Prospect Place: Home To Families In Crisis

PROSPECT PLACE: HOME TO FAMILIES IN CRISIS by Andy Burt

Prospect Place Family Shelter, a program of the SOS Community Crisis Center which opened its facility at the end of July 1988, has sheltered and provided support and follow-up services to more than 50 families during the past year. In two adjacent houses made up of four separate apartment units, common kitchen and dining room area, offices, playroom and laundry facilities, staff and volunteers work with four to seven families at any one time. The program is built around an understanding that homeless families in crisis need a space to cali their own where they can begin to reconstruct their shattered family unit and feel safe and secure. They need support and nurturing which a larger shelter community of other families, staff and volunteers can provide. During their stay at the shelter of up to 30 days families are supported individually in their needs to secure: affordable housing, child care, substance abuse treatment, health care, education, employment and counseling. Recognizing that most of the families come with multiple and complex needs which cannot be easily addressed in the 30-day stay, Prospect Place offers each family six to twelve months of follow-up services. These services are designed to meet the longer term needs and goals set by individuals. Certainly, this is the core of the shelter program which promises to assist families in crisis to securely take root in the community and to begin to establish the quality of life which they want and deserve.

Sue and her family have been assisted at Prospect Place with searching for housing, setting educational goals and developing a plan of action, finding affordable and appropriate counseling, and meeting childcare needs. When Sue moved to her first apartment, staff helped to secure move-in money and household furnishings. More important, Prospect Place has been a "home" where Sue could return when her new housing became a disaster and where Sue and her children could find caring individuals who helped her through her hospitalization when the going got tough.

To offer 24-hour, 7-days a week services to our families, Prospect Place relies on community volunteers to staff the shelter overnight and on weekends with on-call back-up from staff. We provide an orientation and training for volunteers every other month. There will be a training in early February for those who are interested in volunteering at the shelter. Please cali Ellen or Andy at 484-4300 for more information.