Project Report
| Nov 10, 2015
Resident Activists
By Robin Temple | Director of Development
![Raise Up for 15]()
Raise Up for 15
Raise Up for 15 has gained the attention of two of our Genesis Home residents. It is also part of what they believe stability is all about - a living wage!
This past weekend two of our residents were selected to participate in an event for the Raise Up for 15 movement in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event was put on by the Southern Worker’s Organizing Committee (SWOC), a non–profit that works with employees to advocate for fair pay and increasing minimum wage. SWOC sponsored two Genesis Home families covering their expenses for travel, lodging and food. The two mothers, one a childcare worker and one a veteran, have been actively engaged in this movement in Durham and were excited to continue the work in Charlotte. The moms traveled down Friday with their kids. Saturday they participated in panel discussions, shared experiences with other workers, and discussed ways to answer questions and advocate for themselves in the workplace. During the event the kids were watched and fed by volunteers and everyone reports having a fun time, enjoying delicious food and being excited about the information shared and learned. Genesis Home is very proud of these families and all they are doing for workers’ rights in their community!
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Aug 6, 2015
A Success Story
By Robin Termple | Director of Development
![Dress for Success]()
Dress for Success
Each and every day, the perseverance and tenacity of the families here at Genesis Home is moving - each is dedicated to improving their situation and building a better life for their family. Families like Malinda and her two sons and three daughters. Just one year ago, Malinda was pregnant and seeking to regain custody of her four children. Her greatest desire was to bring her family back together again under one roof when she heard of Genesis Home. Genesis Home provided her with a place to reunite her family and the opportunity to rebuild her life in the Family Matters program.
Today Malinda is a graduate of the "Going Places Network" at Dress for Success and has secured part-time employment where she is in enrolled in a management training program. She has secured permanent housing for her family. She credits Genesis Home's financial literacy and life skills programming for helping her secure permanent housing, and her case manager for helping her set goals and stay focused. "My goal is not to end up back in this situation again; therefore I must make the change," said Malinda upon graduating from the program.
Like Malinda, the majority of Genesis Home families have multiple issues with which they are dealing. Many of these issues stay with them after they leave the shelter. Genesis Home is implementing a program to increase its support to families after they leave the shelther. The Aftercare Program will provide case management services and volunteer support to move families into permanent, stable housing as quickly as possible with continued follow up support for up to one year to ensure housing retention. The role of the Aftercare case manager is to help families transition successfully to self-sufficiency in their own housing and to prevent returns to homelessness. We have been piloting new roles for volunteers as well. We believe the efficiency and effectiveness of the Aftercare model is heavily dependent on deploying our rich pool of talented, trained, and committed volunteers. Volunteers can provide a wide range of supportive services: from mentors who can assist with life skills development such as financial planning to Circles of Support volunteers who can provide practical and logistical support to families exiting the shelter system.
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May 7, 2015
From Homelessness to Stability
By Ryan Fehrman | Executive Director
In the first four months of 2015, ten families used our program at Genesis Home to move from homelessness to stability. Our new focus on moving families into housing as quickly as possible is helping us serve more families in need and ending the homelessness of more households than ever before.
Each and every day, the perseverance and tenacity of the families here at Genesis Home is moving - each is dedicated to improving their situation and building a better life for their family. Your gift helped families like Mr. Webb and his two sons. Mr. Webb came to us after a horrible car accident and subsequent loss of his job and home, a divorce, and a long battle to secure full custody of his boys. He states that the help he received from staff and the program at Genesis Home identifying outsides services for him and his family, housing search and referral for a personal assessment supported his journey to independence.
While here, his boys participated in tutoring and enrichment programs for youth. Mr. Webb completed the Peer Support Specialist Program. He received his certificate that will enable him to counsel other persons in recovery. Mr. Webb states, “This transition has empowered me to know and aspire for a better life for me and my boys.”
Genesis Home is working to help more families in need by reducing the length of shelter stays and getting our families into permanent housing as quickly as possible. With your help, we are making a difference in the lives of families like Mr. Webb.
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