Business Issues Forum- Homelessness Roundtable

Description

Join fellow businesses, civic leaders and community members at this monthly forum to learn about and discuss topics from our current news and business issues headlines, from local to national levels. 

November's Topic: 
Homelessness Challenges & Solutions
We will have three speakers at this roundtable:

Colleen Berumen
Executive Director
Vacaville Solano Services Corporation

Kari Rader
Executive Director
Change and New Beginnings

Lieutenant Katie Cardona
Field Operations Division, Public Information Officer
Vacaville Police Department

About the Speakers:
Colleen Berumen
Executive Director
Vacaville Solano Services Corporation (Opportunity House)
 
Colleen has been the Executive Director of Vacaville Solano Services Corporation since 2017. VSSC operates Opportunity House, a work-to-housing, sober living shelter; My Friend's House, a Housing First shelter for Transitional Age Youth (18-24 yrs); and Youth Rising, a youth outreach program that is located at Vacaville High School and Will C. Wood High School.  VSSC’s mission is to break the cycle of homelessness.  
 
Specifically, VSSC Mission Statement is to meet the needs of Solano County’s homeless population by providing support, essential resources and shelter, with the goal towards self-sufficiency. The VSSC Vision Statement is to advocate for collaborative, locally driven solutions that effectively connect transitional age youth, women, men and families to the community resources available in Solano County to break the cycle of homelessness.
 
Collen has been married for 43 years, has lived in Vacaville for 47 years, loves golfing and family time, not specifically in that order. She is the current President of Soroptimist International of Vacaville Twilight, a Director on the Vacaville Chamber Educational Foundation Board, and a Director on the Saturday Club Foundation Board.

Kari Rader
Executive Director
Change and New Beginnings (CAN-B)

Kari is the Executive Director of CAN-B Change And New Beginnings, formerly Community Action North Bay. She began her nonprofit career at Opportunity House in 2006 and has been in homeless services since. CANB has been in existence for over 50 years and currently operates six houses that house formerly homeless people, 4 of which house formerly homeless Veterans. The homes are in regular neighborhoods in Dixon and Fairfield. CANB recently opened New Beginnings Shelter, formerly Heather House, and currently houses 18 people there along with 10 in the subsidized rental apartments. CANB provides rental assistance for the homeless and those at risk of homelessness. The agency has a food giveaway and mail distribution program three days a week, and also provides Representative Payee Services to those on SSDI who need assistance with managing their benefits. CANB remained open and operating throughout the Pandemic.

Kari is the Chair of the Solano Continuum of Care and sits on multiple committees such as the Racial Equity Action Lab and The Lived Experience (of Homelessness) Committee. She resides in Vacaville and has been a Solano County resident since 1999. She is married, has a daughter and a grandson. Kari was born in San Francisco and is a 4th generation Californian.


Lieutenant Katie Cardona    
Field Operations Division, Public Information Officer
Vacaville Police Department

Lieutenant Katie Cardona began her law enforcement career in 2007, when she was originally hired as a
police officer with the Antioch Police Department. She made a lateral career move to her hometown, at the Vacaville Police Department in 2015. 

During her career, she has been assigned as a Detective of violent crimes, sexual assault, crimes against children, and gang investigations. She has served as a Field Training Officer, and Master Police Officer. She was promoted to Sergeant in 2019, where she was assigned as a patrol supervisor. Additionally, she supervised the Field Training Program, Social Media Team, the Recruitment Team, and served as the Public Information Officer. In 2021, she was assigned as the Sergeant of the Community Response Unit.

Katie was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in March, 2022. She currently serves as a patrol Watch
Commander, and oversees the Hiring and Recruitment Team, as well as the Youth Services Section. She
continues to serve as the Public Information Officer for the department. Katie holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the California State University, Sacramento and enjoys time with her family and traveling.