UNDERSTANDING: SHELTERS
THE PROBLEM – RESCUE US FROM THE MISSION REPORT
IS THIS WHAT WE WANT?
THE SOLUTION – INNOVATIVE SHELTERS
There are lots of models for shelters, only some of which make both clients and communities happy. Nashville needs a shelter that creatively and adequately serves the needs of the homeless guests and the Nashville community. This page discusses successful models and provides links to those models.
INNOVATIVE SHELTERS
Innovative shelters treat each client as a unique human being with particular needs, and tailor their response and services to that uniqueness. They offer on-site services and carefully-built processes that allow homeless clients to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency. They partner with every sector of their communities: medical, health, mental health, and dental services, educational programs, recovery and step programs, family centers, affordable housing services, social services, veteran services, AIDS/HIV services, rape crisis centers, gay, lesbian and transsexual services, local and federal government services, ministry.
Innovative shelters do not advertise themselves as “homeless shelters” but rather focus on providing life-changing services to their guests. In other words, they do provide meals and shelter (emergency shelter), but more importantly, they provide services that allow clients to stabilize and rebuild their lives and transition back into their communities, such as personal development and education, job training, transitional housing, community housing, home ownership and mentoring programs.
Innovative shelters are responsive to their clients and to their community. They have accountability processes by which the community can monitor their services and measure their program outcomes, and grievance processes that ensure accountability to their guests’ rights and needs.
Look at these innovative shelters!
Atlanta Children’s Shelter:
http://www.atlantachildrensshelter.com
Center for the Homeless, South Bend, Indiana:
Dignity Village Portland, OR
http://www.myspace.com/dignityvillage or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dignity_Village
Uptown Shelter for Men, Charlotte, NC
Midnight Mission, Los Angeles, CA
http://www.midnightmission.org/
Urban Ministry Center, Charlotte, NC
http://www.urbanministrycenter.org/
615-733-0633 | 42 The Arcade Nashville TN 37219 | Info@HomelessPower.Org