Sustainability?

Hi everyone!

My name is Sandra Holt, and I am a part-time member serving with Every Woman’s Place/Webster House Youth Services in Muskegon. I want to start out by saying that this year has been a real eye-opener! I decided to apply for this position after interning with this agency last summer. It has been a great way for me to develop in skills in other areas (previous experience was working with delinquent youth and adult victims of domestic violence/sexual assault) and help address this social injustice. I am very proud of the accomplishments I’ve made this year, and more importantly, the people that I’ve helped. It has solidified my notion that I want a career in the social work field, and I’ll be attending a social work graduate program in the fall.

At this agency, Tenant Based Rental Assistance helps assist homeless families and youth with long-term rental assistance. By providing funding for apartments, we hope to set up clients for successful, sustainable housing after the program phases out. While in theory, this program makes a lot of sense (and with some clients it definitely plays out well), I’ve noticed a lot of our clients haven’t been able to sustain housing once rental assistance was over. This is disheartening because we work hard to try and motivate them for their own benefit, but sometimes clients can’t find jobs or just aren’t interested in making the extra effort. This isn’t always the case… We have clients who flourish and really make strides during their time in programming. We  provide casework services and attempt to link them with other services in the community, but I guess I am wondering if any of you have had similar experiences with clients, essentially, falling apart and becoming homeless again? We try to teach them life skills and set them up for success by being a support system and resource guide, but it doesn’t always work out. Anyone have any thoughts or insight on this?

-Sandra Holt

Walking Wikipedia

Hi everyone! My name is Corey Saylor. I am serving my AmeriCorps service with the Macomb County Rotating Emergency Shelter Team (MCREST). Like most of you, I can't believe that our service is almost over for the year. I am happy that AmeriCorps survived the budget cuts and will proudly be serving another year starting in October. I hope that many of you will as well!

As I look back at the time I have served with AmeriCorps and MCREST I get overwhelmed by how much I have learned in such a short time. I feel like I am a walking Wikipedia for the agencies and their roles in Macomb County.

Serving the homeless cause has proven to be such a rewarding task. I have met so many beautiful people in the last nine months. I have been truly blessed. The perseverance of not only the clients but of the case managers that do everything they can for them is something I truly admire and strive for.

AmeriCorps has opened up so many doors for me. It has given me the opportunity to give my future career a test run. I am glad to say that my choice to become a social worker is a permanent one! AmeriCorps has also allowed me to network with those in Macomb County and at times those in Wayne and St. Clair County. Let us not forget that serving as an AmeriCorps member looks pretty wicked on a resume! I believe this will be very beneficial when I seek employment in the social work field.

Although I am very proud of my service and I look forward to next year, I fear that history will repeat itself. We were all on edge for a few months when the government was making budget cuts. We all know our service has a positive impact on the communities we live in. I am glad the government made the right decision to keep AmeriCorps going; for how long is the question. Also, I fear the snail like pace grants are accepted and approved at. MCREST has not had sufficient housing assistant funds since January 1st. How are we to end homelessness or prevent future homelessness without the tools necessary to do so?

During my service this year I have learned a few valuable lessons; do not back down, voice your opinion, and there is always, always a loop hole in the system. The most important lesson I have learned is education is the key. Every volunteer I have encountered at MCREST has a light bulb go off during their service and they get it. They understand that the people MCREST help truly have no one and no place to go. The clients I have encountered are unaware of all the resources available to them. Many believe DHS is the first and last stop. When I signed up for AmeriCorps I did not expect to become a teacher of the homeless epidemic, but I am glad I am able to do so. I encourage all of you to educate those you encounter about the agency you serve at, AmeriCorps and homelessness in general.

I wish you all a great summer and look forward to serving with you in the future.

Eye Opening Experience

Hi! My name is Chennelle Dismond and I am an Americorps Member serving at Metro Community Development in Flint, MI. I have been afforded the opportunity to serve in such an awesome organization addressing the housing needs of the community in a dynamic manner, surrounded by individuals who truly care about each and every client that walks through the door. The programs housed in this agency signify that “Partnering to Build Strong, Vibrant Communities” is not just the opening phrase in Metro’s Vision & Mission statement, but it is a sentiment that is woven into the very fabric of the agency and as a whole.
Before coming to serve at Metro as an Americorps Member, I had my own ideas about what homelessness looked like and what some of the causes could possibly be, however I never could have imagined many of the cases and/or causes that I have encountered over the past 7 months. Moms and their children living in cars, parks, or even abandoned buildings getting up going to school and work each day, not knowing where they would end up that night or how about the senior citizen taking care of a handicapped elderly sibling forced to decide on medication or paying the heat bill in the middle of a Michigan winter? Many of the faces of homelessness looked like me, to my amazement. To see an individual all made up, dressed in office attire, and revving to go; all the while sadness and wonderment locked behind their eyes and a cloak of pride to hide it all as the face of homelessness, left me in complete awe. I could have never imagined the many stories and faces of homelessness in our community and those abroad, that simply don't fit the bill of what homelessness used to be or what many still seem to think.
The upside to this is that there are agencies partnering and initiatives put in place to eradicate this seemingly growing epidemic. I am so very fortunate to have the opportunity to serve my fellow man and community in the capacity which I have. The services offered to every client that comes through our doors are not just tangible windows of opportunity, but also access to mental tools for success, by way of information. The consistent encouragement to attend every and any training and outreach that is pertinent to the success of the population we are working with is one of the many focuses of the agency where I am serving. Sometimes just the passing on of a little information can knock down barriers of most any size and/or origin. I have always been taught that "Knowledge is Power" and I know for a matter of fact that it truly is. Assisting clients in need of emergency services and linking them with the available community resources has been one of the most rewarding elements in my service. To see the sheer relief in a mother's face that her pending eviction has been thwarted and her babies' home is safe, or to receive a bear hug from an entire family because now they get to have heat in their home, or even to meet an expectant mom who's been couch surfing for over a year and be able to tell her that we can help get you into a home and also help you to stay there are just a the tip of the iceberg of rewarding experiences I can now claim in my life. These individuals and their circumstances, amongst many others I've met along the way, have not only "Opened My Eyes" in a new way to the world around me, but have begun to reshape my views on service, community, outreach and resources. I believe that because of my service as an Americorps Member serving in such an agency as Metro Community Development I am not only becoming a much better more informed person, but a far more effective and productive one in my community as well and for those reasons and this opportunity I am and shall always be grateful to Americorps and Metro Community Development.

A Taste of What Could Be...

We are not alone…However, I felt quite alone, as I was standing at the top of a ladder scraping lead based paint from the side of a house. My shoulders were getting tired. My feet were sore from standing on the ladder so long, and the rays of the sun were baking me in the biohazard suit I was wearing.

I needed a rest, and as I shifted on the ladder preparing to descend, the sights and sounds of my surroundings caused me to pause. Looking down to the ground, it is as if I noticed for the first time how many people there were working around me, not just on the house I was working on, but all up and down the street. Everyone was working so hard, sweaty and dirty. But I was surprised by the number of smiles I saw on peoples' faces and the sheer volume of laughter in the air.

The environment held a sense of familiarity, and as I reflected on it, I realized that what I was sensing was a carnival like atmosphere. What a contrast to the normal turn of events…hard work usually precipitating groans and complaints, yet what I was observing was the very opposite…hard work—service—bringing about joy. Why couldn’t this be the norm? Or could it?

Was this a taste of what could be?

How often are we told to dream big, only to be scorned for being unrealistic when we have dreamt? Similarly, how often are we told to be realistic, again, only to be scolded by others for not thinking big enough?

The question is, “Really, what is possible?” Is it possible to end homelessness and poverty? Is it possible to make the world a better place? Is it possible to truly make a difference?

When the beach is covered with starfish withering in the sun, do we return them to the ocean taking hope that we make a difference by even saving one, or do we throw our arms up in despair at the mountain of need and suffering before us?

Simply, is the glass half-full or half-empty? Should we be hopeful, or should we be despairing? Why? What reasons/rational are there for being one or the other?

In this year’s Russ Mawby Signature Service project, held in Grand Rapids, MI, I had a taste of what could be. So often we share our utopian ideas, only to have them scoffed at as quixotic; however in working alongside other AmeriCorps, Habitat for Humanity, and community volunteers for a day and a half, I have seen a glimmer hope that perhaps our utopian impulses may not be totally unrealistic. I have been caused to imagine the possibilities of what could be.

Imagine…

Imagine a community, a culture, a nation, a world, where the majority of people cared about and for their neighbor. Imagine such a world where people and groups gave generously with their time and resources, not under compulsion, but because of a free spirit of giving and a deep desire to make a difference. Imagine a world where the desire was not to amass material goods and wealth for one’s self and one’s own, but where there was a desire to improve the lives and station of all. Imagine such a world were people took responsibility, rather than only taking advantage of freedoms. While such a world would not be free from disaster, disease, or death, wouldn't such a world be much more imbued with peace, hope, joy, and laughter?

Might there be a way to attain a mixture, amalgamation, synthesis of what is and what could be, of the real and the ideal. Real people with real lives and problems of their own, taking time to help pursue the ideal in their neighborhoods, community, and ultimately in the world?

What would it take to catalyze such a shift in a culture that places so much importance on materialism and personal gain?

How can the glimmer of hope that we each see and experience in service be shared with and inspire others?

In the recent Signature Service Project, and throughout my AmeriCorps’ service, I have seen glimmers of hope. Sometimes I have had to look for these glimmers, sometimes I have been struck by them, but they have been there. And while I have often been tempted to throw my arms up in despair at the number of homeless in my community, and the number of problems facing the world, it has been these glimmers of hope that have not only brought me back to reality, but have helped me to see reality anew.

So, how do we live in light of the possible? What are we willing to do, think, consider, and perhaps sacrifice in order to see and realize what is truly possible? What would happen if we acted on our glimmers of hope?

New Beginnings

Hello Everyone! This is Kim P. writing to you from Community Housing Network. It was nice seeing many of you at our recent mid year training. My Americorps service will be ending a little bit sooner than expected because my husband and I will be moving to China! He received an offer from his company, so I am excited and nervous to start this new chapter of my life in China.

I feel very fortunate to be a part of Americorps. I had been trying to get into the non-profit world for about a year and was having no luck. Americorps helped me get my foot in the the door of the non-profit world. I would will totally recommend Americorps to others trying to enter the world of non-profit.

My time at Community Housing Network (CHN) has been great. I have learned a lot and met a lot of great people, both co-worker and clients.

I work in the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Rehousing Department (HPRP). I have taken calls to screen possible program participants. I have do the face to face intakes and manage these clients all the way through the housing process. When I first started at CHN, we had prevention funds to try and prevent people from being evicted. So I assisted the case managers a lot with intakes, paying utility bills, talked to landlords...anything you can think of. Eventually, our prevention funds were exhausted and we only had Rapid Rehousing funds left. We also lost a couple of case managers to other jobs, so I took on more responsibility by meeting clients at MATTS Salvation Army in Warren. I would give them information about our program, do intakes and help people get housed who were previously homeless. I was very excited the first time I housed a client. It felt really good to help someone all the way through the process from beginning to end.

I have participated in and Oakland County Project Homeless Connect, in a couple of Macomb Community Connection Day and in the Point in time Homeless Count for Oakland County. These experiences were really rewarding because that is really my favorite part of our work, interacting with clients.

Surprisingly, I also enjoyed learning how to use the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). Because I know that is the system many other agencies use, because my end goal was to be able to use the knowledge I learned through my Americorps service year to obtain a permanent job at CHN or another agency. Obviously that will not be the case now that I will be moving to China, but I think the experience I have had through Americorps at CHN are skills that I can use in China as well. There are hurting people all over the world, so I hope to be able to make a difference in China as well and I think the skills I have learned these past few months are invaluable.

So long for now.

From Your Fellow Americorps member,

Kim P.

Housing Needed

My name is Laura and I am serving at the Community Action House in Holland. Most of my responsibilities are related to the Homeless Assistance Recovery Program (HARP). The HARP program is a housing voucher program for people who are homeless. In most cases, it is a permanent voucher and its recipients can live in housing of their choice. Almost every day, I spend time on the phone with people who are interested in getting on the HARP waiting list. Many of the people I speak with are in need of immediate housing and most consider themselves to be homeless. If they are not eligible for my program, I try to refer them elsewhere for services. I have noticed a number of populations that seem to be in need of housing services that do not exist.

One of the populations that is not eligible for the HARP program or any of the other housing programs in my area for homeless people are people that are living doubled up with family and friends. The programs are geared towards those with the greatest amount of need and people who have others to stay with are in less need than those who do not have that option. The definition of a homeless individual for my program is someone who lives in a shelter or transitional housing program for people who are homeless, or someone who is living in a place not meant for human habitation such as a vehicle. There are also rare circumstances where people who have received an eviction notice can fit the definition. It leaves the people who are living doubled up in a difficult situation. Many are desperate to leave their current setting but desire to not have to live in the homeless shelter. The shelters have plenty of occupants to provide services for and do not need people coming in who have other options of places to stay.

Another population that has difficulty becoming eligible for housing programs for people who are homeless is single fathers with children. There is only one place in my county that I am aware of where single fathers and children can go for emergency shelter. That place has very limited space and only accepts people who fall under certain criteria. Around Christmastime, we had numerous single fathers calling my organization in one week to ask about places to stay. I had one family come in on a Friday afternoon with absolutely no place to go. If they cannot live in a shelter with their children, it is rare that they will be able to qualify for transitional and permanent housing services for homeless individuals.

A third population that I have had contact with that has difficulty becoming eligible for housing assistance is people who cannot live in the mission. One woman I spoke with had children with disabilities that made it so they could not function in a living situation such as a homeless shelter. Other people have not lived in the area long enough, have had run ins with other people who stay in the shelter, have mental illnesses that prevent them from feeling comfortable in that environment, etc. The list goes on and on. Sometimes these people are eligible for the waiting lists for homeless housing services because, unfortunately, they have been forced to live in their vehicles or on the street.

It seems purposeless to focus on the populations that are not eligible for these services because there is not enough funding even for the people who are eligible. The HARP waiting list is long and budgets are tight. My county has very little to complain or worry about compared to more urban areas. However, when you look at this issue on an individual level, it matters greatly. People need to know that those in their situations are not forgotten. Even being able to fill out an application and being able to get a name on a waiting list can give someone some hope for the future. If there was more housing available, perhaps programs could be opened up to people in the situations I listed above. More families would be able to stay in tact and less people would be forced to live in places not meant for human habitation. The part of my placement that I enjoy the most is when I am able to spend time with the people who already have housing vouchers. Their housing brings consistency to a formerly hectic part of their lives. Shelter is something many people take for granted. Often community members just assume that everyone has a place to stay and that homelessness does not exist in smaller cities like mine. Through my service I have learned that that is definitely not the case and that there is still a great need for housing and for focus on housing issues.

Continuing to Help Those in Need

My name is Dana Lattany and I am a second year AmeriCorps member under Michigan’s Campaign to End Homelessness. The site I serve at is the South Oakland Shelter (SOS), a homeless shelter in Royal Oak, MI. I serve in the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Department (HPRP), which assists individuals and families who have fallen behind in their rent or utility payments, or if they are homeless the program helps them with moving into a new home by paying for the security deposit and partial rent. There are several departments in SOS that work together to help provide the best resources for the clients and these resources are not just available while the clients are in the program. Client can still receive assistance even after they have been re-housed or have timed-out of the program.

After clients are re-housed or have timed-out of the program, many are required if not highly encouraged to stay in touch with SOS to acquire more resources for themselves. The ultimate goal for the client is to be self-sufficient after receiving assistance from SOS. A variety of resources are available for those who still need assistance to achieve their self-sufficiency. For instance, when a client moves into their new home, the HPRP department will usually assist them with their rent for a few months. The client needs to use those months to save their money. During that time, the client may be required to attend financial literacy classes that show the client how to save and budget their income. These classes are important because they give the client long-term financial goals for themselves. Furthermore, if the client moves into affordable housing and has either Section 8 or Social Security Income, the client usually needs to get at least a part-time job to fully cover the rent and other expenses. If this is the situation, SOS staff or volunteers will help the client with their resume/cover letters and mock interviews to prepare the client for applying for employment.

In addition to helping the client with their finances and job seeking, SOS has a clothing closet of new or gently used clothes. The client can select clothing for everyday and professional use. There is clothing for all ages and if the client has a newborn child, the parent can pick-up diapers, baby formula, car seats, etc. There is also a food pantry where a client can obtain a week’s worth of food. For the donations that SOS receives, the agency uses the largest room available to store the items. However, the space can only accommodate necessary items. Because of limited space, SOS can’t accept a lot of furniture but when there is room, the client can have that furniture for their new home as well as any computers or electronics that were donated.

A few other classes that are offered to the clients are computer training, self-care & nutrition, youth mentoring, adult literacy, support groups, and career counseling classes. SOS implements all of these classes and more to help the client to live independently.