HUMANITY MAG WINTER 2017 EDITION REV 12.11.17

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H U M A N I T Y M A G A Z I N E Saint John's Programs There is no easy way to escape living in crisis. Since our founding on the steps of St. John’s Lutheran Church in 1985, we’ve challenged many homeless mothers with children to grapple with that difficult truth. And not everyone can. It takes a certain type of woman to stand up to everything that’s ever damaged or broken her and take full, complete control of her life. It’s difficult. It’s painful. And again, it’s not for everyone. Saint John’s is for the woman who wants to make the leap. Who will fight the pervasive influence of homelessness, poverty, and abuse. Who will make an empowered decision to rise up and become a productive community member. Who understands, unequivocally, that the decision to create a better life – for herself and for her family – rests entirely on her. The time for excuses is over. Make a stand. Reach out, and create a powerful, lasting change – for you and your children. When a family enters Saint John’s year-long rehabilitative program, they are immediately encircled with structure, with mental health therapy, with alcohol and drug counseling, with parenting education, with budgeting classes, with healthy relationship training, AND with hands-on employment training. All services are onsite and required. The program is designed to support these women in taking responsibility for themselves and their families. Each family receives an average of 675 hours of services each month. 96% of mothers are placed in non-subsidized employment upon completion of our employment training! examine her life, past and future, receive in-depth counseling, and further her education. She must participate in employment training at one of our social enterprises, Plates, Plates Midtown and First Steps, in which women build work ethic and on-the-job training skills. This sets them up for a new kind of success and presents them as viable candidates for the workforce and a new life. In the past eight years, Saint John’s has evolved from providing emergency shelter only, to a yearlong program that provides real change in the lives of women and children who have become homeless. During that same period, we have reduced our reliance on public funding to less than 20% of our $5M budget to have the flexibility to require sobriety of our clients which is no longer allowable if you accept HUD funding. We rely heavily on private funding to fuel the programs we provide to families who have become homeless. We provide more than shelter and food. We provide the ability to rise above devastating, negative elements and achieve job-readiness and self-sustainability. Entry into the program is limited, and each step is extremely rigorous. But those who see it through end up with rewarding, happy, and productive lives – for themselves, and for their children. To learn more about St. John's, go to www.SaintJohnsProgram.org Saint John’s is dedicated to the eradication of homelessness for each woman and child it serves. We require a far greater commitment from her than she has ever made. Program residents are not required to pay rent, but must commit to a long-term, all-encompassing program. She must A Voice for the Homeless www.HumanityMag.org 17
H U M A N I T Y M A G A Z I N E Success Stories in Ending Veteran Homelessness Homeless Alabama Veteran Home At Last continued… Army Veteran April Rencher is building a new life for herself with a little help from her friends at the Tuscaloosa VA. PHOTO BY APRIL JONES, TUSCALOOSA VA MEDICAL CENTER By Tom Cramer Thirty-eight-year-old April Rencher, who spent eight years in the Army, didn’t plan on becoming homeless. She didn’t plan on ending up in rehab, either. “I lost my employment late last year,” she said in a tired voice. “I’ve been working since I was 14, so it was frustrating, losing my job. On top of that I had a crisis in my family, so everything sort of snowballed from there. Things got unmanageable for me. I guess I just got tired. My whole world came screeching to a halt, and I ended up homeless… “I had become a very dark person,” she continued. “But then I finally got to a point where I could ask for help. It’s hard for us Veterans to ask for help, but I went to the VA here in Tuscaloosa and got into their residential rehab program. I knew I was going to get the care I needed. They’re helping me get well. They’re very supportive of me.” Rencher paused for a moment, then added: “They saved my life, to be honest with you. They turned me around and helped me walk in the right direction. I still have good days and bad days, but I know I’m better today than I was yesterday.” “I’m working on building a new me.” Rencher said learning about herself is playing a big role in her fight to recover her health, and her life. “When I first got here my mindset was scattered,” she said. “But I’m working with the health care professionals here. They’re helping me answer the ‘why’ of things. They’re helping me clarify why I’m having some of the problems I’m having; why I was doing what I was doing. That was the main thing for me. That’s what made a big difference —understanding the ‘why.’ “I learned that I’d been neglecting myself. I was always focused on other things, this person or that person, and I never once looked at myself. But now I can actually look in the mirror and see the transformation that’s happening… “For me to wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and like who I see…that’s very big for me,” she continued. “I can look at the sunshine now and appreciate it. I can look out the window and see the cats playing out there in the yard and that makes me laugh. It’s cool seeing them playing and not having a care in the world.” The Army Veteran said one of the most beneficial aspects of residential rehab is the comradery she discovered there. “The Veterans here support each other, pretty much the way we did when we were on active duty,” she explained. “Going through this transition with other Veterans makes it easier for me. They understand what I’m going through. They get it. I’ve met some really wonderful people here that I want to stay in contact with them.” Rencher said the next step in her journey is finding a place to live after she leaves rehab. A Voice for the Homeless www.HumanityMag.org 18
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HUMANITY MAG WINTER 2017 EDITION REV 12.11.17

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