Legacy Gift from Grace Baptist Church

Twenty years ago, the members of Grace Baptist Church and the Somerville Homeless Coalition embarked on a joint mission to help homeless families.  When the church closed its doors in 2005, the congregation decided to use the sale of the church building to continue their commitment to the homeless. This past April, after five years of legal hurdles, the members of Grace Baptist Church presented SHC with a legacy gift to continue the work they have enthusiastically supported for over 20 years.

The partnership between SHC and Grace Baptist Church began in 1987. “We had extra space on the second floor of the church,” said Florence Lewis, a long-time member of the Grace Baptist congregation. “We were very enthusiastic about offering this space to SHC to use as a shelter. They came in and renovated the space, and it turned into a very good partnership.”

Though the five-room family shelter has been in high demand since 1987, the congregation of Grace Baptist Church began to dwindle. In 2005, the church made the difficult decision to close its doors for good. “It was hard,” Lewis said, “but we knew that with the sale of the church, we wanted to support the work of SHC moving forward.”

At SHC’s April event, Under the Roof, members of Grace Baptist Church presented SHC Executive Director Mark Alston-Follansbee with their last donation from the sale of the church. "This generous gift will continue Grace Baptist Church’s legacy in Somerville while insuring our shelter is able to meet its mission," Alston-Follansbee said.

The timing of the Grace Baptist gift cannot go unnoticed.  “When we embarked on this partnership, we never imagined the family shelter would still be needed more than ever 20 years later,” said Lewis. “But over the years, we know that through our space and support, we were able to help quite a number of families, and that’s something we’re glad about.”

SHC’s family shelter will remain in the church at Cross Street, but with a new landlord: Seventh Day Adventist Church.  The gift from Grace Baptist Church will be used to supplement the cost of running the shelter, so it may continue to be open to families in crisis and in need of housing.

[Originally published in Somerville Homeless Coalition's Summer 2009 newsletter.]

The Recession Hits Home

Somerville Homeless Coalition Responds, Adjusts to Rising Demand 

To see the local effects of the global recession, just look at the reception area of the Somerville Homeless Coalition. The seats are filled with people as diverse as the circumstances that brought them there. Some are newly unemployed; others have been struggling since before the economy went sour. Some push baby carriages; others carry their belongings in garbage bags.  If there’s anything they all have in common, it is hope that someone will help them through their difficult time.

The past year has been a tumultuous one for homeless service agencies from Somerville to Sacramento. Like other providers across the country, SHC has been grappling to meet the rising demand for homeless assistance with limited funds and overstretched staff. Simultaneously, SHC has been preparing for an influx of stimulus funds from the Recovery Act to help keep people in their homes.

SHC administrative assistant Armanda Sylvester said she has seen a noticeable increase in need in the past several months.  “The phone rings nonstop,” she said.

“Since last year, the number of calls from individuals, families, and other referral agencies has tripled.”

Each request SHC receives for case management assistance comes across the desk of Jill Currier, a senior case manager at SHC. “We are really seeing a change in our clients,” she said.

“There are more women, more families, more people coming from domestic violence situations, more working poor, and many more unemployed.”

If the past two months provides a snapshot of this rise in demand, the figures are telling. During the months of June and July in 2008, SHC received requests from 42 households for services. During these same two months in 2009, 78 households requested services – an 86 percent increase. But, according to Currier, this increase doesn’t even capture the number of people who inquire to SHC, but who cannot be helped.

“If someone calls who is doubled up, living with a friend or family member, we have to turn them away,” said Currier.

“For housing purposes, doubled up isn’t considered homeless, so we cannot provide assistance.”

SHC’s Rapid Re-housing and emergency assistance programs have also been active in recent months. In keeping with national trends, SHC shifted its focus to prevention several years ago, since keeping a family in housing avoids the disruption and trauma of homelessness. At the same time, it is better for physical and mental health and is more cost effective than bringing folks into the shelter system.

To support SHC’s prevention efforts, the United Way provides $50,000 annually to spend on homelessness prevention. But with the recession in full swing, these funds are in high demand.

“In just a month a half, we have already spent 40 percent of these funds,” said Mike Libby, Director of Programs at SHC.

“We’re using the same amount of money as in 2008 to address a problem with a much greater need in 2009.”

SHC will receive $468,000 from the City of Somerville via the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Programs (HPRP), a small chunk of the $1.5 billion allocated nationally through the Recovery Act. These funds, combined with a grant from the New Metropolitan Boston Network, will allow SHC and other Somerville social service agencies to expand to meet the increased need for housing, case management, and prevention assistance for those affected by the recession. At the same time, SHC is taking other steps to meet the needs of the community, like increasing food pantry hours.

“Our goal is always to find the most cost effective and least disruptive solution to people’s problems,” said Alston-Follansbee.

“Our ultimate goal is always to keep people in their home with enough food to sustain themselves.”

“Even though many people are struggling these days, and many more are likely to fall on hard times, we will continue to do whatever it takes to help those who need it,” said Alston-Follansbee.

“If people need assistance or want to learn how they can help, they should not hesitate to give us a call.”

Somerville Homeless Coalition can be reached at (617) 623-6111.

[Originally published in Somerville Homeless Coalition's Summer 2009 newsletter.]

Great photos from the Pig Roast.

Here are some great photos from our friend Joe Grafton from Somerville Local First taken at this year's Pig Roast. Thanks to everyone who came by and supported us!:

http://picasaweb.google.com/SomervilleLocalFirst/PigPickin8?feat=directlink#