We think we are finally free of the bed bugs, which is bringing peace to our residents and staff. We completed yet another attempt at extermination in July thanks to our friends from Cooper Pest Solutions and Montgomery County Behavioral Health. We loaded everything (furniture, bedding, belongings) into a 52 ft. trailer and fumigated it all. We also have a new intake process and are preventively treating everything that comes to us as a means to avoid future infestations. This is the first time since we opened 5 years ago that we saw our entire facility empty of all belongings which also gave us the opportunity to clean places where our furniture previously prevented us from cleaning. Thanks also to Brother’s Keeper, another RHD unit, for all your help with caulking our walls and moving our furniture. Ahh! Sweet peace.

Eastern University is involved with a ministry known as MFuge and this is the second summer that they were involved with us. MFuge is an opportunity for High School aged teens from around the country to get involved with community service. Kids from Maine, Maryland, Tennessee, South Carolina, and many other states descended on the CHOC, 4 hours a day, 2 days a week for 6 weeks prepared to work, play, and just hang out with our residents. They were pretty amazing; they tended to our gardens, cleaned up after our extermination, played games and generally brightened everyone’s day. They got to know our residents and learn about homelessness and our residents got to know them. Ahh! Feel the love.

We have more gardens and flowers thanks to volunteers from Valley View Community Church spending a day with us digging and planting. Even the gardens we previously planted received some extra attention as they were dug up and replanted with ground cloth to stop the weeds. This has been a hot summer and not only are the gardens still doing well even amidst the horrible heat but they seem to be attracting some yellow finches for our added enjoyment. Ahh! The power of flowers.

Also thanks to Valley View we attended another Reading Phillies game. Twenty-four people attended this year, the most yet. Our 24 plus the church’s 20+ gave us a full bus this time. Though it rained all day the skies cleared in time for the game and stayed clear the remainder of the evening making for spectacular fireworks and a beautiful sunset. We had former, as well as current residents in attendance and as is usually the case we had many with that were attending a ball game for their first time. Thanks Valley View for inviting us and sticking with us all these years.

As anyone that reads this web page regularly knows, homelessness is a paradox that forces those involved to deal with opposites on a regular basis. As great as all of the above news is the struggle still continues. This time we are struggling with air conditioning. Two of our 3 large units failed and one was replaced at the end of July and another still needs to be replaced. Of course, this would not be a paradox if it were winter; but alas, it is summer and a hot one at that. Currently we are operating out of one wing as a result. This creates another paradox as we did not go over census but would have liked to considering the outdoor conditions and people in need requesting help.

Not being one that likes to end on a sour note I thought I would also mention all the wonderful folks that regularly touch our lives. Berta took a bit of a break from us but has returned and is back supervising the new Certified Peer Specialists. Thanks Berta and NAMI once again. Thanks Hope Community Church for kicking off our summer with softball and a picnic. Thanks Victory Christian Fellowship for continuing with a delicious home cooked brunch once a month. Thanks Trist (from Victory) for bringing Cornerstone Church to us once a month for dinner and praise. Thank you Cornerstone for coming along side us. Thanks Neen for getting donations for our library and wanting to start a women’s group; thanks especially for your patience as our continued struggles hinder your start. Thanks Betsy and Berta from Consultants in Context for agreeing to start trauma groups in September ( I am sure all our wings will be operational by then) . Thanks Magellan for assisting with our folks with special and sometimes complicated need. I could continue this endlessly but our web page designer would kill me, so thanks Brandon for your continued assistance and creativity in keeping this page going.

Thanks for reading! I hope you have a great rest of the summer and if you think you can help us financially, with some septa tokens, by volunteering, providing jobs, donating to our library, or any other way please contact us, we look forward to hearing from you.

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Another thanks goes to Charles, our maintenance man, and Rochelle, one of our subs. Their fondness of the shelter and for everyone in it is evident in everything they do. So what did they go and do this time? They worked hard with Home Depot to get mulch, plant, and flower donations and then planted two gardens in front of the building. We are looking better all the time. Thank you, Charles and Rochelle. Thank you, Home Depot.

Congratulations to Tynell, our program assistant. Tynell completed RHD’s Leadership Development Program and on Tuesday May 18 she presented her final project to RHD central office staff and leadership team. When asked how she felt her presentation went Tynell described herself as “the bomb”, we agree and along with being “the bomb” Tynell will be a force for positive change well into the future. Congratulations Tynell, you are the bomb and we are all exploding with joy over your accomplishment.

On Friday, May 21 we had picture day (remember that one from school?) at the shelter. Jeff Wojtaszek , a local area photographer volunteered to photograph all of our residents. He brought with him another photographer, Seth Shimkonis , lights, cameras, and backdrops along with a host of volunteers from Storehouse church that assisted with making our residents feel special by fixing hair and applying makeup on everyone that wanted it. Even staff members hammed it up for the cameras and Candice, our 3-11 supervisor spent the day as a hairdresser. Jeff and Seth sat patiently with each person or group they photographed and helped them to chose the image they liked the best. He will be returning in a couple of weeks to deliver the results. Prior to their arrival there were some residents that were pretty certain (as in “NO, NOT ME”) that they would not have their pictures taken and when we discovered them secretly sitting on the stool we couldn’t help but grin and let out a quiet “WOOHOO” as to not embarrass them.

After seeing all the changes one of our residents stated that until we get “better people” into the shelter our cosmetic changes are not enough. I beg to differ; as an emergency shelter we will always serve people that are homeless and that often have a disability and/or a history and a problem or two. We will get better people in one of two ways, 1) we can lock our doors and not let anyone in or out until everyone learns to get along or 2) we can screen those that come to us in a different way and not allow anyone in that has any kind of history with substances, or the criminal justice system, etc, etc. Neither of these two options is in keeping with our mission so we will continue to make improvements to the physical location while creating opportunities for those we serve to reach the goals they desire. Just as I can’t imagine an inner city emergency room anywhere in this country saying “we are tired of seeing and saving all the bullet ridden bodies that come to us and we will do so no longer” I also can’t imagine our shelter saying we will only serve people without need or a past.

In that same spirit of change we have said good-bye to our two volunteer peer support workers and are just now saying hello to our next volunteers. Thank you Carlene, Michael, and as always Berta; and thank you NAMI for making this opportunity possible. This program has been a wonderful addition to our services and as far as I can tell it has also been a wonderful experience for the volunteers that participate.

In addition to our interns from Cabrini College we have also had several outings to the college which included a play and a lecture as well as arts, crafts, and sports. Thank You Cabrini, see you next year.

Sadly, one of our week-end staff members passed away suddenly on April 30th. Dave Beaty had been employed with us for the past several years and he was a living example of recovery and the reality that people are both resilient and able to change. On the weekends, as well as on his time off Dave could often be found playing chess with one or more of our residents. He was also known for his singing and keyboard playing. He brought the best out in everyone he interacted with. He connected people with the community and those with addictions he connected with sponsors. He made sure our residents were able to attend recovery picnics every year and he even got scholarships for some residents to travel to recovery weekends. Dave’s heart, smile, laughter, compassion, understanding and overall presence at the shelter will be greatly missed. This winter Dave worked hard during our many snow storms and even managed to get food delivered when no one was venturing out and our own deliveries were halted. May he rest in the peace and the joy that be brought to so many.

Looking forward, we are reaching a milestone. On June 28th we will be 5 years old and throwing a party sometime around that date or before the end of summer. Please keep an eye on your mail and email as we begin the planning. It is our hope that we can bring back everyone that has helped us as well as those that have moved on and continue to help us by showing and reminding us that we work and by showing others that homelessness is temporary. It is our desire to thank all of those that have come and gone and to encourage others to come along side us, even if for a little while, in whatever way they (you) are able. We can always use community partners and funders as the need to connect and improve is always present. I hope you get the idea, from reading this, or from stopping by, that we really could not be serving people any better or more deserving than those we currently serve.

Happy planting everyone I hope your spring gardening yields many fruits, flowers, and vegetables. If you end up with more than you can handle, bring some by; we will put it to good use (Gosh, that almost sounds like a Motel 6 commercial).

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The Coordinated Homeless Outreach Center (CHOC), like everyone else in this part of the country, just came through a record breaking winter. Record breaking snow fall has accumulated. Thankfully this has not dampened or buried our, or your, spirits and we continue to improve with the help of our friends.

In December while most of you were baking cookies the CHOC was baking bed bugs. Bed Bug Central and Cooper Pest control helped rid the shelter of a majority of the pests by offering us free thermal treatment. In addition, a new friend, Marcie, is helping by upholstering new cushions for all of our couches and love seats. These acts of kindness saved us thousands of dollars and we are extremely grateful. Needless to say they also greatly increase the quality of living at the CHOC.

In addition we were are involved in the launch of a new service, The Homeless Prevention Center.

The Homeless Prevention Center is:

• A telephonic homeless information and referral service that will put the Coordination in The Coordinated Homeless Outreach Center.
• An information and referral line for all homeless related calls
• Point of entry for the Montgomery County Homeless Shelter (formerly the CHOC) and other shelters
• County wide data collection for all homeless related calls.

The phone number for this new service is 1-877-646-6306. In light of this new service, what you currently know as the CHOC is now the Montgomery County Homeless Shelter. Please continue to call (610) 292-9244 to reach a resident or a resident’s case worker, or if you wish to make a donation or volunteer your time.

If you need shelter or want to make a referral please call the Homeless Prevention Center (1-877-646-6306). This new service began quietly but officially on February 15^th, 2010.

At the shelter we are undertaking another project. The bathrooms are being renovated thanks to the financial assistance of RHD, our parent company, and the use of fees that our residents pay. We are retiling the showers and floors, adding a shower, lowering the lights and brightening the entire area, tiling and repainting both the men’s and women’s bathrooms, removing mold and repainting the bathrooms, and adding exhaust fans. Alleluia!

As usual, we continue to struggle with funding and meeting the many and diverse needs of those we serve. If you want to assist us with financial or other needs please do so. We will put any funding you send to good use in the way you pre-determine or the way it will be most beneficial. Those ways could be any of the following: 1) continued bed bug maintenance, 2) on going roof repair, 3) dividing into two shelters, one for men and the other for women 4) transportation , 5) fun and or educational outings, 6) art supplies to promote creativity, or any other suggestion you might have.

Our goal and desire is simple: To provide a clean, safe shelter for those that experience homelessness and to do so in a dignified and humane manner that acknowledges the trauma and burden that accompanies homelessness while finding creative and appropriate ways to alleviate the burdens and promote recovery from the trauma.

Thanks for reading! Have a delightful spring.

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The CHOC has much to be thankful for. Even in the midst of our many frustrations we have much to be thankful for. We are thankful for everyone that comes to us and everyone that leaves us. We are thankful to everyone that gives to us, we are thankful for our staff, our residents, our volunteers, our funders, our supporters, etc, etc.

This year Thanksgiving took on a whole new meaning and a new way of doing things. It started several weeks ago with NAMI sending us an email informing us that they would be sending a $500 donation to make Thanksgiving extra special. Next we received a phone call from a business called Pearl Shuckers located in Norristown, they wanted to bring dinner and serve our residents on Wed. night. Next came calls from Valley View Community Church and Hope Community Church, they too wanted to help.

Honestly, this is all a bit overwhelming because we honestly never know who is going to be at the CHOC for Thanksgiving, or Christmas, or any other day for that matter. Our former residents are very gracious and they often invite our current residents to their homes for the holidays. Anyone still connected with their own families join them for the holidays. In addition there is an abundance of meals throughout the community. Finally, we still have our ongoing battles with bed bugs, illnesses, leaky roof, etc and we really don’t want to spread that wealth to anyone.

On the Friday before Thanksgiving we asked our folks what they wanted to do and they overwhelmingly responded that they wanted dinner at the CHOC. So dinner it would be.

On Wednesday night Jesse and his Shuckers came along with Dave and his daughter from the PC Doctor, another business in Norristown. The food they brought was absolutely delicious but the icing on the cake was their warm, friendly, and wide smiles. It was their first time doing something like this and you would have thought they do it all the time. Somehow I think they do.

The Pearl Shuckers and PC Doctor’s good will and graciousness caught on like wild fire and by later that evening the CHOC was cleaned and decorated by staff and residents for Thursday’s festivities leaving nothing for the next day’s volunteers to do. Uh-oh, this could be a problem, volunteers coming and nothing for them to do.

This wasn’t a problem at all. When the volunteers came they were greeted by the residents who welcomed them in, brought them a beverage, conversed with them and then they put on aprons, hair nets, and gloves and served the volunteers and each other. Everyone involved was comfortable as they traded places for a little while. It was an absolutely amazing and incredible day. It was a day where our residents got to feel the absolute joy of giving that many of you already know so well.

Thank you to everyone that made turn about fair play at the CHOC. Dancing in the light is so much fun isn’t it?

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Our kitchen is still running great; we had a near hit and were almost shut down a month after we opened but everything worked out.

During June our friends at Valley View Community Church donated a van to us; we really needed the extra wheels.  They alsoinvited us out for outdoor movies as well as the Reading Phillies game where it poured but we got a rainbow and a win.  We had visits from several other churches as well:  Fairview Village sent a group for a night of games and music.  People were drumming, playing guitars, singing, and playing Charades.  Hope Chapel came out and played softball, took pictures, picked up a group the next day for church where they all got to see themselves larger than life on large television screens during lunch after the service.

In July Allyssa joined with Magellan to collect some donations for us.  She made a lemonade stand with her father, sold lemonade for 2 hours and then used the $233 in proceeds to buy needed items for our shelter.  Allyssa is pretty remarkable:  Her grandfather passed during this time and yet she stayed focused on us.  Her grandfather supported her in this endeavor and then her grandmother donated his belongings as well. Pretty amazing, don’t you think?

Cindy and Christine work for Magellan and they helped as well.  Christine engaged both her co-workers and her neighbors (Allyssa is her neighbor) to help us out.  They brought us scrubs, toiletries and some gift cards.  We will be using their donation for, you guessed it, some more fun.  We have a softball team, some Magellan folks, some former residents, and others coming for a softball game and barbecue in early September.

Cabrini College helped, Gwynedd Mercy College came out and played.  Some kids through Eastern College’s summer youth program came out and helped.

Odd job Joe came and hung some sound panels for us.  Our center is loud and often annoying.  Joe hung 6 large panels from our ceiling that has helped remove the echo and as an added bonus they help with the air flow, lighting, and look pretty cool as well.

In August we started a partnership with Norristown Borough and hired 6 of our residents to clean the streets of Norristown three days a week.  They are having a blast. The merchants and other folks in Norristown are thanking them and appreciating them. It has been less than a month since we started and already we are looking for ways to expand.

Have you noticed the recurring theme here?  Its about giving, noticing, and appreciating. These three concepts go a long way especially here and especially now.  Homelessness, as mentioned in previous updates is often about waiting; waiting for benefits, jobs, housing, health, etc.etc.  The wait can be lonely and painful but thanks to so many the wait for many at our shelter is also joyful and happy.

During this season of giving, oops I mean budget stalemate, please consider giving.  If not to us than to another organization that serves those with needs. If it is to us we will work on fixing our still leaking roof, or getting new furniture that will be resistant to bed bugs or even to have more fun.  By the giving of your time, money, talent or anything else you can offer to anyone with need you will likely find that you also feel better.

Have a great rest of the summer and please take some time off and go have some fun.

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We completed the kitchen and building renovations, we passed all building and health inspections, and on May 18, 2009 we started serving three meals per day to our residents. As in most things we do we did this with the help and support of many. Thanks to Patrick and CADCOM for a $15,000 food grant to get us started; thanks to the North Penn United Way for awarding us FEMA dollars, thanks to Montgomery County Office of Housing and Community Development for Emergency Shelter Grant dollars; thanks to the Montgomery County Department of Health for gently and expertly guiding us through the inspection process; thanks to Odd Job Joe for our new sink and other handiwork, thanks to Jay and J&M Carpentry for assisting us with the many other related tasks that needed to be completed. We would be amiss if we failed to mention Resources for Human Development Central Office staff for all of their assistance and guidance through every phase of the renovation and completion of this project, so thanks to Jim, Chuck, Mike, David, David, and Lee for every thing from overseeing this project to your grant writing and budgeting help.

All of this hard work led us to a partnership with PhilAbundance whose mission is to drive hunger out of the community and with Chef Marc who plans and oversees the preparation of all of our meals. Thank you PhilAbundance for partnering with us.

A few months back we had several staff study for and pass their food service certification exams and on May 22 we had another staff person take and pass her exam. This one is pretty special for us because Donna was a former resident of the CHOC and she is now temporary staff working while another staff person is on maternity leave. Way to go Donna and thanks for giving back to the community. Donna’s smile and energy are contagious at the CHOC and her warmth and welcoming spirit is a nice addition to the shelter.

Other Updates

As if the above news is not good enough I am also happy to report that the bed bugs are gone. Now that was a job. Many thanks go out to Bing and Ertell from Royal Pest Control for helping us to evict the tiny pests. Since there is still a national bed bug epidemic we will have to be continually on guard and take precautions to avoid another infestation but we are free from their nuisance right now and we are happy. A big thank you also goes to Charles, our maintenance man, for all of his hard work and diligence at keeping them out. Charles is actually a new employee as well. He formerly worked for the cleaning company that we contracted with for maintenance and sanitation and just joined us full time since the above mentioned grants also included funding for janitorial and maintenance staff. Charles has always gone above and beyond the call of duty. In addition to his janitorial work he has painted and repaired walls and the other day he was found outside power washing our many many windows. He is one of many that helps make the CHOC brighter for all of us that work or live at the center. Thanks also go to Valley View Community Church for new towel and blanket donations that were used to get us through the extermination process and beyond.

We have a few more big jobs we would like to tackle like getting our roof replaced but that one is going to take some thought, planning and money.

 If you would like to help in that way or any other way please let us know.   As always, we are open to ideas.

Have a great summer!

CHOC before and after Video

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I apologize for not updating this web page sooner; this is due to my difficulty in finding the right words to say what needs to be said rather than simply reporting on our statistics or our progress. Statistics are great and necessary for funding and planning purposes but if we fail to recognize that these stats are representations of real people with real hopes and real struggles then we have missed something important.

This winter has been a difficult one for many reasons. One reason is that we became infested with bed bugs sometime last fall and we are still dealing with the infestation. Imagine, if you can, sleeping night after night while being attacked by bedbugs that you can barely see but you can certainly feel. I have seen the frustration of our clients and I have seen the welts on their bodies due to repeated biting. I have watched clients blame one another for the infestation and have held several meetings where I have had to tell them this is not their fault, they do not deserve this, and we are doing everything we can to eliminate the problem. Doing everything we can has included several exterminations, discarding and replacing all blankets, and then several more exterminations; all to no avail.

Just before, or during, our bed bug infestation we were hit with the Noro virus. This resulted in three weeks of people falling ill with a stomach virus and symptoms that clearly reminded us of our lack in bathroom space, let alone staff and other resources, as some individuals could do little more than hug our too few toilets while others were getting sick in trash cans or our outside our doors and staff were calling out sick while subs were going home sick.

We had two clients pass away. One was ill and in hospice and the other called us for a ride when she returned to town after work and she died of a massive heart attack before we got to her. This client worked but had no medical insurance. She had not been seen by a doctor in nearly 20 years. She earned too much money to obtain free medical assistance and not enough to pay for it on her own.

The shelter, let alone the nature of homelessness itself, is a roller coaster of conflicting emotions often vying for release simultaneously. The role of the CHOC is to offer safety while meeting the basic needs of those we serve until appropriate housing can be found and to do so in the sometimes chaotic environment that the CHOC can be. The sooner that housing can be located the better. Better for those we serve because they will not have to succumb to the illnesses that come from communal living nor have to adjust to living without privacy or sleeping face to face with a stranger; better for staff because we won’t have to live with the idea that our best is not good enough for the long run. Though our best keeps getting better we are still not home nor should we be. The previously mentioned issues are too common in communal living situations and they (the CHOC and other emergency shelters) therefore should be as short term as possible for those who find themselves needing them. In order for that to happen though, there must be affordable housing available for folks to move into.

Hello Spring

Recognizing these realities and the fact that housing, not shelter, ends homelessness, Montgomery County leadership in partnership with the many agencies charged with serving homeless people is developing more affordable housing for low income families and individuals. Some CHOC residents will benefit from this new housing while others will benefit from the housing that will be vacated as others benefit from the new. Either way, the increased availability for housing will be greatly appreciated and is sorely needed.

Over the past few months we once again saw several long-term residents transition to their own apartments. This is cause for celebration but has also shown us that other housing options are still necessary. Some of those that moved from us were extremely hesitant about doing so. They made it very clear to us that they did not want to live alone. It is evident that not everyone desires to live on their own. Some desire and are seeking to live in and among a caring community especially if they have few or no family and social connections to rely on and relate to. Hopefully Montgomery County’s future will include the development of a Safe Haven to complement its available housing options.

This has been a bit long winded and I did not get to mention some of the other great things that are in the works or update you on kitchen progress. I will do this in the next update which I promise will come sooner rather than later. There is much more to tell you about and I am running out of space but if I had it I would update you on the kitchen and volunteer peer support program, I would also tell you about the new grants we have applied for and the new staff we will soon be hiring as a result of getting those grants. I would also tell you about our plans (though yet not realized) to partner with Norristown Borough to help improve Norristown and assist a few community members with obtaining medical benefits in the process. I would also tell you about our interns and new volunteers and show you pictures of the murals that have been painted on our walls. But… I have run out of space.

In the meantime please consider helping us by making a donation through the link on this web page. Donated funds go directly to client needs such as tokens for transportation, repair and/or replacement of washer and dryer, and recreational activities such as bowling nights or other events that bring some fun into the lives of those we serve. Also, if you have any ideas on how we could continue to impact and include our community in positive and beneficial ways that will continue to give people hope, opportunity, friendship and encouragement with ending their homelessness and or assisting them from returning to homelessness in the future please send them as we are always open to input and ideas.

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We are thankful for Brandon, our web designer.  His service to us in keeping this web page updated is much appreciated.  He even held a recent fund raiser for us and donated nearly $200.  Thank you Brandon, from the bottom of our hearts. 

Cabrini College sent us three interns this semester; Ursula, Kristen, and Jeff.  Thanks for your contribution of time, talent and enthusiasm.  We also had a class of students come to mix with our residents to discuss the economy.  That was very cool and a lively discussion took place that will hopefully lead to more discussions and a semester long course next spring. A special thanks to Beth, our former intern/volunteer that helped make the class possible. 

Thanks to Valley View Community Church.  They pulled through in our time of need and brought us nearly 90 brand new blankets at a moment’s notice.    They also keep us in constant prayer.  Thank You.

Thanks to New Life Mennonite church for donating their church for this year’s Homeless Memorial and for putting up with our seeming lack of organization.  As you can imagine, things happen that hinder our progress and therefore our ability to plan, organize, and communicate.  Their patience and prayer is also appreciated.

Thanks to Eric, Pam, Nancy, Joe and a whole host of others from Montgomery County for their support and vision in getting this project off the ground and flying high.

Thanks to RHD, our parent company for supporting us and partnering with us for change.

Thanks to the Sisters of Charity, another homeless shelter in Norristown, for bringing us Thanksgiving Dinner this year and to Partners for families for bringing us even more food.  We had leftovers for a week and were able to store it all in our new refrigerator and freezer. 

Thanks to Victory Christian Fellowship for our monthly brunches and yearly Christmas dinner as well as gifts for our residents. And thanks Tristan for helping with our impromptu memorial service for a couple of our residents. You are reaching many with your love and that reach is far.  

Thanks to Calan Wilson, a senior at Methacton High School.  She will be donating her time and talent to put beautiful and peaceful murals all over our walls.

Thanks to Mary, the faithful church lady that brings us toiletries on a regular basis, and to Chico, who sends us checks, and to Theresa for spreading good cheer, and to the Norristown Police for responding to us when needed.  Thanks to all the organizations we partner with on a regular basis to assist with obtaining and maintaining housing for our residents.  These organizations include Hedwig House, Horizon House, Central MH/MR Center,  CTI, Salvation Army, Main Street Ministries, the Hospitality Center, Creative Health, Penn Foundation, Access Services (Starting Point), and the Mental Health Association.

Thank You Dr. George, for everything you do.

Thank you Pam and Jane for monthly haircuts and constant encouragement.

Thank you Bill for faithfully showing up every Thursday.  Bill’s been with us since first opened back in 2005. Thank you John, for Sunday service to us.

Thank you Berta and Consultants in Context.

Thank You Mattie and Bread of Life, you have brightened our holidays for years.

Thank you Friends Central High, for our storage room.

Thanks to Gary and all the staff of Norristown State Hospital, and to MCES also located on the hospital grounds.

Thanks to our plumbers, electricians, and contractors.  You are helping us improve.

And a special thanks to all of our residents.  You touch our hearts and lives with your stories, your laughter, your smiles, your pain, your patience and with your sheer determination to live fully.

The CHOC is changing and these changes can not happen without the help and support, prayer and care of so many.

Thank you one and all and Happy Holidays!

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Summer has been good to us thanks to the many community partners and churches that continually stop by to help.   On July 12th 17 residents hopped on a bus with members of Valley View Community Church and went to a Reading Phillies game. Other than the R-Phillies losing the night was perfect and even included some fire works.

Church of the Savior, in Wayne, came out 2 more times: Once for an afternoon of fun and games (we now have a volley ball net, softball bats and gloves, and other outdoor activities) and then again in August for more bowling fun.

Gwynedd Mercy College started back to class and came to us for their “unscripted reality 101” day of service.  Thank you so much.  Our storage area originally made by students from Friends Central High School is finally neat, clean, and orderly.  They spent several hours emptying the storage area, cleaning it from top to bottom, and then helped our residents to transfer all their belongings from plastic bags to bins.

Program Updates and Statistics 

We completed our first HUD annual progress report (APR) since becoming part of RHD.  Though at times it feels as if we are always coming up short and we are focusing on our need as a program, the statistics show that what we do works; people do leave us and do so by getting housing.  It may not always happen as quickly as would like or as smoothly as we would like but it does happen and we are grateful. 
 

As an emergency shelter we have many folks that stay with us for less than a month.  However, due to difficulty of finding affordable housing combined with the personal difficulties that the people we serve face we also have a group of people that stay with us for over 6 months and some for over one year.  As Montgomery County works to improve housing options on a large scale we are able to shorten the length of time that people stay with us.  Of those that left us during this reporting period 10 have been with us for over one year.  Of those that stayed 14 have been with us 1-3 years.  Our HUD goal states that 20% of the people we serve will find housing within one year.  We surpassed that goal by having 43% of our clients leave us by obtaining housing. 

Updates from Previous Web Page: 

Summer time is slow for all of us and rightfully so.  Slow, however, does not mean no progress is made: 

• We have started work on the kitchen:  we have sinks, counters, and other appliances on site and we have started the electrical work needed to make this a reality. 

• Peer Support workers were trained in mid August and Berta from Consultants in Context is actively seeking and interviewing peer support volunteers to partner with our residents.

• The shelter fee and savings program has begun.  Though not all residents are using it yet we currently have several clients that are saving their money and paying fees.  We are looking to increase that number and add all new clients to that program throughout the fall.

• Drug testing has not begun.  However we have researched several companies that can do the testing for us and we will be starting a trial run sometime in September.  The purpose for testing is to encourage those that would benefit from treatment to get that treatment.  Homelessness ends when both societal and personal issues are addressed and the CHOC’s main goal is to meet basic needs while offering the opportunity to address personal issues.  Simultaneously we are working with the county and other area agencies to work on the societal issues of affordable housing.  When both issues are addressed MAGIC HAPPENS. 

As always we are grateful to and for the many partners that assist us in making change and transformation  a reality for those we serve including Gwynedd Mercy College, Hedwig House, Horizon House, the Salvation Army, Montgomery County Emergency Services, Wayne Church of the Savior, Valley View Community Church, Magellan, and Cabrini College.

Please do enjoy the rest of your summer and have a great back to school, back to work, or back to your routine season.

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The last update mentioned the support of Friends Central High School and their fundraising efforts and talent to help us build a storage area for the folks that come to us. Their work is finished and the storage area completed. The students managed to get the wood donated so they were able to give us a check for $ 293.00 to purchase the bins needed to store our client’s belongings in an orderly and healthy fashion. Thank You!

Though our new sprinkler system is installed we are still waiting for other construction to begin. We are anxious and ready to begin we are just waiting on the powers that be to approve our construction plans.

Church of the Saviour in Wayne came out for a bowling party with residents Memorial Day Weekend and will be coming out to host a barbecue June 28th. Some of our residents went bowling for the first time. Everyone had a lot of fun.

Though there are many new program enhancements coming one of the newest involves using a tried and true program in a new way. Homelessness, as some of you may know, is often about waiting… waiting for benefits to turn on, waiting for a job, waiting for affordable housing. In an effort to make that wait time more productive and beneficial for the folks we serve, as well as those that partner with us, we are partnering with an organization that we believe will help enhance the lives of those we serve while encouraging more community participation and involvement:

We will be partnering with Consultants in Context, another RHD program, to provide peer support for our residents. Peer Support interns will engage our residents in encouraging relationships that will get them out of the shelter and assist them with finding jobs or volunteer opportunities, locating housing, accompanying them to appointments, joining them for lunch in the community or simply enjoying a movie or cultural event together. Community Peer Support is a tried and true method for assisting and encouraging folks on the journey of fulfilling their dream on the road of recovery. The twist that will be added here is that interns will be used in order to re introduce trained, but unemployed, community support specialists to the joy and fulfillment of peer support. Benefits to those that volunteer 3-6 months with us will include supervision, ability to access trainings and a free transportation voucher to use for their time with us as well as for personal use. They will also be assisted with finding employment in the various settings that peer support specialists can be found in. To read an article on peer support click here.

In addition we are considering other ideas like forming a running club that includes both community members and shelter residents. The benefits of running are well documented and the benefits of community involvement with homeless programs is also well documented. If you think you would be interested in participating in such an endeavor please send us an email through our contact us link. If you have a talent, or hobby that you would like to share with our residents please notify us of that as well.

We are always open to new ideas and would like to see things like a reading club, creative writing or arts club. Our residents have many talents and interests that are often hidden during their season of homelessness . If you would like to assist with uncovering the hidden talents and dreams of those we serve please contact us with your ideas. We are always open to new ones.

In order to make these programs and ideas work we are in need of donations both financial and in kind. We are also in need of job and volunteer opportunities. If you or someone you know can assist in any way please contact us by phone, through our web site, or by linking to RHD’s on line donation system by clicking here.  Please be sure to designate your donation for the CHOC.

Since the last update

56 additional people have crossed our threshold by entering the shelter or by being contacted by our outreach team.

41 people have left us. Though many have transitioned into nursing homes, assisted living facilities, drug and alcohol rehabs, and other shelters because their needs were too great for our program.

13 have successfully moved into independent housing such as apartments or shared apartments through pooling their resources., entering transitional housing, or obtaining Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) vouchers or Montgomery County Housing Choice Voucher Certificates.

2 new policies are well under way:

1) We will be starting a shelter fee and savings program July 1. Soon our residents will be able to leave us with money in their pocket to assist in beginning their new and independent living situation.

2) We will start drug testing as a means to encourage treatment for those individuals that would benefit from it.

Thank you to the following organizations that have contributed to our success and constant change and growth by sitting on our advisory committee, partnering with our residents, or giving us support in countless other ways:

Horizon House, Hedwig House, Half Way There Transitional Housing Program, Permanent Solutions Permanent Housing Program, Consumer Satisfaction Team, Montgomery County Emergency Services, The VA, The Salvation Army, The Umbrella Program, Bethel Baptist Church, Valley View Community Church, Victory Christian Fellowship, The Hospitality Center of Norristown, RHD’s Critical Time Intervention Team and Consultants In Context.

Have a wonderful and safe summer everyone.

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