Providence House

Description

A program for homeless women with children who have a need for housing, basic life skills, education, in a community like support system. The families are screened for motivation and chance of success. This is modeled on a successful program in St Petersburg, which has a better than 80% success rate in turning homeless and near homeless women into independent, self-sufficient, tax-paying citizens. Many of our mothers are overwhelmed and don't know how to cope. This program will give them a support system, and the know-how to change their circumstances. Each family is assigned its own small apartment, pays no rent, but does pay a program fee of about $500 monthly, plus its own utilities. There will be once a week life-skills classes, budgeting, parenting, job interviewing, etc. There is a monthly pot-luck dinner and prayer service with different Churches in the area. This will help the families to become integrated into the community. The women also meet weekly with a case manager, who helps them with their particular goals. Every woman is working and/ or going to school. Most work full time and go to school part-time.