Introduction
This paper analyzes an institution that also serves as a homeless shelter. The suggested shelter provides basic needs and other necessities for people who cannot afford to maintain a household. It begins by exploring the organizational mission, vision, core values, staff, and volunteers contributing to its goals. The paper discusses the stakeholders of the organization and their influence in the shelter’s activities. Further, the paper analyzes the organization’s value of diversity, trends in the community, and management response to the directions. The paper concludes with an explanation of the role the organization plays in the city and why it is essential in the present times.
Human Service Organization
St Lucia’s Shelter offers space for self-sufficiency and dignity to individuals that are at risk of being homeless. St Lucia supports the homeless people in building lasting, positive transformations in their lives by linking them with employment opportunities and affordable housing plans to improve their financial position and physical and mental health. Besides affordable housing, St Lucia’s Shelter likewise helps vulnerable families through education and advocacy programs to achieve sustainable independence.
St. Lucia’s Shelter is managed by a board of directors and a management staff comprising health workers, educators, clinicians, construction workers, counselors, and volunteers. Being a charitable organization, our stakeholders are individuals who donate money, housing items, food, and clothes. We also partner with well-wishing organizations, the government, and other interested private sectors.
Our commitment to help the homeless families stems from the idea that east or west, home is the base for all things in life. Amidst civic unrest and pandemic, nobody should have to worry about not having a place to land, as having a safe abode is a fundamental human right. We founded St. Lucia’s to respond to the economic and racial injustices of our community. Since its inception, the non-profit organization has built homes and offered supportive services to the homeless. St. Lucia’s proficiency ranges from caring for homeless populations, interacting with officers on legislation, constructing properties, and ensuring that youngsters have a safe place to do assignments.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to build stable homes, healthy futures, and vibrant communities in Alabama.
Vision
At St Lucia, we envision a society where charities are no longer necessary; that every individual has a dignified, affordable home, which supports independence and advancement within a flourishing community.
Core-Values
At St. Lucia, we understand that tackling homelessness requires a grasp of complex issues and wrap-around-solutions, which must address the social, practical and emotional challenges our guest faces. We intend to achieve our mission and realize our vision, at St. Lucia, by focusing on following core values:
- St Lucia Shelter is committed to responding to our boarders’ particular needs no matter how difficult we never shy away from challenging cases, which necessitate understanding, care, and diligence.
- We are committed to working with each boarder as a person, helping them to set realistic and achievable goals, which will enable them to work towards a safe, sustainable, and happy future.
- We are committed to aiding our client’s in realizing their labor’s worth and the input they can make to build a better society.
- The shelter is committed to foster and grow a community of staff, boarders, and volunteers hinged on mutual respect, care, and understanding. St Lucia is committed to promoting and protecting the welfare of its volunteers, staff, and guests.
Population
St Lucia’s Shelter works with a diverse population of guests, including homeless children, youths, adults, and the elderly. Life below the poverty line and being homeless is stressful and often results in feelings of fear, hopelessness, and prioritizing day-to-day survival over lasting preparation. St. Lucia’s Shelter aims to support low-income, single-parent families to move from poverty to self-sufficiency. We empower homeless single parents to regain self-esteem, reconnect to the community, and eventually salvage a productive society.
Services Offered at St. Lucia’s Shelter
Housing
St Lucia Shelter develops and delivers a range of innovative housing solutions, including a transitional accommodation. We work collaboratively with government, businesses, individuals, and service providers to end poverty for families and persons within Alabama. Individuals that experience homelessness are our neighbors and deserve concern, respect, and care. We enhance the neighborhoods where we work and live by helping improve the lives of such disadvantaged folks. At St. Lucia, we have implemented an evidence-based practice that combines wrap-around and permanent housing support services. Persons at-risk of becoming homeless or are already homeless are welcome for sequestered discovery sessions with our resident specialist, after which we admit them in our shelter. Warf and Charles (2020) argue that housing is a key element in enhancing other aspects of humanity. As a basic need, it is vital that all person sat risk are protected against becoming homeless, and that those who are already in this situation are assisted to find favourable living conditions that still uphold their dignity as human beings. The transitional housing is a vital part of the organization’s mandate. This is due to the fact that the institution believes that everyone should have a home.
Food Pantry and Clothing
St. Lucia’s Shelter directly provides three meals a day to registered homeless individuals and families. We rely heavily on a local Foodbank to offer our guests a time-tabled supply of dairy products, fresh produce, breads, and meats, accompanied by a wide range of canned goods. We complement the food procured from Foodbank with purchases from wholesalers, donations from local parishioners, organizations, and businesses. The institution has numerous generous supporters who have contributed significantly towards ensuring the individuals housed within the institution are well fed. St Lucia’s Shelter has partnered with local cloth sellers to supply clothing to our guests as well. We also give our guests business attire clothing for jobs and job interviews.
Employment and Healthcare and Well-Being
St. Lucia’s Shelter offers a wide-ranging approach to employment and training, providing support services and referring our guests to job placement agencies for training and job considerations. The organization believes that everyone is capable of earning a decent living. Additionally, a significant number of the people supported by the shelter are willing and even highly motivated to get trained on specific skills that can help them earn their living and eventually transition to their own homes. Through our dedicated staff, we also offer necessary life-skills and interpersonal skill-building and educational opportunities. St Lucia’s Shelter offers behavioral health programs aimed at restoring the health of the homeless individuals. Through the government’s Health Care program for the homeless, St. Lucia offers screening and diagnostic treatment services, primary health care, substance abuse treatment, oral health services, emergency care with referrals to hospitals for in-patient care services, and other needed services.
Careers, Volunteers & Internships
The training offered, and the skills that the individuals already possess makes it easier to guide them towards fulfilling careers. St. Lucia’s Shelter is comprised of zealously devoted persons who empower homeless families and individuals to make a journey from deficiency to self-sufficiency. Warf and Charles (2020) explain that numerous homeless people are often depressed about their situation. Thus, steering them towards achieving their career goals proves critical in not only allowing the individuals to earn some money but also in ensuring they feel valuable and worthy to have good things. We welcome critical and resourceful thinkers who are not limited by convention. Our doors are open to individuals who bring positive energy and ideas to the team. St Lucia is open to team players who want to change the world, starting with St Lucia’s Shelter. St Lucia’s Shelter has also instituted a benefits advocacy program that assists homeless families in finding public and entitlement benefits. We also have a discharge planning program for individuals released from institutional care, including prison, jail, military service, foster care, substance abuse treatment, psychiatric care, and hospitals.
Conclusion
St. Lucia’s Shelter believes in interventions that prevent homelessness, and therefore, we are working with local government offices to develop more programs that will stabilize families both socially and economically. We have recently launched a case management program that focuses on determining a guest’s need, assisting them in finding and getting housing, health insurance, childcare services, medical treatment, psychological services, food, and clothing. Our country’s socio-economic state continues to deteriorate due to the pandemic and harsh economic situations. Numerous people have been laid off from work and have no way to feed, clothe, and educate their families (Bringle, 2019). St Lucia’s Shelter offers food, clothing, housing, education and health care to the homeless and people in need.
References
Bringle, J. (2019). Homelessness in America today. New York, NY: Rosen Pub.
Warf, C., & Charles, G. (2020). Clinical care for homeless, runaway and refugee youth: Intervention approaches, education and research direction. Springer.