FAQ'S
Q. What is Providence Home?
A. Providence Home is a 501(0(3) non-profit Christian Community Service Program which has been providing assistance for the homeless in the greater Columbia metro area for over 36 years. It was originally founded to provide short-term care in a shelter environment for men who found themselves homeless due to substance abuse, economic problems, family breakdown or mental impairment. Today, complex trends have changed the reasons for homelessness in the Columbia community. Providence Home is meeting the new challenge, moving beyond just serving the homeless with spiritual help, food and shelter. Our goal of “binding up the broken hearted” has not changed, but our methods of providing assistance are now organized in a highly structured environment: needs assessments, employment assistance, life-skills training, counseling and other supportive services. These are provided and monitored with records to move residents out of homelessness to self-sufficiency.
Q. What type of facility do you have?
A. Providence Home is a 36-bed facility housed in a complex of four buildings located on Main Street near downtown Columbia. A two-story structure houses 14 men; a newly constructed building consists of eight 2-man rooms, 4 bathrooms, a reception room and office. An administration building contains a business office and living quarters for six staff and residents on the top floor, with a laundry, chapel, and group activity room on the ground floor. A separate building serves as a kitchen and dining hall. Plans have been made to construct a new kitchen and dining facility sometime in 2000 to enable us to better prepare and serve the 40,000 meals we provide for our residents each year.
Q. How is Providence Home funded?
A. Providence Home's philosophy is that it is therapeutic for residents to assume responsibility as quick as possible for their own living cost. Resident fees cover about two-thirds of our operational expenses. Donated funds from churches, civic groups, businesses and individuals help offset the difference and cover the cost of maintenance, utilities, property and vehicle insurance, transportation, program and staff support. In addition to the regular income from residents and other sources, special appeals are made for building projects and major equipment purchases. When appropriate and available, applications are made for grants from various sources.
Q. Are you a United Way Member?
A. Not at this time. Providence Home works closely with a number of United Way agencies but does not receive any funds from United Way. However, it is possible to designate donations to Providence Home through your United Way contributions.
Q. How are you staffed?
A. Two paid full-time staff—a Program Director and Operations Director—manage the home. Residents with certain skills are identified to help with day-to-day operations in the areas of food preparation, housekeeping, night watchman, clerk/receptionist and truck driver. These helper positions also serve as a good training and work discipline exercise for their future employment.
Q. How do men come to Providence Home?
A. Residents come to Providence Home primarily through referral. Most referrals come from community organizations, state and federal agencies, hospitals, and churches requesting help for homeless men who have been identified as having a good chance for success if placed in residential housing with a highly structured environment like Providence Home offers.
Q. How long do residents stay at Providence Home?
A. That all depends. Each resident is given a 30 day period to stabilize. Those who choose to extend their stay beyond this time period must establish a specific goal and work with the Program Director in preparing a plan to successfully reach their goal within a reasonable time period. In this process, participants are encouraged to take on more personal responsibility for reaching their recovery goal.
Q. What services do you provide?
A. The mission of Providence Home is to help stabilize the living conditions of dislocated men and to encourage them to realize their full potential in self-sufficient living through the teachings of Jesus Christ. Our program includes:
Spiritual help. Providence Home is a faith-based organization that recognizes the religious dimension of life. Our ultimate goal of self-sufficient living starts with the restoration of a personal work ethic and assumption of responsibility for one's own actions. Residents must be willing to receive Bible instruction and attend chapel services which are essential to the recovery process. We have found that those men who make serious changes reinforce what the Bible says—life change happens from the inside out. Individual counseling from a Christian perspective is available to all residents.
Physical help. “God loves you” is connected with help, hope and opportunity in the form of housing, food, laundry service, clothing, and transitional assistance when they move to their own place of residence upon completion of the program.
Employment assistance. Help with employment is provided in the form of resume development, connection with community services, and networking within the community to reach potential employers.
Life-skills training. Classes in financial responsibility, money management and work ethic are provided.
Recovery program. A Christian 12 Step program and Alcoholics Anonymous meeting are part of our weekly program.
Q. What does Providence Home expect of the residents?
A. Residents are expected to pay their fees, secure and retain a job, participate in the programs and maintain a drug and alcohol-free environment.
Q. How successful has your program been?
A. In 1999, about 30% of the residents were able to move back into employment and progress to some form of independent living situation. The other 70% were either terminated because of abuse of rules or chose to separate before they were fully established.
Q. How can I help?
A. Some companies commit to a specific annual donation. Such pledges range from $1,000 to $5,000 per year. Small businesses, churches and individuals may choose to help pay for food costs for the 3,200 meals served each month. Of course Providence Home is grateful for a contribution of any size. Additional help in the form of donations of food, paper products, personal hygiene items and clothing is also appreciated and needed.
Thank you for taking the time to inform yourself about the work of Providence Home!
Q. What is Providence Home?
A. Providence Home is a 501(0(3) non-profit Christian Community Service Program which has been providing assistance for the homeless in the greater Columbia metro area for over 36 years. It was originally founded to provide short-term care in a shelter environment for men who found themselves homeless due to substance abuse, economic problems, family breakdown or mental impairment. Today, complex trends have changed the reasons for homelessness in the Columbia community. Providence Home is meeting the new challenge, moving beyond just serving the homeless with spiritual help, food and shelter. Our goal of “binding up the broken hearted” has not changed, but our methods of providing assistance are now organized in a highly structured environment: needs assessments, employment assistance, life-skills training, counseling and other supportive services. These are provided and monitored with records to move residents out of homelessness to self-sufficiency.
Q. What type of facility do you have?
A. Providence Home is a 36-bed facility housed in a complex of four buildings located on Main Street near downtown Columbia. A two-story structure houses 14 men; a newly constructed building consists of eight 2-man rooms, 4 bathrooms, a reception room and office. An administration building contains a business office and living quarters for six staff and residents on the top floor, with a laundry, chapel, and group activity room on the ground floor. A separate building serves as a kitchen and dining hall. Plans have been made to construct a new kitchen and dining facility sometime in 2000 to enable us to better prepare and serve the 40,000 meals we provide for our residents each year.
Q. How is Providence Home funded?
A. Providence Home's philosophy is that it is therapeutic for residents to assume responsibility as quick as possible for their own living cost. Resident fees cover about two-thirds of our operational expenses. Donated funds from churches, civic groups, businesses and individuals help offset the difference and cover the cost of maintenance, utilities, property and vehicle insurance, transportation, program and staff support. In addition to the regular income from residents and other sources, special appeals are made for building projects and major equipment purchases. When appropriate and available, applications are made for grants from various sources.
Q. Are you a United Way Member?
A. Not at this time. Providence Home works closely with a number of United Way agencies but does not receive any funds from United Way. However, it is possible to designate donations to Providence Home through your United Way contributions.
Q. How are you staffed?
A. Two paid full-time staff—a Program Director and Operations Director—manage the home. Residents with certain skills are identified to help with day-to-day operations in the areas of food preparation, housekeeping, night watchman, clerk/receptionist and truck driver. These helper positions also serve as a good training and work discipline exercise for their future employment.
Q. How do men come to Providence Home?
A. Residents come to Providence Home primarily through referral. Most referrals come from community organizations, state and federal agencies, hospitals, and churches requesting help for homeless men who have been identified as having a good chance for success if placed in residential housing with a highly structured environment like Providence Home offers.
Q. How long do residents stay at Providence Home?
A. That all depends. Each resident is given a 30 day period to stabilize. Those who choose to extend their stay beyond this time period must establish a specific goal and work with the Program Director in preparing a plan to successfully reach their goal within a reasonable time period. In this process, participants are encouraged to take on more personal responsibility for reaching their recovery goal.
Q. What services do you provide?
A. The mission of Providence Home is to help stabilize the living conditions of dislocated men and to encourage them to realize their full potential in self-sufficient living through the teachings of Jesus Christ. Our program includes:
Spiritual help. Providence Home is a faith-based organization that recognizes the religious dimension of life. Our ultimate goal of self-sufficient living starts with the restoration of a personal work ethic and assumption of responsibility for one's own actions. Residents must be willing to receive Bible instruction and attend chapel services which are essential to the recovery process. We have found that those men who make serious changes reinforce what the Bible says—life change happens from the inside out. Individual counseling from a Christian perspective is available to all residents.
Physical help. “God loves you” is connected with help, hope and opportunity in the form of housing, food, laundry service, clothing, and transitional assistance when they move to their own place of residence upon completion of the program.
Employment assistance. Help with employment is provided in the form of resume development, connection with community services, and networking within the community to reach potential employers.
Life-skills training. Classes in financial responsibility, money management and work ethic are provided.
Recovery program. A Christian 12 Step program and Alcoholics Anonymous meeting are part of our weekly program.
Q. What does Providence Home expect of the residents?
A. Residents are expected to pay their fees, secure and retain a job, participate in the programs and maintain a drug and alcohol-free environment.
Q. How successful has your program been?
A. In 1999, about 30% of the residents were able to move back into employment and progress to some form of independent living situation. The other 70% were either terminated because of abuse of rules or chose to separate before they were fully established.
Q. How can I help?
A. Some companies commit to a specific annual donation. Such pledges range from $1,000 to $5,000 per year. Small businesses, churches and individuals may choose to help pay for food costs for the 3,200 meals served each month. Of course Providence Home is grateful for a contribution of any size. Additional help in the form of donations of food, paper products, personal hygiene items and clothing is also appreciated and needed.
Thank you for taking the time to inform yourself about the work of Providence Home!
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