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BLCCS Donates New Air Conditioner to Haven

BLCCS and Haven staff with new air conditioning unit.
The BLCCS and Haven teams pose in front of the donated air conditioning unit.

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.

News 4

KSAT

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Air Force Vet Credits Haven for Giving Him Purpose

DevLynn is an only child. When his parents needed help and care as they aged, he knew he needed to be there. “I signed that paperwork the day I was born. They raised me, took care of me, I needed to be there for them.”

DevLynn cared for his parents and after his grandmother and parents passed away, he lived off his inheritance. Until the lease was more than he could afford. “I couldn’t sign the lease. I couldn’t stay there anymore.” DevLynn took his belongings and lived in his car. His car was paid for and if it was running, he had a place to stay. Then his car broke down. He couldn’t afford to retrieve it after it was towed. He didn’t have a valid ID. “All I had was my D214 military ID, it doesn’t have a photo,” he explained.

DevLynn relied on his support system to help him for a few months. But without a job or the money to keep paying for his stuff in storage, he knew he needed more help. His friend helped him get his valuables out of storage, including his father’s ashes. “That was very important to me.” As an Air Force vet, he didn’t fully understand the benefits he had earned. His friend dropped him off at Haven for Hope and he began working with the Veteran’s team. “I’m working on getting my identity back, I’m enrolled in VA health benefits, I have my VA ID card, I’m working on my income and housing plans.”

He thanks the team at Haven for giving him direction. “I didn’t know what to do, where to go to get help. The team worked with me. If I have a bad day, they pick up me up and tell me to stick it out.” It’s important for DevLynn to transform his life. “I don’t want to fail. Even though my parents aren’t here to see this, I don’t want to disappoint them.” He believes it’s a privilege to live in the United States and he is glad he served four years in the Air Force. “Serving in the military helped me understand the freedoms we have.”

He is willing to take any job that will provide a steady income. He owes his progress to his support system, especially his case manager, Jose. He said Haven for Hope staff will point you in the right direction, but he must do the work. “Thank you, Haven for giving me direction. Thank you for giving me purpose.”

To hear from DevLynn, click here!