As a non-profit organization in Monmouth County, it is continuously a challenge to find funds. As the only shelter for homeless families in the county, we operate 365 days a year…and with shelter comes meals & snacks, beds, diapers, shower and laundry facilities, towels, clothing, hygiene and personal products, cleaning and maintenance supplies, transportation to/from work and school, and to/from the congregations where the families will sleep for the night. To pull off this monumental task, we have 1,400 dedicated volunteers and 36 interfaith congregations. Many of you might imagine that the bulk of our expenses would be covered with such an army of volunteers and free overnight accomodations, but such is not to be!
We work out of a donated building that we use as our Day Center, but we still have to pay the exorbitant cost of local water, rising cost of heat, electricity, internet, phone and office expenses. We maintain this building and pay all the costs associated with doing so – including the outside maintenance, supplies to run and clean the center and all the basic needs our guests need while they are with us. These costs combined are nearly $16,000 every year!
Transportation is another huge cost to us – we drive children to school and daycare, bring parents to and from work, and get everyone back and forth to their overnight accomodations every day of the year. We also bring guests to job interviews, apartment hunting and to other important appointments – no small expense in a 15 passenger van and the rising cost of fuel! To run, maintain, insure and gas up that van costs us $22,000 every year. (Horse and wagon anyone?)
Don’t forget insurance! Compulsory workers compensation, liability insurance and benefits for our employees – another $8,000 every year.
Is anyone adding this up? We’re already up to $46,000 a year, and I haven’t talked about programs (like our critical case management component, one year stabilization, donation/storage), salaries for our employees (2 full time and 2 part time), and other services. Basically, it costs us $46,000 to open the doors to the Day Center before we get to the tough stuff.
Remember that the Day Center is the hub of our network – it’s where it all comes together! Families meet here, they shower, do their laundry and watch television. They check their email, post their resumes, check phone messages and store their belongings. They use this as their permanent mailing address so that they can receive mail and benefits. This is where kids do homework and play on weekends. The Day Center is where families meet with their case manager to overcome barriers to housing and focus on permanent, sustainable housing. Bottom line – the Day Center makes it all happen. I love the statistic that 88% of our families moved on to permanent housing of their own this year (no social programs of any kind!). This means that we have ended homelessness for nearly 9 of 10 families who came through our Day Center door.
I ask you – is $46,000 too much to ask to create that kind of magic? Just ask 9 out of 10 families who’s lives were transformed during the 70 days in our Day Center.
Supporting Family Promise of Monmouth County (and our amazing Day Center) is creating change. It’s about giving real opportunities to people who want a new start, families who just want a chance to connect into their community as students, employees, tenants, maybe even homeowners one day. Change lives, one family at a time. Support Family Promise of Monmouth County today!
Tags: Day Center, Family Promise of Monmouth County, homeless families, shelter
