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Single Dad Receiving Help at Haven

A chance encounter gives Rene, a father of six, a chance to rebuild his life. 

Rene was driving to an appointment when he passed Haven for Hope’s 22-acre campus near downtown. He slowed down to ask people walking by about Haven and if they knew if Haven took families.

What Rene didn’t know was that the people who stopped when he pulled up were from Haven’s leadership team. “Yes, Haven does take in families,” they enthusiastically replied, and they told him what documents he would need to bring for enrollment.

Later that day, Rene returned to Haven with his children and enrolled in Haven’s Family Resource program, a 92-bed shelter that provides meals, clothing, necessities, and, most importantly, employment and housing resources.

To learn more about Rene’s story, click here!

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Spotlight on Crimes Against Unsheltered Individuals in San Antonio

From Kens 5 News: www.kens5.com

SAN ANTONIO — It is a crime category that nobody is tracking but some mutual aid workers say it would be a good idea.

In the last two months there have been a number of violent attacks against people who are homeless.

Susana Segura of Bread and Blankets Mutual Aid, who provides food and other types of assistance to the needy in her westside neighborhood, said “I keep hearing all these stories of violence from our houseless folks. Somebody needs to be keeping track of this.”

Terri Behling, of Haven For Hope, agrees.

“Any data that could be collected would show us trends and perhaps could identify some areas that our outreach teams and the community resources can kind of come in and target those areas where the most vulnerable are located,” Behling said.

Behling said it’s no surprise that more violent crimes are being noticed.

“We do know the unsheltered are the most vulnerable in our community and unfortunately are the victims of crimes that often go unreported,” Behling said.

One of the latest attacks happened just before midnight Wednesday in the downtown area.

San Antonio Police said a houseless woman with multiple stab wounds is hospitalized and the suspect is still on the streets.

The night before, on the west side on Zarzamora, a homeless man was stabbed during a fight, according to police.

The attacks are not confined to any one section of the city.

Earlier in July, on the northwest side near Fredericksburg Road people have been shot in two different incidents.

On De Chantle, police said a homeless man emerged from a drainage culvert with a gunshot wound to his foot.

On July 5, in the 3600 block of Fredericksburg, a man told police he was climbing a fence to get to a camp when someone shot him in the leg.

“And these are the ones that you are aware of,” Segura said, adding, there are other deaths that go unreported, like a homeless man who was reportedly washed into a westside creek.

“When we were getting rain and the creeks were flooded I got a call from a distraught family member who was told that their loved one was drowned in a creekway,” Segura said.

In east San Antonio in late June, EMS took a woman to the hospital with burns. The initial report from police on the scene on Rice Road is that the victim was in a car at a homeless camp and someone shattered her window and set the car on fire. A fire department spokesman said the victim went to the hospital in Priority One condition, which means the possibility of life threatening injuries.

Segura said the area is struggling under the burden of not having enough capacity to help everyone who needs it.

“There isn’t a lot of shelter available even though it seems like there is a lot of capacity, there are more homeless people than there are beds available,” Segura said.

Behling said “We are the largest shelter in our community and we have been operating over capacity for the past two years, so when it is hot like this we are encouraging folks to find shelter anywhere they can.”

Behling said compassion is a valuable gift now, adding “It is important for everyone in our community to know we are all human and we all have a story and not to make assumptions about the folks that they see on the streets.”

Segura added, “I urge people to be kind. If you see something say something.  If you think someone is having a medical emergency, try to get them help because people often call the cops on homeless people and people are unjustly criminalized not knowing what the situation is.”

Some homeless advocates say it is always safer to make donations through reputable mutual aid organizations. You can find the links to a few by clicking the link here.

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KSAT Story about Haven Partner – Family Violence Prevention Services

Courtney Friedman, reporter and anchor with KSAT 12 in San Antonio has been reporting on domestic violence for the past eight years. She recently came to Haven to Hope to feature one of Haven’s valuable partners, Family Violence Prevention Services (FVPS).

FVPS has been a Haven campus partner since we opened in 2010. They provide Community Based Counseling (CBC) at Haven’s campus. This program provides access to comprehensive mental health counseling and therapeutic services for adult and child clients of Haven. CBC offers individual and group counseling and supportive client engagement to clients residing on Haven’s low-barrier South Campus and clients participating in the recovery and sober living programs at Haven.

Click here to see the KSAT story.

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Request for Proposal – Temporary Staffing Services

Haven for Hope is seeking requests for proposals (RFPs) from qualified staffing agencies to provide temporary staffing services to supplement our workforce of 300+ employees. (Link to full RFP is below).

The chosen temporary staffing service agency will fill approximately 40-45 Contractor Positions subject to the terms outlined herein and otherwise agreed to by the parties.

Proposal Submission Guidelines: Interested parties should submit their proposals by 5:00 pm on July 12, 2024, via email to Justin Barbour, Vice President of Human Resources & General Counsel (justin.barbour@havenforhope.org). 

Proposals should include:

  • Detailed project plan and timeline
  • Cost breakdown including labor costs and any other anticipated expenses
  • Detail of associated costs and timelines
  • Description of relevant experience, and
  • Certificate of Insurance (COI)

A site visit will be conducted at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, July 8, 2024, at 1 Haven for Hope Way, San Antonio, TX 78207. The visit is highly recommended to answer all questions and provide clarification. Any other inquiries and/or requests for clarification should be directed to Justin Barbour at the contact information listed in this RFP.

  1. Contact Information:

Justin Barbour

Vice President of Human Resources & General Counsel

Email – justin.barbour@havenforhope.org

Phone – 210-220-2165

Full Request for Proposal Click Here

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Haven’s Outreach Efforts Expand

Recently, Bexar County approved funding for a pilot program in Leon Valley and Balcones Heights to expand Haven’s outreach efforts targeting unsheltered individuals in these unincorporated sections of Bexar Couty.

If successful, outreach efforts could expand into other areas of the County. Haven’s Outreach Specialists will engage with unsheltered individuals and tell them about our community’s many resources and shelter options.

Here is recent media coverage of the efforts:

San Antonio Report

Kens 5 Story

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Haven’s Young Adult Program Featured on Kens 5

Haven for Hope began a program for Young Adults (18-24) in August 2023.

The program was created because Haven had seen a 31% increase in young adults experiencing homelessness and seeking services at Haven. The program offers separate shared living spaces for the age group, a common area with a TV, computers, books, and dedicated case management.

“Young adults have different needs than a family or older individual experiencing homelessness,” said Jessica Burdon, Senior Director of Case Management.  “Our case managers can help our clients decide what’s next for them. Is it obtaining a GED? Going to college? Workforce training? And, of course, help them determine the best housing option for when they leave Haven.” Since starting the program, 19 clients have moved into housing and five are pending housing arrangements.

Kens 5 reporter Meredith Haas visited Haven and spoke to Jessica and one of Haven’s young adult clients.

Click the link below to watch the story.

https://www.kens5.com/article/news/community/more-homeless-young-adults-at-haven-for-hope-organization-creates-program-to-bring-change-kens5/273-07e0fb15-1d42-4781-85ee-fea122502db7

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Nate’s Story: The Long Road Home

More than 15 years on the streets and then to a one-bedroom apartment…this is Nate’s story

Nate lived on the streets off and on for more than 15 years. Our Outreach Manager, Pete, built a relationship with Nate, checking in on him for about five years. Pete encouraged him to try Haven and access our wrap-around services.

One day, Nate told Pete he was ready. “It’s time for a change. I can’t do this anymore,” Nate said.

Nate came to Haven and within four months, he had his ID back, had reinstated social security benefits, took some budgeting classes, and reinstated his healthcare benefits. He was housed through a program between Haven and Opportunity Home.

To hear Nate’s story, click below.

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Haven’s Impact Report for FY 2023

Haven for Hope Releases its FY 2023 Impact Report

In FY 2023, Haven for Hope served 9,457 clients, the highest number since Haven opened in 2010. Of the 9,457 clients, 1,085 were children, and 722 were families.

“At Haven, we’ve seen an increase in families experiencing homelessness,” said Kim Jefferies, president and CEO of Haven for Hope. “Our Family Emergency Services numbers doubled from the previous year.”

Haven’s Family Emergency Services (FES) is designed for overflow families. Haven operates a Family Residental Center (FRC) with 102 rooms. Clients must be residents of Bexar County, with proof of residency of at least nine months during their lifetime. They also need a US government or state-issued ID.

FES provides access to shelter and resources for families in need. If a family is not from Bexar County, they are provided with a 15-day compassion placement, and Haven’s team will work with the clients on other options, including family reunification, financial assistance to return to their hometown, or connecting them with other shelter options.

Young adults, 18-24 years of age, is another segment of the populations with an increase in individuals experiencing homelessness. Many of these clients have aged out of the foster care system and have nowhere to go. Haven designed a Young Adult Program in FY 2023, which provides designated sleeping areas and specialized case management.

For more statistics from FY 2023, click here.