The Hayward Homeless Angels are a group of low-income Hayward natives who create handmade jewelry and artwork for financial support. Most of the art pieces bear a small angel pendant in honor of one of the founders, Jose, who passed away suddenly.

Receiving the Hayward Organization Award for 2012 in late January, the Homeless Angels held their opening art reception in Snappy’s Café last Friday.

Along the red walls in the small cafe hang displays of colorful beaded jewelry, dream catchers, wine ornaments and photography.

Linda Simpson, a Homeless Angel, crafted the dream catchers, wine charms and beaded jewelry. She says she became homeless through several poor relationships.

“I was an in-home support, but I also lived with a boyfriend,” reminisced Simpson. “He came home one day and said he fell in love with someone else. So I threw him out. But when I did that, I became homeless and unemployed and single in one month.”

Simpson says she is currently staying with a friend in South Hayward, everyone of her colorful dream catchers contain a little beaded angel charm. They dangle throughout the web-like design. She tells The Pioneer she learned how to create dream catchers through a Native American ex-mother in law.

Parallel to Simpson’s jewelry hangs Harris’s photographs of diverse cultures, ranging from traditional Eastern festivities, to American Subcultures.

“These are from various events I do,” said Harris referring to his photography gallery. “I’m a cultural photographer. I cover cultural events for the Scots, the Chinese, Japanese, the Mexicans. I cover everything.”

Harris says he is homeless and stays close to Snappy’s Café. He says he receives income from his photographs that he submits to various news outlets and organizations along with photographing various groups, such as the Highland Warriors.

The artists are part of Hayward’s Community Action Network, which uses innovative methods to tackle homelessness through the South Hayward Parish. The Homeless Angels help homeless and low-income individuals gain stability through handcrafted artwork and marketing techniques. In turn they develop self-confidence and professional skills needed in the workforce.

“In a way, it has already benefitted me,” says Armand Harris, a Homeless Angel artist. “As an advocate for CAN, I get to go out and meet people from other groups and it helps me develop my skills. It helps with dealing with people on a professional level and dealing with issues that are in the area.”

Sara Lamnin has been program director of HCAN since 2009 and helped start the jewelry making process by teaching others to create charms; it eventually turned into a peer learning experience.

Lamnin explains the Angels’ mission is focused on homeless individuals who do not have families, and says there are fewer resources available to them.

“A lot of services – never enough – but services tend to follow kids off the street; that’s great we want that. Women and children, victims of abuse, people with severe or chronic health conditions, mental illnesses; of course that’s a good priority system, but that’s where it stops,” explains Lamnin. “If you’re a single male, or a couple without children there are very few options for you.”

Lamnin explains that HCAN has successfully placed 50 participants in homes along with providing assistance to jobs.

Roughly 200 individuals are homeless in the areas of Hayward, Castro Valley and Cherryland, according to South Hayward Parish. The Parish also reports that nearly 40 percent of homeless in Hayward were born there and 78 percent have been residents for over 10 years.

Customers from the South Hayward Parish and other volunteers came to support the Angels.

“They’re beautiful right? But there’s not many left,” said Karen Norell from La Familia Counseling service, which is a member of the South Hayward Neighborhood Collaborative.

“I came to buy,” said Norell. “I just love their work and I have earrings and I have a bracelet and I’m looking at the rings now.”

Proceeds of the Angels’ event go to the artist with some funding going back to sustain the program, states Lamnin.

According to the South Hayward Parish, the action network is the only service hub, or “a nationally recognized key to ending homelessness,” located in Hayward.

Lamnin notes the South Hayward Parish is a congregation of several community organizations that has been running since 1964.

“Next year will be our 50th anniversary,” she said proudly. Although, she adds, even with such efforts the homeless population is growing.

The art show concludes at the end of this month.