Onward, ho!

My name is Katelyn Sherman and I am serving for the Housing Services for Eaton County in
Charlotte, Michigan. My first assignment was Project Homeless Connect, which I began as soon as I started in October, and which is now finally being put to rest; the evaluation for the grant has been sent in, the grant application for next year's event has been completed, and the golden notebook of instructions, contacts, and advice is updated and ready for the next AmeriCorps worker in the office, if we can afford to have one.

I'm sitting in my second-floor, corner office on a rainy day and I'm sucking down coffee, trying to think of what to write. It's hard to tell a story about this project. I had never seen any of the attendees before and I will most likely never see them again that I will know of. I could describe the event, give some 26th, 2012, a Thursday, Eaton County agencies, businesses, churches, and volunteers gathered to offer a statistics or numbers, share what new services were made available to guests, and some of the positive reactions from participants. Is that what you want to hear about? Because if you have never heard of Project Homeless Connect, held annually in several counties, you might be interested to hear that on January 26th, a Thursday, Eaton County agencies, businesses, churches, and volunteers gathered for one day to offer a string of resources to those in our community who are homeless, low-income, and/or at-risk of becoming homeless. If not, oh well.

Since PHC, I have begun working with a Social Theory class at Olivet College on Monday mornings, as they rewrite the Ten Year Plan to End Homeless in Eaton County. As this is a new project for our nonprofit and for the AmeriCorps position, I'm particularly enjoying it; being able to be the liaison between a fresh group of younger adults and a crew of experienced agency workers is perfect for someone like me who seems to find a place somewhere in between the two levels. And until I find where my life eventually takes me, onward and upward!

“I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no hurt, but only more love.” - Mother Teresa

My name is Lauren Hodson, and I am currently serving as an Americorps Member at Family Promise of Grand Rapids. Family Promise partners with families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless by helping them get back on their feet so they can create a stable lifestyle for their children. We focus on providing hospitality and keeping families together in a time of crisis. We also strive to be a source of hope and encouragement for families as they create an achievable vision and develop a strong foundation for self-sufficiency. 93% of the families we serve find permanent housing at the end of their stay in our shelter, and 91% of those families maintain that housing for at least a year. I feel very blessed to be serving at such an incredible agency with staff members who are so full of love and hope for the families who stay with us.

Before this year, I had already been significantly involved in various volunteer and employment roles where I was serving vulnerable populations, both the homeless and the severely mentally ill. Because of these past service experiences, I thought I was very well educated about homelessness before the start of this Americorps year. But, I have found myself startled by the prevalence of family homelessness in Michigan and surprised at how little I actually knew. I didn’t fully realize the extent of the problem, how easy it is for a family living at the poverty level to slip into homelessness, and what a huge impact this situation has on the children.

Here are some of the statistics of which I was not fully aware of:

• 53% of the entire homeless population is children and their families.
• Over 22,000 children were homeless in Michigan last year, 7,000 of these children are under the age of 5 years old, and over 2,000 of these children live in Kent County, where I live.
• 7 years old is the average age of a homeless child.
• The central intake office for any individual experiencing a housing crisis in Grand Rapids receives calls from 12 families EVERY SINGLE WEEK for which there is no space for them to receive shelter in all of Grand Rapids.

These statistics are heartbreaking, but they are even more heartbreaking when the statistics connect with the flesh - When I see a young single mom with two kids entering our shelter program after spending the last two nights in a Wal-Mart parking lot, trying to protect her kids and keep them warm by pushing them around in a shopping cart all night. It’s the story of a mom with two beautiful kids who has lost everything in a house fire, has no family supports, and is now homeless because she had no renters insurance. It’s these stories that light a fire in me to do my best work here at Family Promise. It’s these stories that remind me why I am not only committing myself to doing a year of service through Americorps, but why I am committing to a lifetime of doing my best to be an agent of compassion and justice in this world.

At times, it can be hard as an Americorps member – Usually we don’t have a ton of experience in the field and the realities of what we are faced with can be overwhelming. But, my hope for myself and everyone else in the program is that when we hear the stories that break our hearts, when we come up against difficult experiences, and we are unsure of our abilities to make a difference amongst such daunting societal problems, that we are able to keep the bigger picture in mind and remember why we signed up to do this work. We will not get rid of the issues, but we can make a difference in small ways every single day, and that is worth it.

Housing, not Homeless

To be honest at first I was unsure if AmeriCorps or
Community Housing Network was right for me.
The idea of going to the same office and completing the same tasks
everyday was not one I had experienced before and was not something that I was
looking forward to doing, and housing was not something that I had some sort of
burning passion for. But after about I
week I realized that I was in the right place.
Here I was able to make a real tangible difference in people’s lives,
and my coworkers (both AmeriCorps and otherwise) enthusiasm for their work was
infectious.
My service with CHN is broken down into two basic
categories. One is Getting My Own
Address, which is a program aimed at getting families with autistic individuals
to both plan for, and achieve housing.
That entails helping to run a support group for parents and going to
various school and community functions to give presentations and help raise
awareness on the issue. The second is helping any individuals with mental or
physical disabilities to find a housing solution that works for them.
With Getting My Own Address I have been able to see the
effects of my work in the community immediately. While the first meeting was sparsely attended
which caused me to worry just a little, ever since then we have seen greater
and greater interest and increased rates of participation at our support group
meetings held on site. As word has grown
so has our outreach, and for the next several weeks we have at least one
speaking engagement outside of the office planned all over the county to help
families with autism plan their future.
Being at the beginning of a project like this is always exciting, and
while I do not know what the future brings or how we will grow it is satisfying
to know that I was there helping it along.
The second part of my service is more creative and sadly
more frustrating. Housing for people with disabilities is not
always easy to find, and it was at least surprising to me how little of it
seems to exist. It allows me to pursue unorthodox
angles in the housing world and talk to developers and real estate agents about
emerging trends in areas like micro housing. I also get the opportunity to try
and change their minds about renting in leaving behind the old and outdated
notions of exclusion in housing to new ideas based around inclusion. The process
is rarely perfect and there has been more than a few false starts or sudden
stops (and one case of what I am pretty sure was discrimination), but making
that housing dream a reality is something that I don’t think I will ever get
tired of.
So there is not more in which I can add other then I have really
enjoyed my time making a difference with AmeriCorps and Community Housing
Network.

Collaboration and Conflict

"The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike, than those who think differently" -Frederich Nietzsche

My name is Cara and I am a first year member serving at Community Action House. It is located in Holland, but as part of my service, I participate with various committees of the Ottawa Area Housing Coalition which exists to serve all of Ottawa County- including the Tri-cities area of Grand Haven, Spring Lake and Ferrysburg.

If you’re not familiar with this swath of Lake Michigan’s shoreline, each community is unique in atmosphere and population. The Tri-cities area, which is in the north- west part of the county, is a very tight knit community. Holland is in the south west part of the county and because of its larger and more diverse population, it offers slightly more anonymity among its residence, while holding fast to its Tulip Time pride.

Why is this relevant? Recently, I was asked to attend and observe the re-visioning process for the North West Ottawa Area Housing Coalition. The NWOAHC’s purpose is to serve the housing issues that are perceived to be unique to the Tri-cities area. Two years ago, a contentious debate erupted over a proposed shelter project that pitted housing first advocates against proponents of increased shelter beds. Ultimately, the shelter was built and the cohesiveness of the coalition was damaged, significantly. Because of this, the group stagnated and lost sight of a common vision or path forward.

As the first meeting got underway, past tensions and rivaling community identities clouded the renewed common vision that the coalition had met to achieve. Those sitting at the table whose agencies are located in the Tri-cities area were firm in their assertion that their community has housing concerns that are unique and outside of the services already provided. Others at the table were convinced that by tapping into county-wide services and fostering a more collaborative atmosphere, the NWOAHC could better provide for the needs of the area.

The conflict has a continuing impact on my day-to-day activities as an AmeriCorps member. As part of my service, I provide resources and referrals for participants in the HARP program. It is my responsibility to understand the way that the agencies work together. The greatest challenge in assisting participants is when the agencies themselves struggle to understand how they work together, and therefore leave gaps in certain areas and flood others with services.

I have the utmost faith in the coalition’s desire to do the most good and provide the most appropriate services to those who are in need. I simply had to swallow the “ah-ha!” moment when I realized that social service agencies and organizations, like the well-intentioned staff that run them, are not above the influence of human nature. I truly believe that everyone who has an idea about which path to take, as long as it leads to the same destination, is on the right road.

While the ideological divisions were not dissolved, I am hopeful that the next step that the NWOAHC decides to take, can be a step forward together in fighting to end homelessness in all of Ottawa County.

Working on the next chapter ....Commitment!

WORKING ON THE NEXT CHAPTER ……..

COMMITMENT!

      

Hi, my name is Glory White and I am a new AmeriCorps member serving at Metro Community Development in Flint, MI.  I work mainly with the HARP Housing Choice Voucher.  There is nothing more rewarding then assisting a homeless client find and move into safe and clean housing.  I do however, have to admitted I feel torn between the satisfaction of assisting a homeless client succeed in meeting the goal of being housed and the feeling that the client should contribute more in preparation for and the maintenance of housing once they receive a voucher.

One of my clients lived on the street last winter.  I assisted him complete TBRA and the HARP programs applications. He slept at an abandoned house on most cold nights while waiting for a voucher.  A friend and I would go to the abandoned house where he slept on some of the colder nights and take blankets or hot coffee.  We were able to convince him to go to a shelter on the bitterly cold nights.  When his name was pulled from the TBRA list and he picked an apartment, he looked so happy when the property manager gave him the key to his own unit.  He proudly said to me “If you need me I’ll be at my apartment”

The client lived at the unit quietly and seemingly happily.   He attended substance abuse counseling, found a doctor and started treatment for some long standing physical ailments.  He attended support group sessions held for TBRA and HARP recipients’ everything went well until, he received his SSDI approximately nine months later.  He stopped participating in his support and treatment groups and reverted to in his words “a Lover”.   He began cause problems in the neighborhood around his apartment necessitating police involvement.  His main goals seem to be substance abuse and finding a mate.

I enlisted everyone on his “Team,” his Disability network counselor, his doctor, his substance abuse counselor to work with him but, nothing we could do steered him back on track. The most glaring part missing from this team effort was the support of the TBRA voucher.  There is nothing in the program that mandates (or in the HARP voucher) a client continues services or treatment once they receive a voucher.

 I feel the most powerful weapons that should be in the arsenal to end homelessness are Individual accountability and Personal Responsibility.  Many of the grants written for programs assisting the homeless find and maintain homes do not contain an expectation or a mandate for those individuals receiving assistance to participate in building independence by learning skills necessary to maintain housing, such as budgeting, how to pay your bills, (or paying your bills) how to be a good neighbor, getting a GED , job training, attending college, or attending substance abuse counseling.  This could   lead to the achievement of total independence without relying on a housing voucher or any other government helping services.

On the Certification of Eligibility and Residency used in the HARP application packet there it is noted

“Applicant household is willing to engage in a jointly-developed plan supporting housing stability” this criterion has no “bite” voucher recipients are not held accountable by the progran when they discontinue the plan.

 This chapter in the client’s life ended with his losing the voucher.  He spent time in jail and when released he then went back to living in shelters and places not meant for human habitation.  The furniture and household items the team found for him were lost or stolen.   He showed up at my office after almost a year looking for housing.  He still has his SSDI and said he is willing to work on a new chapter of his life.  I continue to assist him however, since this housing search is sans program, we put together a plan with several goals he must meet to maintain services.   Including but not limited to, substance abuse treatment, not being under the influence of substances when he meets with me, making appointments with his medical doctor and taking his medication, attending budgeting classes and applying to CMH for therapeutic services.

How AmeriCorps Service has Impacted my Life

(Melissa here. We're having some technical difficulties, so I am posting Kevin's entry on his behalf. Enjoy!)

My name is Kevin Bell. I work for the Housing Support Services group at Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County (CSSW)/Avalon Housing in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I started my second year of service in October 2011.

I graduated with a Master of Public Health degree in Health Promotion and Education three years ago. At the time, I scoped out ideally the type of work I wanted to do—coordinate and facilitate wellness activities in an employee or community health program, designing and implementing health intervention programs, and working with older adults. I applied for lots of positions and had many interviews without landing a full-time, living wage job.

I found my Americorps position, answering an advertisement on the CSSW Web site. I was unsure how this would impact me as a person and my future employment plans.

As a person, I feel more independent and self-reliant. I fee confident and less timid about making important decisions. The mentoring and supportive staff I work with has had the greatest impact. These folks are my support network, my friends—people I can trust and on which I rely. These people and the memories I have will be with me forever.

I have become a more grounded individual. Any change is hard, but this position has made it less difficult to adapt to change. I have become more flexible in dealing with other individuals—family and friends included.

I have gained a lot of good job skills and experience, too. Two years of full-time non-profit experience! I coordinate and facilitate the care of eleven consumers. I plan, organize, coordinate, and facilitate events like health fairs and a walking group. I have linked consumers to thousands of dollars of emergency funds to help them avoid eviction or utility shut-off.

I continue to learn about the services local social service agencies provide and network with many professionals that work with these agencies. My hope is that these contacts will enable me to find employment in the local community once my service ends.

"The start to a better world is our belief that it is possible." --Katherine Shaw

I am one of several AmeriCorps members currently serving at the South Oakland Shelter (SOS) in Lathrup Village, Michigan. We serve in various capacities to support the SOS mission of ­­­­ providing temporary shelter and supportive programs to assist individuals in making the transition from homelessness to independent living.

My first month of service has been an exciting whirlwind. I have adjusted to the structure of our program and am becoming acquainted with the resources available in Oakland County. I have participated in a Community Resource Day, acting as a representative for the South Oakland Shelter. This event was greatly beneficial, as program participants and other community members were connected to resources in a central location, and I was able to explore other agencies and display our services.

Much of my time is spent conducting intakes, assisting clients with their transition to shelter, establishing goals, and connecting clients with community resources that may assist them in achieving those goals. I meet with clients regularly to discuss their needs and what can be done to address them, whether it may be a referral to another agency or a program provided by SOS.

While much frustration can stem from a lack of adequate resources or the difficulty of the job market, I have been finding great joy in the connection I am making with my clients and their pride in small successes. Providing support and encouragement for clients during their stay has been rewarding thus far and I cannot wait to see what this year of service has in store for me!

Best wishes in your service,

Katie