# Presentation: 465816

## Asheville Buncombe Community Christian MinistryAsheville   North Carolina

- 250+ congregations
- 3,000 volunteers
- 4 Crisis Ministry Centers
- Jail Ministry
- A Vet’s Place / Veterans’ Restoration Quarters and Inn
- Women and Children’s Transitional Housing
- Free Clinic: medical, dental, pharmacy

- Presented by:
- Reverend Scott Rogers
- Executive Director
- ABCCM
- 30 Cumberland Ave.
- Asheville, NC  28801
- 828-259-5305 (o)
- 828-259-5323 (f)
- srogers@abccm.org
- abccm.org

## Homelessness:Asheville   North Carolina

- In 2007:
- 2,000 different homeless persons identified;
- 509 identified in January 2008 Point in Time survey;
- 370 beds provided by area shelters
- 119 identified as unsheltered – 71 were veterans.

## ABCCM Shelter History

- Began in Feb 1985 with 20 men
- Expanded in 1988 to 60 men
- In 2002, added a separate 43 bed women and children’s transitional housing facility
- 2002, added Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program services   (HVRP)
- 2003, added 24 bed GPD contract
- 2004, added 24 bed GPD contract – total 48
- 2006, added Veterans Workforce Investment Program  (VWIP)
- 2008, added 100 bed GPD contract – total 148

## Total Served in 2007

- Total served : 198
- Veterans : 177
- Non-Veterans : 21
- Veterans placed in employment: 115
- Job Placement rate: 65%     Retention rate: 70%
- Placed in permanent housing: 53;    transitional: 61
- Volunteers: 1525 – 17,500 hrs.  36 Cook teams and receptionists, intake, trainers, mentors, drivers, etc.

## 2007 Services . . .continued...

- Weekly on site Prayer Meetings: 3
- Weekly Bible Studies on site: 1
- Weekly AA/NA/ Recovery meetings on site: 1
- VA Aftercare Meetings - weekly
- Meals Served daily: breakfast, lunch, dinner,          bag lunches for work
- Community Activity: Conducted Christmas program for Veterans Nursing Home.
- American Legion Post 526 members: 30

## Strategic Goals for 2008

- Move to newly purchased 124-room motel property.
- Commence 2007 Per Diem Grant that will allow for an additional 100 veterans.
- Expand VWIP services to veterans across WNC.
- Continue work with Joint Task Force with Rescue Mission and Salvation Army.
- Continue to develop the micro-enterprise with vegetable oil recovery, hospitality management, and culinary through the Restoration Cafe.

## MissionABCCM will:

- Provide stability to homeless veterans.
- Provide personal skill building for veterans.
- Provide education and training that equip veterans for employment and sustainable housing.
- Provide reintegration skills and opportunities that lead to greater self-determination.

## Vision

- 		ABCCM, in partnership with the VA and community, will offer an invitation to every homeless veteran to: “come inside the wire,”   a “Welcome Home” for every veteran, and end the shame of “homelessness” for every veteran in our community by 2010.

## Core Principles for Grant and Per Diem Services (GPD) 

- Excellence in leadership and facilities is our best gift in honoring the sacrifice of veterans.
- Professional and competent staff.
- Strong support from the Faith community through well trained and well equipped volunteers.
- Complimentary support from HVRP services.
- Active support from veteran service organizations.
- Community Networks: VAMC and Coalitions.
- Engaged Employers, Corporate, and Housing partners.

## Veterans Restoration Quarters:Excellence in Leadership and Facilities

-  This 2 year transitional housing service provides numerous components to address the needs of our veterans from a holistic point of view.
-  We utilize a wellness model which includes: financial wellness, housing wellness,    medical wellness, mental health wellness,  self-determination wellness, spiritual wellness and substance abuse wellness.

## Outreach and Connection

- Working with the VA Medical Center Homeless Coordinator, we participate in Stand Downs and host annual Challeng as part of a coordinated effort to consistently reach out to homeless veterans.  We help the veteran connect appropriately with V.A. services.  We provide screening and access to veteran benefits. For those who qualify, vets are given a slot at "A Vet's Place" for up to two years.  We provide the basic necessities of an individualized cubical/bed, meals, laundry services, recreation and case management. In the past three years, no one has ever been discharged to the streets.

## Staff Organizational Chart

**Staff Organizational Chart**

- VA Per Diem
- Michael Reich, Dir

- HVRP
- Sam Everett, Dir.

- Michael Reich, Dir.
- 207 Coxe &
- Tunnel Road

- Specialist
- Dag Bergrud

- Social Worker (pt)
- Russel McCrimmon

- Administrative Asst.
- Mary Lu Inman

- Case Manager
- William Moore

- VA Resident
- Assistants

- Lead Manager

- Cook
- Doug Slusher

- Men’s Resident
- Assistants

- Outposted Worker
- Tom West

- Veterans’ Restoration Quarters & Inn
- and
- A Vet’s Place

- VWIP
- Sam Everett, Dir.

-  Volunteer Coordinator
- Tamra Huggett

- Specialist
- Donna Wilson

- Specialist
- Dave Clements

- Case Worker (pt)
- Sylvia Portenier

- Case Manager
- Jimmie Blackmon

- Specialist
- Billie Baldwin

## Faith Community Support

- VRQ has the support of over 250 congregations with about 1600 volunteers in the community.  Statistically, they have an impressive track record over the past three years:  100% training of all participants; 80% job placement; the remaining 20% all received access to public assistance such as disability benefits;   of those placed on the job, 90% obtained long term housing;  the 18 month retention rate has averaged between 80% - 90%.

## Veteran Service Organization Support

- We have American Legion Post 526 which meets at     A Vet’s Place and is run by formerly homeless veterans for our homeless vets.  This unique combination of the faith community, with veteran service organizations, working closely with the professional staff and services of the VAMC-Asheville, the Work Investment Board and One Stop Career Center, plus other DVOP and LEVR’s    makes for highly successful outcomes in western North Carolina.

## Volunteer and Incentive-based services: Steps to Success

**Steps to Success** provides training in basic life skills in the areas of personal hygiene, financial management, home maintenance, healthy cooking and eating, interpersonal skills of respect and anger management.  This service helps establish healthy living routines and habits among our residents and then provides rewards to them each week for the sustained completion of their responsibilities.                            This incentive program develops our men and women into responsible adults with core skills for living independently in the community.

## Homeless Vets Reintegration Program   (HVRP) 

- HVRP Specialists reach out to homeless veterans all across western North Carolina to provide them with access to work preparedness, education, training and employment and served 250 in 2006 and over 300 in 2007.  We track veterans for up to six months after they leave the program.  Of those enrolled into the program, about 70% complete the training and obtain work.  According to the Department of Labor independent monitoring statistics, they tell us that in the past three years, 88%-92% of all veterans who are placed on the job were still on the job 18 months after leaving our program.  Our HVRP Specialists provide coordinated case management; an excellent working relationship with the designated veteran service providers at the Department of Social Services, at the Employment Security Commission and at the Job Link Career Center.

## Veterans Workforce Investment Program    (VWIP) 

- 	VWIP is serving special needs populations of veterans, including the disabled.  In 2006-07, we served about 100 veterans.  We are providing all  with intensive training, life skills and specialized employment services for veterans who are dislocated workers and/or need retraining.  Working closely with the Work Force Investment Board and the programs of the Employment Security Commission  in North Carolina and Job Link Career Centers, we work on training and retraining opportunities, plus education opportunities with AB Tech to ensure a successful transition in redefining career paths.

## Community Relationships

- VAMC - Asheville
- Homeless Coalition
- Medical Health Partners
- Affordable Housing partners
- Job Link and Employment partners
- Churches
- Support Groups:  AA, NA, etc
- Financial services
- Animal Shelter services

## Engaged Business Leaders and Relationships

- Employer relationships with a commitment to hiring veterans as a priority:  health services, hospitality services, retail, light manufacturing, construction trades, bio-fuels.
- Housing relationships: VASH, private property managers, public housing.
- Engaged corporate leaders: Chamber of Commerce, public servants, corporate leaders.

## Veteran Micro-Enterprises

- Vegetable Oil Recycling
- Restoration Café
- Hospitality Management

## Veteran: TEAM

**T**ogether **E**veryone **A**chieves **M**ore: **TEAM**
- We invite others to visit our site for more information. Contact Michael Reich 828-259-5333.
- We honor our veterans with a community-wide celebration every July 4th in conjunction with our local baseball team – Asheville Tourists.
- We want to connect with other GPD’s to help in family reunification and reintegration efforts to help our veterans be at “home.”
- We welcome new ideas and models of service.  Please send to: srogers@abccm.org.