KSAT 12 recently came to Haven to learn more about the number of clients being served. For the past couple of months, Haven has been serving more than 1,700 clients daily.
Watch the story here:
Haven Receives $45,000 Grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation
Clients have access to multiple classes a week.
Haven is excited to announce the receipt of a $45,000 grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. The funding will help Haven provide shelter, housing, and wraparound support for people experiencing homelessness.
In addition, the grant will leverage state funding, thus doubling the impact of the support from Bank of America.
Since 2010, Haven has helped more than 43,000 clients transform their lives by providing access to valuable resources such as counseling, substance-use treatment, financial sustainability classes, income and skills development, housing assistance, and more. Working with more than 70 community partners, many with office space located at Haven, we address the root cause of an individual’s homelessness and meet our clients where they are.
To read about one client’s journey at Haven, click here!
BLCCS Donates New Air Conditioner to Haven
When Haven for Hope’s Chapel air conditioning unit was only running at 1/2 its capacity this summer, Shannon Mills, owner of BLCCS, knew something had to be done.
Haven has seen an influx of families experiencing homelessness and many of the Family Emergency Services clients sleep in the Chapel. The temperature was reaching 80 degrees every night. BLCCS who regularly maintains Haven’s HVAC systems determined the cost for repairs would be $18,000. But there was one problem, it was hard to find the parts. It was estimated it would take weeks or months to get it repaired. Plus the unit was more than 15 years old, so Mills decided Haven needed a brand new unit. BLCCS donated the 2,000-ton air conditioner and the labor for installation, at a value of more than $40,000.
“I started my business knowing I wanted to get to the point where I could give back,” said Mills. “We couldn’t have people who are already dealing with a difficult situation, sleep in uncomfortable conditions.”
Clients gathered near the Chapel to see the new unit get installed. “This is amazing,” said one client. “It’s been so hot in the Chapel at night. It makes it hard to sleep, especially for the babies and children.” When the clients found out the air conditioner was donated, they quickly expressed their gratitude to Mills and her team.
Click below to watch news coverage of the generous donation.
Felisha – From Haven to Home
Felisha shares her Haven journey. She was a client twice, and now wants a career where she can give back to those struggling with addiction and homelessness.
Tatiana Shares Haven Story
Tatiana shares how Haven for Hope helped her get back on her feet with employment and a new apartment.
Haven’s Impact to the Community – $5.6 Billion
Haven for Hope’s Economic Impact in San Antonio
The Kronkosky Charitable Foundation contracted with Steve Nivin, Ph.D. to conduct a Cost-Benefit Analysis of Haven for Hope. The purpose of the study was to measure the net benefits of the services provided by Haven for Hope to the community from 2007 – 2019. The benefits measured in the study included the economic and fiscal impacts of Haven’s operations, the economic and fiscal impacts of the volunteers at Haven, the benefits of reduced crime, the benefits of providing school stability to children, and the benefits of medical care, housing, and other care services.
Some key findings include:
- Haven for Hope’s net benefits to the community averaged $5.6 billion.
- For every $1 spent to create and operate Haven, the community has received $29 in benefits.
- In total, benefits derived from the reduced criminal activity are approximately $142 million.
- Haven for Hope assisted 3,911 clients with obtaining employment. Those 3,911 contributed more than $433 million back to the community including $2,049,613 to local, state, and federal governments.
To read the full report, click here.
More Families Experiencing Homelessness
Haven for Hope has seen an increase in families experiencing homelessness for the past year. Inflation, the end of pandemic relief funds, and rising rental costs have contributed to the increase.
Haven spoke with News 4 San Antonio about this trend. Click here to see the story.
A Series of Unfortunate Events Led Alan to Haven
Meet Alan: Alan was a successful businessman working with custom homebuilders until the economy and real estate market crashed in 2008. After losing his job and struggling to make ends meet as an artist, a series of health issues in 2020 led to Alan losing everything. He came to Haven for Hope to get back on his feet. Click here to hear his inspiring testimonial.
Single Mom of Four Never Gives Up
Nadia was living with her four children in her Mom’s one-bedroom house. She had lost her job during the pandemic. She was a caregiver and her client died from Covid. Things went downhill from there and soon Nadia lost her car.
After living with her Mom for a while, she knew she had to do something for her family. “My Mom wasn’t used to having kids in the house again. It was very crowded. I didn’t want to burden her.”
Nadia and her children stayed at Haven for a year. They were in line to rent a home and her kids were very excited. They even went to the house to rake leaves before moving in. Nadia said they bagged 9 bags of leaves. “The kids loved that house.” Unfortunately, the landlord received an offer to sell the home. “It was an offer he couldn’t refuse. We were very disappointed, but we didn’t give up hope.”
Nadia had always worked hard to provide for her children as a single mom. “This has been a learning experience for my children, homelessness can happen to anyone.”
As Nadia reflects on her time at Haven, she’s grateful. Grateful for the staff, the programs, and the classes. She attended Income and Skills Development classes and worked on her resume so she can find another more financially stable job. Her kids participated in some of the teen nights and movie nights at Haven. Nadia was grateful her children had the opportunity to continue attending their charter school. As for her dream job, Nadia says she wants to give back. “I want to help people; this can happen to anyone. It’s been a humbling experience.”
To watch Nadia’s interview with Haven staff, click here.
Former Haven Client Receives Refurbished Car
NABC Recycled Rides® Program Joins USAA, Caliber Collision and the Women’s Industry Network To Donate Two Refurbished Vehicles to Two Deserving San Antonio Female Veterans in Need of Reliable Transportation
SAN ANTONIO – On Monday, May 1, two deserving San Antonio veterans experienced a life-changing event – a very special presentation in conjunction with the Women’s Industry Network (WIN) of two vehicles to provide them independence and the ability to work and take care of their families – thanks to the National Auto Body Council Recycled Rides® program along with car donor USAA and repair partner Caliber Collision.
- Sequoyia Hurt, who served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 2009 to 2017, is a mother of four and cares for her disabled husband. They are working to launch a home-based business. They lost their car to an accident a year ago, and have been challenged to find safe, affordable transportation since then. The gift of reliable transportation will allow Sequoyia to care for her family, manage medical appointments and get her children to school activities. Sequoyia and her family stayed at Haven for Hope to get back on their feet. They accessed many resources including programs with Haven’s Veteran’s Program.
- Vanessa Hernandez, a single mother of three, served in the U.S. Army from 2008 to 2018. She has overcome homelessness but still faces challenges with transportation. She currently takes the bus with her three children to shop, go to medical appointments and take her older children to school. She would like to get a full-time job, and the gift of transportation will allow her to return to work, take her baby to daycare and care for her older children.
NABC Recycled Rides® is a unique program in which businesses representing all facets of the collision repair industry team up to repair and donate vehicles to individuals and families in need of reliable transportation. Since the inception of the NABC Recycled Rides® program in 2007, members of the National Auto Body Council® have donated more than 3,000 vehicles valued at some $42 million.
Additional partners in the NABC Recycled Rides® presentation include 1-800 Charity Cars, Enterprise, Caliber Auto Care, Protec, IPAC Mazda, Dents and Dings and Axalta.
