Local homeless provider looks to the future

By Dave Schwab

Father Joe’s Villages, the “patron saint” of the downtrodden as San Diego’s largest homeless services provider, recently unveiled a new brand identity, logo and website.

The move signals a new chapter for the 65-year-old organization in its quest to end homelessness “one life at a time.”
The new brand formalizes the familiar “Father Joe’s Villages” as the name that now represents all of the nonprofit’s services and locations, including those available through its affordable housing developments — St. Vincent de Paul Village, Toussaint Academy school for homeless children and Josue Homes.

Deacon Jim Vargas, president/CEO of Father Joe’s Villages, said it was time to revitalize the humanitarian organization’s mission, as well as end confusion over the name of the organization and all its distinctive parts.

“We have a good history and a lot has been accomplished, but it was time to refresh,” Vargas said. “There’s been confusion out there about who we are. Are we Father Joe’s Villages, or St. Vincent de Paul or Toussaint Academy or Josue? We didn’t want to come up with a totally new name. So we decided to go with ‘Father Joe’s Villages’ as the umbrella name.”

The rebranding is part of Father Joe’s renewed effort to get word out to the greater community about the growing need for homeless services.

“We want people to get re-energized and re-interested in our brand, what we do in our mission,” Vargas said. “With this branding, you’ll be seeing a lot of new fresh media being put out there whether it be banners, print, radio spots, etc.”

A big part of St. Joe’s rebranding is its new logo, created by long-time Father Joe’s supporter and local marketing leader, Mires Ball.

“For almost 20 years, Mires Ball has volunteered with and supported Father Joe’s Villages in its mission to end homelessness, so this task was close to our hearts,” said Scott Mires, partner and creative director at Mires Ball. “Ending homelessness is important to our community and our work led us to a brand that we feel perfectly captures the mission and passion of Father Joe’s in a new and forward-focused way.”

The new logo, in the shape of an eight-pointed star on a yellow background with a cross at its center, was chosen for its rich symbolism and representation of the organization’s essence.

“The star is a beacon of hope for those we serve,” Vargas said. “Its eight points each have a home which stands for our residences here. We want our residents to be able to take care of themselves and their families in their own homes.

“Collectively, all of those eight homes stand for a village and a community,” he continued. “And eight is a Biblical term that represents wholeness. At the center, which is foundational for us, is a cross that symbolizes our faith and service.”

To allow the new logo to shine, Father Joe’s Villages also recently launched its new website, neighbor.org, with easier-to-use navigation, simplified language and updated website interactivity.

Vargas said Father Joe’s message, that homelessness is out there and needs to be addressed, is the same. But, as the number of homeless and the problems associated with them continue to grow, getting word out about services that are available to help them becomes even more immediate.

“On any given night, there are about 8,700 people in San Diego County who are homeless, and only about half of them are sheltered,” Vargas said. “About 1,000 of them are unaccompanied children. That’s a big number and especially heartbreaking. We need to make sure the public and government leaders are aware of the situation, as it takes a concerted effort to deal with it.”

Father Joe’s Villages prepares up to 3,000 meals and works with more than 1,500 individuals daily, from infants and adolescents to adults and seniors. This includes 200-plus children and more than 200 military veterans.

As an industry thought-leader, Father Joe’s offers solutions to address the complex needs of the homeless, regardless of age, race, culture or beliefs.

The organization’s primary goal remains to transform lives and end the cycle of homelessness. To this end they provide housing, healthcare, food, clothing, education, job training and child development in an internationally modeled “one-stop-shop” approach.

This mission is made possible only through the efforts of compassionate staff, dedicated volunteers and generous public and private donors.

For more information, visit neighbor.org.

— Dave Schwab can be reached at [email protected].