MARY & MARTHA HOUSE INC
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Mission Statement
Mary & Martha House provides emergency shelter, transitional housing and support services to victims of domestic violence and/or homeless women and their dependent children so that they will gain employment and successfully gain and retain permanent stable housing.
About This Cause
Mary & Martha House Inc. (MMH) is a 501 (C) (3) charity that provides shelter for women and children who are temporarily homeless and/ or victims of domestic violence. Since 1982, the Agency has provided emergency shelter and transitional housing and support services through its bridge to permanent housing program and has served over 4,500 homeless women and children. Located in Ruskin, Florida is the only residential shelter in South County serving both homeless and abused women with or without children. The Agency accepts referrals from all of Hillsborough County but targets communities in South County where services are limited and homeless populations are underserved. To help homeless families obtain employment and gain housing, the Agency provides a Bridge Housing Program with a two-tiered approach. Phase 1) Crisis and Stabilization; short-term emergency and support services are provided for up to 90 days to help the family in crisis, assess their immediate needs and provide access to community resources. Once the family is stabilized and has met the goals established in their individual development plans, they are eligible to advance into Phase 2) Employment and Housing; where they can reside for up to 6 months to address the family’s longer term goals of securing full-time employment and permanent housing. The Agency serves all of Hillsborough County with primary focus on the communities in unincorporated South Hillsborough County including Ruskin, Riverview, Balm, Wimauma, and Apollo Beach which lack critical services to the homeless population. The need is great in this underserved area and Mary & Martha House will grow to meet this need. With this in mind, as we engage more community partners and expand our Board of Directors, the Agency is actively searching for property in the area to consolidate services and build a campus that will enable us to increase our service levels, to serve more and larger families. As Mary & Martha House is the only Agency serving South County, accepting women in need with or without children, the Board and Staff are working to achieve this goal within the next three years. MMH offers an array of support services including individual case management, referrals to community resources and services, and assistance with job searches including use of computers on site, with access to on-line educational courses. The educational development program serves as a tool for the women to identify and overcome barriers that prevent them from acquiring gainful employment, permanent housing and educational advancements. One-on-one tutoring and educational activities help the children to enhance their socialization and coping skills while in shelter. Adults participate in life skills classes, group and individualized counseling sessions. The Agency provides assistance with transportation, payment of childcare fees, registration fees or a portion of costs related to training and/or educational classes. Employment Readiness for Victims of Domestic Violence (ER) In 2015, with a grant from Verizon, Mary & Martha House developed a comprehensive employment training program: Employment Readiness for Victims of Domestic Violence (ER). Finding and keeping a job is extremely difficult when a woman's life is continually interrupted by violence. The ER program empowers women to move from shelter to permanent housing, with job preparation and placement as the central component incorporating long-term comprehensive career intervention practices. The program seeks to foster the strength and independence of the participant to break the cycle of domestic violence and homelessness. The shelter staff works one-on-one with each client to develop individual housing and employment stabilization plans to outline the steps they will take to reach greater independence through employment. Individual Life Coaching and Support Services (soft skills) include: • Building self-esteem • Parenting skills/emotional coping strategies • Personal vision and goal-setting • Enhancing mental health and well-being • Overcoming barriers to employment Based on each client’s individual needs assessment, workplace skills training is available. Activities include developing workplace maturity skills, building your work place image and maintaining positive interpersonal relationships with supervisors, co-workers and customers. Workplace skills training modules include: • Employment seeking skills • Communication skills, teamwork • Problem solving, conflict resolution, • Time management • Establishing credit/credit repair • Developing a personal budget & paying bills • Tenant-landlord responsibilities Real Work Experience Mary & Martha House provides real work experience at their 2 retail outlets in Ruskin. The Rose Boutique located at 100 East Shellpoint Road is an upscale shop that sell both new and gently worn name brand clothing. The Thrift Shop located at 1009 1st Street SW has a wide selection of men’s women’s and children’s clothing as well as furniture, housewares and appliances, all donated by the local community. Although the stores generate an additional revenue stream to support the Mission, they also provide on- the- job training for clients in the Mary & Martha House Program. In 2010 the Agency won the second place award of $15,000 from the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County’s Innovative Business Plan Competition. This competition is designed to encourage and support social entrepreneurial ventures by Hillsborough County non-profit organizations that result in a new earned income business strategy. This funding provided for the start-up of the Rose Boutique. As part of the Business Plan the Agency developed their Retail 101 Program. This provides an opportunity for Mary & Martha house Clients to get hands-on experience working through the 3 training modules; Customer Service, Cash Handling and Operations, Product Placement and Visual Merchandising. Skills learned through this program are the foundation for increased employability in many fields beyond retail. In addition, the client’s interaction with customers improves their confidence and self-esteem, preparing them to return to the workplace. Making an Impact In comparison to other non-profits, we may be small but we strive to be good stewards of our resources and to make a significant impact. Becoming employed lessens the family’s dependence on public assistance and food stamps. 98% of the women who complete the program move on to become successfully employed and to make a positive financial impact in their community. As the successful client completes the program, she will leave with a job, a bank account and permanent housing.