Stay Over Program Family Shelter

Stay Over Program (SOP) is a family shelter located at the Buena Vista Horace Mann K-8 Community School. The program was piloted to address the overwhelming number of families in the school district who lacked safe or stable housing. In partnership with shelter residents, Dolores Street Community Services, 826 Valencia, and the BVHM school, students are designing and fabricating modular beds and storage units while reimagining the dining room/after school area to improve the experience of both the day and night users of the spaces.

During Community Workshops with the Stay Over Program families, parents and children provided design input through various activities, such as exploring kids’ safe spaces, finding out what people carry every day, and identifying what everyone needs for storage. It has been a privilege to work with families and listen to their stories. As we know them better, we continue to hear about the trauma of their journeys, and this understanding helps us create designs that we hope will improve their everyday lives.

More information is on the crowdfunding page https://igg.me/at/SOPBVHM/x/9987947#/