Emergency Shelter and Supportive Services for Homeless Women and Children https://grants.dudleytdoughertyfoundation.org/proposals-2019/emergency-shelter-and-supportive-services-for-homeless-women-and-children https://grants.dudleytdoughertyfoundation.org/@@site-logo/sitelogo-75x75.png

Emergency Shelter and Supportive Services for Homeless Women and Children

Additional Information
Used for	The requested funds would be utilized for Emergency Shelter and Supportive Services to assist in providing shelter, education, and assistance to homeless women and children who have no other place to go, because of domestic violence, homelessness, addiction, abandonment, or a crisis pregnancy. Hope House provides supportive services for basic needs and furnishes wrap around services to assist homeless individuals and families to overcome fundamental challenges, achieve stability, and improve their lives by assisting with essential services (including food and shelter), counseling services, family stability, medical assistance, life skills training, transportation, and material assistance; as well as, homeless prevention and rapid rehousing assistance.
Benefits	This money will benefit the world by assisting our organization to provide shelter and services so that these individuals may have the opportunity to change their lives and leave our shelter to a permanent residence with the ability, knowledge and the will to become a loving and caring parent and a productive self-sufficient member of our community. As a result, multiple benefits for the individual and the world occur: (1) client and children are less likely to use drugs, become victims of violence, or be involved in criminal activity; (2) client has greater likelihood to remain employed and children have a greater likelihood to advance to the next grade level and graduate from high school; (3)the family becomes self-sufficient and no longer consumes tax dollars, instead they are self-sufficient contributing members of society; (4) the families self-sufficiency positively impacts the workplace, school, community, city, state, and ultimately the world.
Proposal Description	The requested funds would be utilized for Emergency Shelter and Supportive Services to assist in providing shelter, education, and assistance to women and children who have no other place to go, because of domestic violence, homelessness, addiction, abandonment, or a crisis pregnancy. Corpus Christi Hope House provides emergency shelter and supportive services to homeless pregnant women, single mothers, and their dependent children. Our program focuses on creating systematic change among this population to promote human dignity; and empower these individuals to accept responsibility and move toward self-sustainability. We provide: •A home-like emergency shelter •A caring and safe environment for newborns/children/adults •Baby Formula and Diapers •Food •Clothing/Work Clothing •Personal Care Items •Assistance Obtaining Documentation (Photo ID, Birth Certificates, etc.) •School Supplies/Work Supplies •Limited Transportation/Bus Passes/Bus Tokens •Counseling and Support •Educational Opportunities •Parenting/Life Skills Training/Budgeting Classes •Homeless Prevention/Rapid Rehousing Assistance (Rental/Permanent Housing Services) Hope House provides supportive services for basic needs and furnishes wrap around services to assist homeless individuals and families to overcome fundamental challenges, achieve stability, and improve their financial lives by assisting with essential services (including food and shelter), counseling services, family stability, medical assistance, life skills training, transportation, and material assistance; as well as, homeless prevention and rapid rehousing assistance. We provide a stable home for families, so that children can attend school and receive their education, as well as encouraging the parents to attain their GED and attend a college or technical school. Our target population is pregnant women and single mothers with dependent children. Our program provides individuals the opportunity to accept responsibility, to care for their children, further their education, obtain employment, permanent housing and become productive, self-sufficient members of our community with the support of our staff and volunteers. We are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week for women in emergency crisis pregnancy or homeless situations. Our Life Skills Training Program is open to all members of our community. Our residents receive an average of six hours counseling per week with additional counseling and/or training as required for special situations (addiction, abuse, probation, etc.). Our shelter is the only facility in the region that accepts pregnant mothers free of charge that are not considering adoption as their only alternative. Examples of clients in our Shelter Program include: Client 1: Client 1 resides at the shelter with her four children. She has accomplished and met numerous goals while at the shelter. Client 1 worked toward and received her GED Certificate. She is also working at Wesley Community Center; where she started off as a teacher’s aide and has moved to a part-time assistant for the Center as well. Client 1 is on the housing waiting list and is hoping that she will be contacted soon for a unit, so that she can transition into permanent housing with her family. She is currently taking on-line classes for college and hopes to move into her own apartment by the summer. Client 2: Client 2 resides at the shelter with her 2 ½ year old daughter and is 9 months pregnant. Since seeking shelter at Hope House, Client 2 has had complications with her pregnancy and has been hospitalized for over a month. She will have a scheduled C-Section soon and will transition back to the shelter to recover. After recovery, Client 2 plans to update her Health and Human Services, enroll at Workforce Solutions, and setup daycare. She is also on a waiting list for an appointment with MHMR for an evaluation. Hope House is working diligently with Client 2 to establish stability and assist her in meeting her goals. In 2018, Hope House provided assistance to 4,085 clients through our Gabriel Project Community Outreach Program, 54 residents through our Shelter Program, and 102 clients with Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Assistance for a fiscal year record of 4,240 clients served. 57% of the residents were children and 100% of the recipients of the Gabriel Project Community Outreach Program were children. The average length of stay at our shelters was 146 days per resident. 52% of our residents were previously homeless, 57% to escape from domestic violence, 22% for rehabilitation from drug or alcohol abuse, 13% from other facilities, and 30% for support or adoption. The average age of the women at our shelters was 28 years with an ethnic breakdown of 59% Hispanic, 28% Caucasian, and 13% African American. 2 years 9 months was the average age of the children residing in our shelters. 44% of our clients had open cases with Child Protective Services, 22% were on Probation or involved with Divergent Court, 44% were involved in counseling services through MHMR, and 26% were involved with Alcoholics and/or Narcotics Anonymous. Last year, 26% of our residents reconciled with their husband or family members, 33% obtained permanent housing, 9% went to other facilities, and 41% are current residents. The remaining 35% left the shelter for unknown reasons or were removed for failure to abide by the rules (i.e.: drug abuse, theft, fighting, etc.). 65% of our residents completed our Life Skills Training Program, 74% of residential clients were employed part or full-time, and 22% attended GED classes and/or attended college during their stay. Hope House can be considered 100% successful when our residents and their children are off the streets escaping homelessness, domestic violence, sexual abuse, addiction and are receiving assistance, education, counseling and eventually permanent housing. A client shelter report is presented to the board and reviewed at regular monthly meetings. Success is defined when a mother leaves our shelter with the ability, knowledge and the will to become a loving and caring mother and a productive self-sufficient member of our community. The $5,000 from the Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation will be used for the direct expenses of the Emergency Shelter and Supportive Services Program to provide food, clothing, medical assistance, shelter, education, parenting skills, case management, and job training to the clients and their dependent children of our community who are in need. Hope House will provide assistance to 3,800 clients through our Gabriel Project Community Outreach Program, 100 residents through our Shelter Program, and 100 clients with Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Assistance Program. 55% of our residents will be previously homeless, 30% will be fleeing from domestic violence, 20% will be seeking rehabilitation from drug or alcohol abuse, 10% will come from other facilities, and 5% will receive support services. 25% of our residents will reconcile with their husband/family members and 30% will obtain permanent housing. 60% of our residents will complete our Life Skills Training Program, 50% of residential clients will be employed part or full-time, and 20% will attend GED classes and/or attend college during their stay. The Emergency Shelter and Supportive Services Program will positively impact the world as the lives of our clients are positively changed. Changes that will occur for the children as a result of our program are a stable living environment; support and encouragement to succeed in school; adequate school supplies, clothing, food, and rewards; and an improved self-esteem and self-image to succeed. Changes that will occur for parents as a result of our program are improved parenting skills, knowledge and the will to become a loving and caring parent, improved educational background with the skills necessary to attain employment, acquire or maintain permanent housing, and become a productive self-sufficient member of our community.