Sept. 10, 2011
Praise the Lord it’s been a year since we opened the doors of New Hope Shelter and Transitional Housing! It has been an exciting and stressful year filled with both challenges and rewards. We are looking back at where we started, what we could have done better and how we can improve what we do for next year. We are thinking and praying about those who have stayed with us this last year and hoping that they allow Him to work in their lives to soften their hearts to accept the forgiveness only He can offer.
Some of our year-end totals/numbers Aug. 2010 – Aug. 2011:
- We have provided 1,757 nights of shelter to 51 individuals including 19 men, 8 women and 7 families addressing a previously un-met need here in our community providing emergency shelter and case management where none existed.
- We have received 114 calls from people looking for shelter.
- We helped 82% of our residents that checked-out find either employment or housing or both.
- We averaged approx. 4-5 residents per night.
- The average length of stay was about 35 days.
- We have had 3 people stay the entire 90 days.
- We have had up to eleven people here at one time.
- During four different periods this year we were full and had to turn people away and start a waiting list.
- We have helped people transitioning from jail, rehab, and probation/parole providing a stable supervised place from which they could find employment and seek housing.
- We have established a great working relationship with the other service providers in our community to help families find the assistance and resources they need to move forward with stabilizing their lives.
- We have logged over 6800 miles helping transport residents to doctor appointments, court dates, or even just to the grocery store.
We are very thankful for the donations of funds and vehicles to make this possible, we have had 4 vehicles donated this year to help meet that need! We are also thankful for the many volunteers that help make this possible.
Those are the hard figures and statistics, and sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the numbers. The reality is that we are in a relational ministry, dealing in-depth with people, establishing a relationship while they are at their most vulnerable (and stressed). Some of our residents checked-out with a job and an apartment and well on their way to stability, while others checked-out with not much more than they checked-in with. Sometimes we have to understand that our role in a persons’ life may be limited to a temporary influence, and all we can do is try to share the knowledge and encouragement that there IS a better way, HIS way. Sometimes the only gift our residents leave with is that memory of hope.
In His service,
Micah Dewing
Shelter Director