Emergency Shelter
The Family Shelter provides emergency shelter for up to fifteen families at a time. We have two dormitories, Midtown and Bills House, in which each family has their own room furnished with beds, cribs if needed, and a dresser to store their clothing. Linens and towels are given to each family to use in their room and are generously donated by members of the community. Families are able to stay in emergency housing for up to four months while they are searching for stable housing, employment, childcare, and other important resources.
Services Provided to Clients
- Baby Items
- Budgeting Assistance
- Bus Tickets
- Case Management
- Childcare Assistance
- Clothing Vouchers
- Counseling
- Meals
- Housing Search
- Hygiene Items
- Internet Access
- Job Search
- Laundry Facilities
- Life Skills Training
- Mail Service Medicine
- Referral Services
- Special Events & Activities
- Telephone Access
- Transitional Housing
Intake Process
When a family contacts Family Shelter seeking assistance, they are entered into our database and as vacancies occur we match families with available rooms. All applicants must pass a drug and alcohol screening and a criminal background check before they are admitted into Family Shelter. Once a family is admitted, the Case Manager assists them in setting goals to achieve self-sufficiency. Families can stay for up to four months at Family Shelter; however, the length of stay is determined by each family’s participation in working to address the circumstances that lead to their homelessness as well as their compliance with Family Shelter rules and policies.
Families with little or no income are provided with baby supplies, personal care items, over the counter medication, city bus tickets, and other items made available through grants and donations from the community. Parents are expected to attend case management meetings, as well as participate in bi-weekly evaluations to address any challenges to their efforts to regain independence. Additionally, Life Skills classes held twice a week are mandatory for parents who are unemployed and optional for parents who are employed.
Transitional Housing
Our transitional housing consists of eight apartment units and is for former residents of Family Shelter’s emergency shelter program and for qualified applicants referred by partner agencies in the community. Families entering the transitional housing program continue working toward independence and stability. Families pay monthly rent based on a sliding scale and continue to receive supportive services provided by Family Shelter. Families can stay in the transitional housing units from six months to two years, depending on the family’s goal and needs.
Many families who enter the transitional housing program were unable to secure rental housing in the private market due to bad credit, eviction history, or criminal backgrounds. However, after building a positive rental history with Family Shelter as a responsible tenant, landlords and rental companies are often willing to reconsider our residents’ applications for housing.
Client Services
Along with providing food and shelter for our families, a number of services are provided to our residents to help them on their journey to independence. Referrals are provided through our case manager for both housing and employment. Through these referrals, clients are better connected to resources in the community that can assist them. Referrals for medical care, behavioral health, educational advancement, credit repair, transportation, early childhood intervention, and other services are made for our clients as well.
Childcare is provided for families staying at the shelter through subsidies and partnerships with other organizations in the Columbia area. For working parents who struggle to find affordable childcare, Family Shelter assists parents by paying for four weeks of childcare for younger children. Parents with school-aged children are connected with various afterschool programs in the community for low income children. There is also a tutor at the shelter three nights each week who works one-on-one with the children to help them with their homework and class assignments.
Preparing our clients for employment and managing their finances is a large component of our services. Our Life Skills classes are held twice a week and cover topics such as resumes, interviewing skills, budgeting, financial literacy, and time management. The main goal of the Life Skills training is for parents to enter the workforce as competitive applicants for jobs so that they are able to provide financial security for their children. The Life Skills program also helps parents learn to get better organized and improve their communication and decision making skills.