Women's Emergency Respite Center
In early 2011, Project H.O.M.E. once again had the opportunity to open the doors of it's Women's Emergency Respite Center . The Women's Emergency Respite Center serves a particularly vulnerable population during the cold winter months: women with a long history of street homelessness, many of whom are incompatible with or resistant to city-run shelter services. This temporary Project H.O.M.E. program opened at the beginning of January 2011 and closed at the middle of April 2011.
At the Respite, the following were provided to guests: shelter, clothing, toiletries, showers, laundry facilities, and meals. Every night and also during some days, the Respite staff also worked diligently to assist guests in seeking out extended services available to them. With the help of our Resource Coordinator, we were able to make dozens of referrals around the guests' housing, legal, medical, psychiatric, and financial needs. The Resource Coordinator also accompanied and advocated for guests on appointments with other service providers. Each evening, the Respite guests were picked up by Project H.O.M.E.'s Outreach teams and welcomed back to the center by a community of volunteers and staff. Thanks also to the generosity of volunteers, we were able to serve healthy, delicious, often home-cooked dinners each night and a warm breakfast to start each day.
