The Safe Haven Program

Many of our City's most undeserved residents are living out of hotels, unable to secure affordable housing and viable employment. The cycle of poverty spirals families caught in these situations leaving them with very limited options. The COVID-19 Pandemic effects, the mass displacement of lower income residents from the city due to gentrification/unaffordable housing, job layoffs, or the dwindling of section 8 availability are a few of the many reasons lower income residents find themselves struggling to keep a roof over themselves and their loved ones. Extended Stay hotels are a step before homelessness for many families as they struggle to pay the room fee week to week or day to day.

Time Line:

October 2021- Build out space and sign up families ( Update: Space completed and over 40 families enrolled)

November 8th - December 16th, 2021 - Pilot program (Update: Began with 15 youth from the Haven Hotel)

January 10th - May 20th, 2022 - Winter/Spring Mentorship Program (Update: 27 students enrolled from various hotels, but mostly Haven Hotel)

May 30th - July 29th, 2022 - Summer Mentorship Program (Update: 53 youth from Haven and other locations participated in our 8 week summer program)

September 19th - December, 2022 - Fall Mentorship Program - Enrolling now and looking for partnering churches to host mentor groups for various activities and businesses/churches/individuals to become sponsors for the program to help cover operating expenses.

Safe Haven, in an effort to meet the needs of extended stay hotel residents, has been given space in one of the Hotels and have been providing holistic after school programming since November 2021. We built out a studio and production room and food pantry to serve he families. The program focuses on the following objectives:

• Provide weekday after school sessions focused on the mental, physical, emotional, creative and spiritual development of youth ages 8-18.
  • Tutoring/homework help
  • Creative Arts - Music/audio engineering and production/video production, drawing/painting, dance, and drama.
  • FUN and safe recreational activities (video games, sports, martial arts etc.)
  • Daily snacks and meals that promote physical health and wellness
  • Clothing and supplies for school
• Provide jobs for qualified mentors in the areas of tutoring, music lessons, meal preparation, and mentorship.
• Provide a food pantry for the families of the youth who are struggling with food disparity.
• Provide a space for counseling and mental health development for children as well as parents.
• Improve the overall experience of all Haven Hotel residents and promote a safe and healthy environment for people to flourish.

Because of the intrinsic value of every human being, it is our desire to launch an excellent program the calls forth the dignity of everyone involved.

Start up costs

Space Build out: $15,000 - Completed

Gear (Computers, instruments, mics, cameras: $20,000 (Completed)

Vehicle/bus: $40,000 - (Still needing to be raised)

Yearly Budget: (Ongoing Fundraising)

Liability and theft Insurance: $3,600 (annually)

Personnel: $70,000   (Program director $36,000. Mentor stipends, $34,000)

Vehicle : $12,000 (Insurance, gas, maintenance, driver stipend)

Food: $12,000 (snacks and dinners during program)

Family Assistance fund: $12,000

Total Start up need: $75,000 ($40,000 remaining to be raised)

Total Program Operations need for pilot program and 2022 programming: $110,000. ($40,000 remaining to be raised to get us through 2022).