Most homeless families are debilitated by not one but half a dozen major interactive issues such as abuse, financial mismanagement and poor parenting. These issues form a complex web of dysfunction. Failing to address all the issues together results in any one of the missed issues perpetuating the cycle of hopelessness and dependency, with reversion back to the original state.
The reason for this ongoing cycle of ‘failure’ is that, when the homeless leave the shelter the shelter’s work is ended. This Mission addresses the desperate need for post-shelter partnership. We are the one-on-one post-shelter partners but we draw on the great work begun in the shelters.
The Mission currently engages with three to five families at a time. The success of this Mission is being measured by a new-found stability, happiness, and the financial trend line of the emerging families.
As a formerly-homeless family emerges, again, we engage them in helping the next family. We find that this greatly strengthens the emerging family, adding immensely to self-esteem, giving them true hope through serving others.
So we have two steps in this restoration cycle: Stage 1 is being helped. Stage 2 is helping others. Currently, the first family helped by the Mission has been helping three of the current five families ever since they left the shelter.