Sunday, April 17, 2011

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.

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