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A place to call home
Published October 30, 2009
Homeless.
It’s a tragic word that conjures up stereotypes of all kinds. It’s a word nobody wants to have associated with themselves.
For Terry and Nancy Sargas, it’s just another obstacle God put in their paths. The couple came to Kerrville recently to get treatment for Terry’s blood cancer at the South Texas Veterans Administration hospital.
The treatments “really knocked me down, and as a result, the people at the Salvation Army really showed us grace,” Terry Sargas said. “They are helping us out with a place to stay.”
The couple doesn’t know if they will stay in Kerrville or not, but the assistance offered by The Salvation Army has been a blessing.
The Salvation Army of Kerrville recently began implementing a new assistance opportunity for Kerr, Kendall, Gillespie, Real, Edwards, Bandera and Kimble counties in conjunction with the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program. The Salvation Army currently services more than 450 people in the seven-county area.
The HPRP, a 2-year grant program aimed at getting people off the streets, assists individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless with the goal of rapidly transitioning participants to housing stability. A major part of the program, made possible by a stimulus grant, will focus on helping people plan to prevent future instability.
“We like to have referrals from other agencies,” said Amy S. Blanks, MS, LPC, director of social services at The Salvation Army of Kerrville. “If they are truly homeless, we put them in the 30-bed shelter next door. We have them fill out an application, and if they meet the median income requirement ($25,350 or less for a family of four), they meet with a case worker to go over criteria of the program.”
Several programs are available. If they just are passing through the area, they can stay at the three-day emergency shelter at 855 Hays St., where they can eat, shower and clean up before they move on. If they want to stay, there is a 90-day transitional program, but they must participate in the program — this isn’t a free handout.
Blanks said The Salvation Army checks for a place of last employment, last residence and also if the individual has received assistance in the past through a national database.
“Our case workers assess the strengths and weaknesses of the individual,” Blanks said. “We want the person to have a source of income, and we get them to the Texas Workforce Commission immediately. One of the criteria for the program is the individual must have reasonable sustainability of independence after a short period of time.”
The case worker is in constant contact with the participants.
“They may need job skills, so we send them to the job corp,” Blanks said. “We can make an assessment and help them out with legal problems to help with credit repair, not divorces or child support. We help with financial budget planning. Families and Literacy helps provide scholarships for people in the program. They must participate in whatever we deem necessary in the strengths and weaknesses survey.”
The program then sends the person out to find an apartment. Locally, there are a number of apartments that participate in the program and help the participants fill out a form answering questions such as how much is the deposit, rent and do they accept funds from The Salvation Army? The applicant brings the form back to his case worker, who visits the apartment to make sure it meets HUD habitability standards. If it meets the criteria, The Salvation Army pays the first month’s rent, and the participant moves in.
Case workers continue to monitor the situation on a month-to-month basis with independence for the client as the ultimate goal.
Another program used by the homeless is the reconnect program for men — a 90 day, intensive, in-patient program geared towards getting individuals off drugs and alcohol, getting them into Bible study, teaching life skills and financial independence.
“The first 30 days are intense,” Blanks said. “It is structured, but not rigid. And volunteer donations pay for the entire 90 days. This isn’t a state-based facility or program.”
Blanks said it costs The Salvation Army $100,000 per individual for each 90 days in the program, and it costs participants nothing.
“Thank you to all of our donors and volunteers,” said Kim Moore, Kroc director of operations and planning.
So far, 14 men have graduated from the program, which has a national relapse rate of 28 percent — well below most rates of similar programs.
“After 90 days, they are welcome to come back and talk to the current participants, or attend Bible studies,” Blanks said. “Recovery is getting your life back, and part of that recovery is learning to function in the real world, not in a dormitory.”
The emergency shelter opens at 5 p.m. daily, and The Salvation Army requires some form of identification before they are checked in, given a bunk and a hygiene kit. The cafeteria is stocked from the San Antonio food bank, as well as by local donations from restaurants, caterers and individual donations.
“More than 200 families receive assistance from our food bank,” Blanks said. “We’ve seen huge increases in demand since the recession started and donations are down. We need help.”
Moore agreed, especially when the Kroc Center opens next year.
“Demand will only get larger with the Kroc Center,” she said. “Because our services will expand.”
Applications for eligibility are available at The Salvation Army at 855 Hays St. Applications will be accepted through August 2011, or as long as funding is available.
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