For immediate release June 17, 2003

Contact: Chris Moran

(919) 929-6380, Ext. 26

INTER-FAITH COUNCIL ANNOUNCES NEW SERVICES FOR HOMELESS WOMEN AND CHILDREN

Inter-Faith Council (IFC) today announced its innovative plan to provide services for homeless women and children in Orange County. Starting July 1, a reorganized Homestart program—using a shared staff/volunteer model—will provide emergency and short-term services for homeless women and children at the site of the former Project Homestart on Homestead Road in Chapel Hill. IFC plans to serve between 45 and 60 individuals each day at its three-building site. Homestart will offer crisis/emergency shelter, short-term and longer-term housing to about 250 different people annually.

“The decision of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to discontinue federal funding for Project Homestart this past March motivated IFC to reevaluate the best way to provide services to homeless women and children,” said Natalie Ammarell, President of IFC. “We appointed an Ad Hoc Planning Committee to identify viable options for continuing to provide services at the Homestart site for families and individuals who are homeless and at risk of becoming homeless.”

The new Homestart—whose model is based on the vision of the Planning Committee—has the mission of “providing a safe, structured home for homeless women and children, helping them to access community resources and offering everyone on-going support to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness.”

Some IFC staff members from other locations will be transferred to Homestart to provide 24-hour coverage and a new blend of services to residents. Two additional new positions—Homestart Coordinator and Social Worker—have been created. In addition to providing for the housing needs of homeless women and children, Homestart will continue to collaborate with community agencies to enhance specialized services such as employment assistance, substance abuse treatment, domestic violence counseling, parenting workshops and recreation/childcare services. With the assistance of community volunteers, IFC will effectively provide a safe and supportive environment for homeless women and children.

Chris Moran, Executive Director of IFC said, “With this arrangement, Community House will no longer provide shelter services for women and children at its downtown location. IFC will make a number of personnel changes and shifts to continue services to homeless women and children. We are excited about the collaborative model we are putting in place because it will allow us to leverage the resources of other community agencies as well as maximize the talents of community volunteers.”

With regard to the HUD funding, Moran said, “Obviously, the loss of nearly $366,000 in federal funds, in an environment of troubled economic times, state, local and federal cutbacks and increasing unemployment, represents a significant challenge. However, we anticipate no interruption of services.” Moran continued, “This year, IFC is celebrating its 40th anniversary. In conjunction with this anniversary, we have launched our “Turning Point Year” campaign to raise funds to: ease the transition of services at Homestart; broaden our base of support from individuals, foundations, and corporations; and address the ever-growing needs of lower income families in our county. We are confident that the community will support our mission by helping us reach our goal of $600,000 by the end of the year.”

Homestart Information Sheet:

Starting July 1, a new Homestart program—using a shared staff/volunteer model—will provide emergency and short-term services to between 45 and 60 homeless women and children at the site of the former Project Homestart on Homestead Road in Chapel Hill. New Homestart services will involve both crisis/emergency shelter, short-term and longer lengths of stay. Homestart services will be:

o Client-centered and will include extensive service coordination with other agencies.
o Provided greater access to IFC Crisis Intervention and medical services.
o Offered by a shared staff/volunteer model.
o Enhanced by community partnerships for “specialized”/“expert” services.
o Designed for greater resident participation in planning services and managing meals and food programs.

Some Homestart objectives:

o Recruit and train community volunteers to provide 24-hour coverage, services and support to residents.
o Reorganize IFC’s staffing pattern to achieve a safe and welcoming environment for women and children.
o Assist and support residents with locating outside resources such as AA/NA meetings, childcare, job training, employment, medical care, and educational programs.
o Provide on-going transportation services.
o Provide age appropriate children’s activities on a regular basis.
o Begin conversations and form partnerships with community agencies that offer specialized services and programs.

History:

Project Homestart began as a transitional housing program for homeless families that was a direct outcome of a 1994 Orange County Emergency Family Shelter Task Force. HUD began supporting the transitional housing program in 1998, for a period of three years. Orange County provides a 25-year lease for the land to the IFC at no cost to ensure services. HUD ended its funding to IFC on March 31 of this year. IFC Board of Directors agreed to continue the transitional model until the end of June 2003.