Brian Dixon and Dan Lennox Honored
by Georgia Berland
This year’s Spirit of Community Award was presented to Brian Dixon of Petaluma at the Task Force’s October in Paradise event. Brian is a mortgage broker who has used his professional skills many times in COTS’ Rent Right program, and acted as a mentor for many homeless people, helping them to understand what it takes to get back under a roof of their own and to rehabilitate their credit.
Brian also serves on COTS’ board of directors, and is a speaker at COTS presentations. Brian supports COTS as a means to help homeless people. Moreover, he’s developed a program where instead of giving holiday gifts to adults, he makes donations to COTS on their behalf, and he sent a letter to the COTS mailing list suggesting they do the same.
Brian has found a way to use his professional skills to help homeless people and gives unstintingly of his time and gifts in a way that inspires not only homeless people but also other staff.
Dan Lennox – truly an unsung hero - is the worthy recipient of the 2005 Spirit of Service Award. He has been a steadfast and effective outreach worker and trusted advisor to the clients of Community Support Network (CSN) for 20 years. Dan fi rst worked in the CSN drop-in center helping people fi nd resources for housing and medical and mental health. When CSN lost funding for the drop-in center, they looked for a way to keep Dan on the payroll because he was such a great asset to clients. He became an outreach worker, a job he continues today. Because Dan is a mental health consumer, he sets his hours in consultation with his supervisor, and works as much or as little as he needs to maintain his mental stability - generally 2 to 4 hours per day, 4 to 5 days per week.
Dan provides whatever support homeless people need. He helps mental health and non-mental health consumers alike, treating all with equal dignity and respect. Whether it’s a ride to Labor Ready, help with moving in or out of a living situation, connecting with benefi ts assistance, or getting to an appointment on time, Dan is the man people have been depending on for over 15 years. Quiet and unassuming, it’s time Dan was recognized for his role in combating the physical and mental obstacles people face when they are homeless.
Dan expressed gratitude for the $500 check from the Task Force Fund for the Homeless that goes to the service of choice of the Spirit of Service Awardee. He designated these funds to assist homeless mentally disabled CSN clients with bus passes and other emergency assistance.
The Task Force is proud to recognize the outstanding contributions of both Brian Dixon and Dan Lennox with these special awards.