Building an Expanded Funding Source for F.U.S.I.O.N. Housing https://grants.dudleytdoughertyfoundation.org/proposals-2013/building-an-expanded-funding-source-for-f.u.s.i.o.n.-housing https://grants.dudleytdoughertyfoundation.org/@@site-logo/sitelogo-75x75.png

Building an Expanded Funding Source for F.U.S.I.O.N. Housing

Additional Information
Used for	FUSION’s mission statement is, “to provide housing and support services to the homeless in our community so they will have a safe, secure environment as they work toward self-sufficiency.” For twenty years FUSION has relied solely on donations from individuals, businesses, and grants. Funding from the Dougherty Foundation will be used to help cover start up costs for a new, self-sustaining source of funds for FUSION’s primary mission. The new source of funding will be a FUSION store, or boutique, that will offer donated, higher quality merchandise for sale to the public, and will be operated by FUSION volunteers.
Benefits	FUSION enables families to move from homelessness to stability and independence. At the end of this application are a couple of recent examples of how FUSION has improved the lives of homeless families who just needed a chance to succeed. Growing FUSION”s funding sources will allow us to serve even more homeless families.
Proposal Description	FUSION was formed over twenty years ago through the efforts of a small group of community members concerned for the plight of homeless families in the Federal Way/Tacoma area. Their efforts have now grown to include 17 units accommodating 17 families. FUSION has given nearly 200 families a chance to move from destitute homelessness to self-sufficient and productive lives. Partnered with Catholic Community Services (CCS), each family is provided a safe, comfortable home and the support services needed to become independent. These services include financial counseling, mental health counseling, job-skill development, completion of education, and advancing the success of children both at home and in school. Through the partnership with CCS, FUSION can proudly claim an 85% success rate in guiding its formerly homeless families toward independence. The plan is for these same families to take control of their lives once again. FUSION is a 100 percent volunteer organization. FUSION Boutique will also be an all-volunteer entity. We keep administrative and operating expenses very low to pass on the value of every dollar contributed for the benefit of the families we serve as efficiently as possible. FUSION’s total expenditures in 2012 were just over $200,000. Community fund raising through donations and an annual fund raising event have netted enough to cover those expenses. FUSION’s goal is to expand its funding sources and add additional housing by raising sufficient operational funding for the management and maintenance of the housing units. Each additional unit costs FUSION approximately $10,000 per year for operational support and maintenance. FUSION Boutique will provide the funds needed for the additional units as well as providing funds for the maintenance and operation of the current units. In addition, FUSION Boutique will provide a visible presence in the community for the FUSION organization. FUSION Boutique will benefit the Federal Way Community by providing additional volunteer opportunities and creating a sense of community ownership in addressing the homelessness issue in Federal Way. Here are just two examples of FUSION’s impact on families we have served: - A family came to FUSION just over 18 months ago in need of help. Mom had left an abusive marriage with two small children (ages 5 and 2), no job history, no rental history, no money of her own, and very little hope. During her time in FUSION, she and her children participated in support groups and got the counseling they needed to begin their new life. Mom filed for divorce, got her own vehicle and was awarded a paid internship with the Multi Service Center in Federal Way through the THRIVE program. Her 5 year old son started school and got the tutoring help and speech therapy he desperately needed. Her 2 year old daughter settled into daycare. Mom completed her six month paid internship and enrolled in the YWCA Bankworks Program. This is a relatively new program and consists of six weeks of intensive training, 40 hours weekly. A participant is required to not miss any training and to develop professional skills, with support, at a remarkable rate. During this time, Mom’s abuser (her ex husband) found out where she was living and had a violent interaction with her. She felt strong enough at this time to file charges against him, and continue with the Bankworks Program. Although she was traumatized by seeing him again, she continued to move forward. She completed the Bankworks Training and interviewed with several banks in the South King County area. She was hired by Key Bank and has been there for almost a year. She is in consideration for a lead position at this time, and is ranked 3rd in sales as a teller, for the Pierce County and King County branches of Key Bank. In her time in Fusion, Mom has also paid off outstanding debts, was granted a divorce, begun to build her credit and work with a financial advisor at the bank she where she works. Her son plays Little League football and is involved in the Biddy Wrestling program also. Her daughter will be attending kindergarten in the fall. The family will be moving into permanent market rate housing in January 2014. Without the time they had with FUSION, Mom feels this would never have been possible. She used the time to heal from past abuse and realize her strength and potential as the leader of her family and a member of the community. - A family came into the FUSION program in June of 2012. The family had only been living in the United States for nine months. The family is from Ethiopia. Mom, Dad and their 2 year old daughter were given the opportunity to come to the US through the lottery program. They had no family here, knew no one in the US, but knew that they wanted to give their daughter an opportunity for a better education and a better life. The sponsor they lived with when they first moved here was not supportive and told them to leave her home after being here only a month. They were made to live and sleep in the basement of this house, with no heat and were unable to cook and prepare food. They knew very little English, and had very limited savings. They left the sponsor’s home and lived with different people from their church on and off for months. They stayed at 9 different homes in 3 months. This was also during the winter time, and they had never experienced cold weather. The family finally got a place in a shelter, where they stayed for two months before coming to FUSION. Dad had an unpaid internship with the YWCA at the time and Mom was taking ESL classes. Their daughter was attending daycare and they were all trying to learn English and assimilate to life in the United States. During their time in Fusion, Dad was hired full time by LIHI (Low Income Housing Institute) as a maintenance/pest control worker. He is state certified in Pest Control Compliance. He has also begun taking classes at Renton Technical College to become a Housing Specialist. Mom is completing a nursing program at Highline Community College. They are connected with an Ethiopian Church and have begun making friends and building their life in the Federal Way area. Their daughter is in preschool and will begin kindergarten in the fall of 2014. The family now owns two vehicles and was able to get a loan for the second vehicle, to build their credit in the US. They save money each month and are planning on staying in Federal Way when they leave Fusion. They will leave with a glowing rental history as well as experience living in a condominium community. They have worked hard to build their life in the United States and feel without the opportunity to live in a FUSION home, they would not have completed the things they have completed and would not have been able to provide a safe and nurturing environment for their daughter. Dad now wants to work as a housing specialist in a supportive housing program because it has changed his life, and he wants to give back to the community, the chance he has been given.