SERVE SUCCESS STORIES

Bridging the gap between homeless and housed:  Anna Marie (not her real name) was literally homeless after being evicted because she could not pay a $500 utility bill which was in violation of her lease.    Having no family in the area to turn to, she went first to the local homeless shelter.  She was on disability , but her disability check was not enough to pay a rent deposit, first month of rent, outstanding utility bill, and a utility deposit. However, her income would be sufficient to sustain an apartment if she could find a way to pay for the initial lump sumps required to move in. 

After spending two weeks in the shelter, Anna Marie applied for homeless prevention services through SERVE.  She began receiving food through the food pantry, which due to storage constraints at the shelter, she was allowed to receive smaller quantities of food several times during the month instead of all at once as would be the normal process. When Anna Marie was approved for Section 8, she had a limited time frame in which to secure an approved apartment.  At that time, she had been homeless for 45 days.  SERVE was able to assist her with the utility arrears, utility deposit, and rent deposit.  She has sufficient income to pay her first month’s rent and moving costs.  She has been stably housed since August 2010 and maintains her housing without additional assistance from SERVE.

      Being Part of the Transition to Independence: Three former Department of   Mental Health clients are current residents of a local facility working to help them transition back into the community and maintain their independence.   These individuals are working to foster positive lifestyle habits and contribute to the community through volunteerism and gainful employment.  Our drivers have observed these individuals to always be “ready and willing” whenever the bus arrives and exhibit a positive attitude whether the destination is employment or a volunteer assignment.  What makes this success story such an inspiration is being able to play a role in the hard work of the staff and these individuals as they move forward working on critical parts of daily life many of us would consider mundane.  For example, setting an alarm clock in the morning and being punctual for transportation, maintaining a positive attitude, and taking pride in your contribution to the community, whether it is for pay or for service.  SERVE has been honored to be part of this trios transition out of institutionalization and into their roles as productive, self-sufficient members of our community!

 Friends For Fun: A Multigenerational Mentoring Project:  The project began in September 2010 and was the brainchild of RSVP Program Director Mary Gordon.  The project is a collaboration between RSVP, Bartley School Principal Connie Epperson, and Instructor of Leadership Studies, Jill Olson at Westminster University.    The project pairs an RSVP volunteer with a college student interested in the education field to work together with children facing particular challenges at school.  The Friends For Fun “team” volunteers one hour per week to interact with four children by playing games, having open discussions, and reading.  Though the concept is simple, the project has reaped exceptional rewards.
 

The project has fostered a multigenerational understanding and appreciation between all of those involved.  Teachers have noted improvement in the attitude and increased self esteem.  The project has been so well received that students who were not initially involved due to not being identified as dealing with a particular social or academic challenge are beginning to request to be able to participate because students involved are having so much fun.  Bartley Principal Connie Epperson has noted that students are willing to miss recess and lunch time to meet with their Friends For Fun buddies and students want to be chosen for the weekly game time.  The RSVP Program is currently working to expand this program to South Callaway and New Bloomfield in the near future.