Staff

Cherry Bush, Director of Operations, is an Operations Executive with more than 18 years of experience.  She was a Regional Manager for Boston Market for 13 years. She was Director of Operations for Denny’s for five years.  Her outside activities have been with Toastmasters International where she received an Advanced Communicator Bronze, Competition Speaker, and held officer roles as Club President and Area Governor.  She is volunteering with Redondo Beach Police Department, Redondo Beach, California Volunteer Domestic Violence Advocate

STAFF MAIN DUTIES

• - Provide overall program supervision of DIC.
• - Food preparation and serving with Sous Chef
• - Oversee Volunteer Coordination
• - Maintain Budget with Executive Director
• - Provide Reports to the Board of Directors

Melody Garrett, Chef, went to Long Beach City College of the Liberal Arts. She received certificates in culinary arts.  She studied bakery One, Two and Three, gourmet cooking, nutrition, vegetarian, and lastly cake decoration prep One, Two and Three. She worked for the Orange County Boy Scouts of America as a chef for six years. She moved on to work for the Long Beach the Winter Shelter for three years.  She worked with the Christian Outreach in Action, as a cook for the homeless for three years.  She has been cooking for Urban Community Outreach for a year. She is also a cook and a manager for a transitional sober living, running a safe, sober and clean house to help women, homeless to get on the right path to recovery.

STAFF MAIN DUTIES

• - Prepares Food Menu with Operations Manager
• - Helps Operations Manager supervise Volunteers
• - Coordinates with Food Donors & Records Donations
• - Food Preparation and Clean Up with Kitchen Assistants
• - Assists Operations Manager in Analyzing and Evaluating Services
• - Keep a Safe and Pleasant Environment for DIC Program

Celia Guerrero, Housing Coordinator, has worked for the Housing Authority for twenty-two years.  She has moved up from clerical work to being involved with Section 8 clients.  She became a case manager when she was with South Gate Housing Authority.  She had a caseload of 250 clients.  At Long Beach Housing Authority she had a caseload of 380 clients.  She then became a Housing Specialist.  She worked with the homeless and was able to assist them with their housing needs.  She enjoyed being able to assist the homeless population and get them out of the streets and get them housed. After working with the Long Beach Housing Authority for 18 years, she moved on to Pacific Clinic Housing Department in Pasadena, CA where she worked with housing for homeless and youth.  Unfortunately, the commute became too much, so she decided to return to Long Beach, where she joined UCO as our Housing Coordinator to find housing for the homeless in Long Beach.

STAFF MAIN DUTIES

• - Complete all required SAMHSA reporting
• - Compile and maintain lists of resources as needed
• - Participate in steering committee activities, meetings, and program outcomes reporting.
• - Keep a computer file on the client’s progress and treatment plans.
• - Interview people on intake Sundays at the UCO Drop-In-Center and during the week at partner agencies and work on their case during the week communicating with the client guest by phone, computer, and meeting with them when necessary and occasionally driving them.
• - Provide supportive permanent housing case management services to project participants preparing to transition into permanent housing by
• - Assisting them to set and attain their personal goals,
• - Finding the services and resources needed,
• - Helping with VI-SPDT assessment, treatment and recovery,
• - Working with other health and human service providers and landlords.