SHELTER FROM THE STORM
This organization has already been registered
Someone in your organization has already registered and setup an account. would you like to join their team?Profile owner : s****h@g***l.c*m
Mission Statement
The mission of Shelter From The Storm is to provide transitional shelter and support programs for the homeless.
About This Cause
The mission of Shelter From The Storm is to provide transitional housing and support programs for the homeless. In June of 2005 a group of about 20 people from the community met to discuss the possibility of establishing some type of help for the homeless in our area. The following statement was written: • Gather facts regarding homelessness in Jaffrey • Identify specific local resources and needs of homeless people • Provide ongoing community education and advocacy • Develop an attainable plan of action to provide transitional housing “with dignity”. • In 2007 we became a 501c (3) not for profit organization and a registered charitable trust in the state of New Hampshire • We have created awareness of the existence of homelessness in our community. • Currently, we have 5 fully furnished apartments in the area • As of 2023 we have provided temporary housing and support for 130 families and over 380 children and adults. • About 50 active volunteers support our work by fundraising, publicizing, supporting specific needs of clients, and becoming community friends to our clients • We have an executive director on staff and a Life Coach/Case Worker One of the discoveries we’ve made is that homelessness occurs for many reasons. It does not discriminate based on gender or age, nor family status or background. Since our inception we continue to help over 50% of the homeless in our community. What SFTS has done, and will continue to do, is to give homeless families the help they need to get back on their feet, with dignity. We provide transitional housing paying for all rents and utilities for 8 months with extensions possible. We also provide each guest with a caseworker who meets with them weekly to help find the support programs available to them. Guests are required to save 30% of their income with the goal of rejoining the mainstream community within eight months. Guests agree to participate in a support services program to reach this financial self-sufficiency. This enables guests to save money so they will be able to afford rental housing of their own. As our communities have become aware of the need, local businesses, churches, organizations and the community as a whole have been generous in support of SFTS. This critical support has allowed SFTS to establish a strong base with expectations of expanded services. 2023 – Our Story to date: We have five fully furnished apartments in Jaffrey within walking distance of downtown Jaffrey. Our guests are able to go for doctor appointments, food pantry, gas, basic food needs, and children are in walking distance of most schools. First Apartment: Our first guest was a single dad. His apartment building was sold, rents increased, and he had recently changed jobs and had no savings. On top of that his car was totaled due to no fault of his own, and he had been in and out of the hospital. His two boys were living with their mother and he was trying to live in the same town so he could share custody. While with us he was able to get a better fulltime job, regular visitation with his two boys, and Shelter was able to get him a vehicle and insurance. He moved out in May and found a roommate to share the rent. In May of 2023 Shelter gave up this apartment when a new landlord took over and doubled the rent. In June we were very lucky to find another apartment in Jaffrey with reasonable rent. This apartment is occupied by a mom and four-year-old boy who were sleeping on the floor of an apartment they were sharing with other family. Mom had recently received an associate’s in general studies and two certificates in childcare just before moving into our apartment. While in our program she has been able to get a fulltime job in the Jaffrey School System daycare program and son is enrolled in Headstart here in Jaffrey. Mom has completed many housing applications and is saving 30% of her salary weekly. Second Apartment: In January our family that had lost their apartment previously to fire were able to move into their own apartment. Our next family consisted of a mom and two children. Mom and husband were living together with their children in an apartment, but it was not a good situation. Mom got a restraining order against husband, and he in turn got a restraining order against his wife. They lost their apartment. Mom had a fulltime job and dad had jobs here and there. Mom and children moved into our apartment and at the end of our program mom was able to move into her mother’s home with the children while still trying to work things out with the dad. Our present guest is a mom with two boys. Mom could not afford rent increase at the apartment she was living in and father of the children did not help. Family consists of a four-year-old son who is on the spectrum and is extremely active, keeping his mom on her toes at all times, and an 11-year-old who is in school, but needs counseling. Mom’s made an appointment with MFS for an intake because mental health is her priority. She also wants to get her driver’s license. She has passed the written test, but because of her anxiety has not been able to pass the driving test. The parents of the father are very supportive of her and the children, and make it a priority to drive them wherever and whenever they need to go. Our third apartment started out with a family of five – Mom, dad, and 3 girls had been with us for 7 months, and at the end of January the family was able to move into an apartment of their own. Mom and dad both had full-time employment and were hoping to be able to rent an apartment for a short period and then buy a home of their own. After they moved on we had a mom and a newborn join our program. The mom had to leave her job in order to take care of her child who was born with some severe medical problems. After staying with us for a little over eight months, Mom was able to get a subsidized apartment in Jaffrey. She is presently getting paid to take care of her child through the state. Next on the agenda was a family of three, mom and two girls. Homeless due to alcohol misuse and medical issues by her partner, she was forced to move to NH to double up with extended family. There were conflicts and once again they were out on the street. Mom has a bachelor’s degree but in order to get back on her feet she is currently cleaning houses and working at a nursing home in the area. Mom wants to stay in the area and provide stabilization for her children by keeping them in local schools and living in a safe and loving environment. Fourth Apartment: Mom and two girls started in this apartment in 2022 and moved out into their own apartment in May of 2023. Mom had fled domestic violence and while with us was able to get custody of her children. Mom was also able to get a full-time job in the Leominster MA Hospital. All are doing well. In June a single mom joined our program. Mother of two, she was having a custody battle over her two boys, which she is still in the process of resolving. Working as a caretaker for a gentleman, she realized that she was in need of more income. She is now holding down two jobs and working over 50 hours a week. She will be leaving our program in February and has savings that will more than cover her first month’s rent as well as security payment. Our Fifth Apartment: A mom and 4 year old son started the new year with us. Mom was not able to make payments on her vehicle and it was repossessed. Mom got a full-time job out of town and was commuting with a friend. Shelter was able to purchase an affordable car for her to use to commute back and forth to work, take her son to Headstart, as well as doctor’s appointments and groceries. At the end of her stay with us she was able to move in with a friend and keep her job in the area. Presently this apartment is occupied by a mom and two young girls, four and two. Mom works full-time as a teacher at an early childhood center and her two children are able to go to work with her. Previous landlord was redoing apartment building and she was asked to leave. With high rents in the area she was left homeless and applied to our program. She is saving over 30% of her income with us and is hopeful that she will be able to afford her own apartment soon. Our guests are required to fill out housing applications during their first month stay and all have accomplished that. Four of our families have saved over 30% of their income with us each week. Our fifth guest is struggling to save 30% of her income, due to some unexpected expenses, but hopes to catch up soon. Shelter From The Storm (SFTS) is a continuous TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAM. Guests are able to stay in our program for 8 -12 months, save 30% of their income with us, and transition into their own housing at the end of their stay. Since 2008 we continue to help over 50% of the homeless in our area each year. SFTS has provided housing and support programs for 128 families since January of 2008, and has helped over 360 people. Our Caseworker meets with our guests weekly/bi-weekly to go over their goals, any programs they may be eligible for, help with housing applications, etc. We also have a volunteer who meets with our guests to help them with their budgets. Job training, social skills, social service programs, parents' program, nutrition program, job search, employment resume, and educational programs are also offered to our guests according to their individual needs. The main goal is to establish independent living in affordable housing within 8-12 months. Shelter From The Storm is the only transitional shelter in Jaffrey, Rindge and surrounding towns in Cheshire County. We help over 50% of the homeless in our area. Presently we have five fully furnished apartments. Our Life Coach is required to do weekly detailed reports and submit them to our Executive Director on the progress of our guests. These reports include: • Budgeting • Childcare • Financial • Employment • Housing • Transportation • Support Programs Our Life Coach also meets bi-weekly with our Executive Director and Program Management Chair to review goals and discuss solutions.