Crossroads' Women's Shelter Fills a Great Need
Crossroads Staff Writer
June 15, 2008
Every Bed in Use
The new 41-bed Women’s Shelter has been open for six weeks, and we have been filled to capacity almost every night as well as absorbing an overflow population of up to ten extra guests daily. So far, 112 women have stayed at the shelter, and the waiting list for beds keeps growing.
Since the shelter opened, we have documented that approximately one-fourth of the women are new to homelessness. Some of our guests have told us that they have worked their whole lives and never dreamed that one day they could be homeless. Many are renters who have been displaced by foreclosure, others, including several older women, have lost their jobs in a declining economy, and some could not stay in their homes after utilities were shut off.
Compassionate Services
The Women’s Shelter services are delivered with Crossroads’ values in mind: safety, respect, and effectiveness. The shelter’s case managers all have extensive experience working with homeless and impoverished people and have a deep understanding of the trauma associated with being homeless.
We strive to maintain an environment where women know that they are safe and respected and have confidence that the services we provide will help them achieve a better quality of life. While staying at the shelter, women have opportunities to stabilize their lives, find housing, and get connected to services.
Our guests benefit from a continuum of services: intensive case management; on-site access to health care; assistance with transportation, housing and job searches; and in-house recovery programs. The shelter case managers help each woman identify her service needs and work with her to design a case plan for success.
At Crossroads, we believe that it is very important for women in the shelter to feel engaged and respected, and we are very grateful to the many individuals and community groups who have stepped forward to offer many extras that we cannot provide: crocheting and knitting classes, an 8-week visual arts workshop provided by SUPERWOMEN, hair styling by a local salon owner, and Reiki healing donated by a local therapist. The Providence Community Health Centers outreach team comes to the shelter every 2 weeks to facilitate access to health care and the MAP Substance Abuse team provides outreach and recovery programs. The women enjoy an evening meal prepared by Amos House chefs and a Sunday morning breakfast.
A Community Effort
We are receiving a lot of help from community and church groups that make and deliver lunches and prepare personal care packages. A Girl Scout troop makes welcome kits for new guests, and an Eagle Scout’s project is collecting personal care items for the shelter. We receive daily donations of clothing, food, and linens. When one of the women is ready to move to an apartment, we are able to provide linens, household goods, and food to help them get settled. When a donor offers furniture or other household items, our volunteer and donations coordinator, Sara Perry, often is able to connect the donor to a woman who is moving to an apartment.
Although the shelter has been operational only since the end of April, already we are seeing the great benefits of the program. Eight women have moved to permanent housing, three have gone to residential treatment programs, and six have been accepted into our First Step Shelter Program where they will benefit from intensive case management until they can be placed in housing. As the program evolves, we will continue to develop our life skills and financial literacy workshops and focus on helping our employable clients become work ready.
The Women’s Shelter project has received support from the State, the City of Providence, and many generous private donors, including a large group of prominent women who spearheaded the Women Helping Women fundraising effort. Community support has been very impressive, and we are truly grateful for all the donations of in-kind goods and services. The Women’s Shelter is a wonderful example of many stakeholders coming together to find a solution to a problem.
Lending a Hand
Click here to make a donation to our continuing efforts. We are still working toward our goal of raising $400,000 to fund the shelter for the first year. Your gift will make a big difference for every woman who has come to us and made the commitment to improve her life. We need your support to make this project sustainable and to be able to continue to provide the essential life services and case management that have already proven to be effective for this underserved population.
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