

For more information, visit www.positiveresource.org. For more information on the Club Paradise and Paradise Found events, including dance-a-thon registration, visit http://www.clubparadisefound.org.

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