Kenneth Anderlitch is running from Washington, D.C., to San Antonio, Texas, to raise awareness for a new program called Families in Recovery.
The Families in Recovery Program is a collaboration between Haven, Pay it Forward SA, and Lifetime Recovery. Families will have the ability to remain together while parents seek treatment for substance or alcohol use disorders.
He is more than 1,130 miles into his journey, and KSAT 12 recently caught up with him while running in Kentucky.
Recently, Courtney Freidman from KSAT 12 (the ABC affiliate in San Antonio) visited Haven for Hope to learn about the housing options clients at Haven choose from as they transition from being unhoused to finding their next home.
In FY 2023, Haven for Hope served 9,457 clients, the highest number since Haven opened in 2010. Of the 9,457 clients, 1,085 were children, and 722 were families.
“At Haven, we’ve seen an increase in families experiencing homelessness,” said Kim Jefferies, president and CEO of Haven for Hope. “Our Family Emergency Services numbers doubled from the previous year.”
Haven’s Family Emergency Services (FES) is designed for overflow families. Haven operates a Family Residental Center (FRC) with 102 rooms. Clients must be residents of Bexar County, with proof of residency of at least nine months during their lifetime. They also need a US government or state-issued ID.
FES provides access to shelter and resources for families in need. If a family is not from Bexar County, they are provided with a 15-day compassion placement, and Haven’s team will work with the clients on other options, including family reunification, financial assistance to return to their hometown, or connecting them with other shelter options.
Young adults, 18-24 years of age, is another segment of the populations with an increase in individuals experiencing homelessness. Many of these clients have aged out of the foster care system and have nowhere to go. Haven designed a Young Adult Program in FY 2023, which provides designated sleeping areas and specialized case management.
Haven for Hope is partnering with Smiles Behind Goods for a Share the Warmth event on Saturday, January 13, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The weather is predicted to get cold in San Antonio, and for those experiencing homelessness, a coat, hat, scarf, gloves, or long-sleeved shirt can go a long way.
If you live in San Antonio and can drop off some winter gear items to Haven this weekend, you won’t have to leave your car! Drive to our Donation Center, 1 Haven for Hope Way; volunteers will collect your donation. We’ll have some local social media influencers at Haven helping us collect the donations.
Can’t make it? Visit our Amazon Wishlist, choose an item, and it will ship directly to Haven!
If you would like to support Haven with a cash donation, your support will go a long way to keep our clients warm this winter. Click here to donate.
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.
Gianna Adams and her grandmother, Carmi “Mia” Adkins
Gianna Adams may only be 10 years old, but she already exhibits Servant Leadership! She has been helping her grandmother, Carmi “Mia” Adkins in Haven for Hope’s Kennel for three years. She loves helping take care of the cats and dogs who stay at Haven for Hope while their owners work on their housing plans.
Haven’s kennel has room for 20 dogs and 10 cats. Pets are important and we recognize how therapeutic it is for clients to be able to keep their pets safe while staying at Haven. Clients are responsible for feeding their pets and visiting them twice a day. Haven provides food, supplies, and basic vet care including core vaccines and flea treatments. Mia and her volunteers, including Gianna, help keep the kennel areas clean, restock supplies and make sure the pets are well cared for.
Gianna loves dogs but doesn’t mind changing the kitty liter and giving the cats fresh water and treats. “She used to be scared of the cats, but now she loves to play with them,” Mia said.
“Animals respond to love and that’s what we provide here,” Mia continued. When asked if she wants to care for pets as an adult? Gianna shakes her head. Her dream job? Illustrating children’s books.
We have no doubt, that Gianna will do great things in the future!
Bank of America Corp. established a “leader on loan” program as part of its philanthropic initiatives, which sends an executive to a local charitable organization within its respective market for a year.
Stefanie Adame, senior vice president of regional business management and operations executive at Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), was selected to spend a year as interim director of leadership and organizational development at San Antonio’s Haven for Hope.
“When I said yes to this assignment, I thought it was a perfect fit given my skill set,” said Adame. “I can come in, I can give recommendations, I can help in terms of leadership development and organizational development.”
Adame says her day-to-day duties include planning events, dealing with community partners and locating resources for the organization.
The program, which started in 2017, began as a partnership with four organizations. Today, it sends 27 executives to help with economic and philanthropic initiatives for respective organizations, according to Adame.
BofA works with area nonprofits to match leaders with the organization. She says in other markets, applications are posted for employees to sign up for leader on loan positions.
Adame said she retained her full salary, benefits and vacation time while serving as an employee with Haven for Hope. She is in the final few months of her tenure with the organization and says that once finished she will transition back to her duties with BofA.
“This is a very unique opportunity that we’ve had, the opportunity to benefit from it,” said Justin Barbour, general counsel and director of human resources at Haven for Hope. “We would welcome those kinds of opportunities in the future.”
Haven for Hope, founded in 2010 by founding CEO of Valero Energy Bill Greehey, helps provide food, shelter and clothing for San Antonio’s homeless. It has reached over 15,000 clients since its founding. The two organizations have had partnerships in the past, with Haven for Hope being named a Bank of America Neighborhood Builder in 2019.
Thank you to White Cloud Production Company for creating this video highlighting the work NEC is doing at Haven for Hope to upgrade our communication and security equipment with enhanced AI technologies.
Haven for Hope’s Veteran’s Service team works with veterans experiencing homelessness beyond their immediate shelter needs. We help them establish Social Security disability and Veterans Affairs benefits and apply for other federal and state resources that can greatly improve their quality of life.
A documentary about the homeless crisis in San Francisco featured Haven for Hope. Beyond Homeless in partnership with the Independent Institute and Urban Vision Alliance highlighted Haven for Hope in the film as a unique solution to address homelessness in our City.
KSAT covered the film premiere in San Antonio. Watch here.
To watch the documentary for free, visit Beyond Homeless.
