The Farley House
The Farley House, named after Sister Julia Mary Farley, who was appointed by Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, to head the founding program in 1984, expanded its mission from an emergency shelter and drop-in center to creating transitional residences, including a “Women’s Village.” In 2008, the final piece of the Women’s Village was completed with the opening of the Farley House. This residence is a transitional shelter/residence for mothers with up to two children, accommodating up to 21 households. There is an Employment and Client Services Center and The Family Services Program. They are a part of the Good Shepherd Center for Homeless Women and Children, whose mission is to empower women and their children to move from homelessness to self-sufficiency through housing, employment, and support services, offered with dignity and love. They serve a diverse population of Los Angeles, representing a wide variety of races, religions, and backgrounds.
The Farley House wants to build a future for these women and break the cycle of poverty and homelessness, by giving women the skills and resources to build independent lives for themselves and their children. The women who come through their doors all have their own story; some are domestic violence survivors, have suffered job loss or divorce, have undergone health problems, or experienced unexpected life circumstances that led them to a life of homelessness.
Residents of Farley House receive the following services:
-Shelter in furnished one-bedroom apartments
-Case management including assistance with finding long-term affordable housing
-Access to the computer lab
-Access to life skills workshops and parenting classes
-Dedicated children, teen, and family programs
-Advocacy and support for family reunification
-Aftercare.
The grant from the Rest Cottage Association helps to provide all these needed services, to a community and population who are under-served. One such story is a 24-year-old, pregnant woman with twins, who was assured her mother would help her. Her mother died five days after giving birth and the father was not involved. Having lost her grandparents, mother and one of the twins, she could not maintain her job at the Post Office. After experiencing life on Skid Row, she found The Good Shepherd Center. Four years after losing her mother and son, she moved into the Farley House. She received counseling to help with her trauma and plans to continue her education and get a permanent position. “It is hard to find direction when you don’t know where you will be sleeping tonight or even next week. Now there is no pressure.”
The Farley House maintains partnerships with a variety of other agency and organizations to ensure they are providing the best care and resources to the families they serve. They continue to partner with PATH-Beyond Shelter, to connect the families to their family rapid-rehousing program. This partnership is crucial in helping clients enter permanent housing and helps the client maintain their housing as well.
