Haven for Hope operates year-round, 24/7. In extreme weather events, we make sure we have what we need to serve those experiencing homelessness, especially the unsheltered in San Antonio.
From distributing blankets, jackets, gloves, and hats to adding additional indoor sleeping capacity, we are prepared to serve those who need it. News4 San Antonio/Fox 29 stopped by Haven to see how we prepare for these weather events.
The Point-in-Time (PIT) count is a count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that Continuums of Care conduct an annual count of people experiencing homelessness who are sheltered in emergency shelter, transitional housing, and Safe Havens on a single night. Each count is planned, coordinated, and carried out locally.
Haven for Hope participates in this event and staff volunteers to survey unsheltered individuals experiencing homelessness. Care packages were prepared and given to survey participants.
Click here for local media coverage about the PIT Count.
Photo: Jerry Lara, Staff with San Antonio Express-News
Haven employee Kenneth Anderlitch is going to run across Texas to create awareness and funding for sober living programs and Haven’s partner, Pay it Forward, SA.
“Today, I am proud to announce that San Antonio has rehoused over 1,600 households,” said Mayor Ron Nirenberg.
A coalition of non-profits and community leaders set a goal last fall to use funds from the American Rescue Plan for helping rehouse 1,500 households in San Antonio by the end of 2022.
“Congratulations for being the first House America community to not only meet but to exceed your rehousing goal,” said Marcia Fudge, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. “No community has ever solved homelessness by banning it.”
While the city was able to relocate 1,642 people into permanent housing, SAMMinistries President and CEO Nikisha Baker stressed there are still thousands of residents across Bexar County at risk of ending up on the streets.
“18% of our local households are living at or below the federal poverty level and another 33% are considered working poor, which means half of our neighbors are just one paycheck away from homelessness,” Baker said.
Haven for Hope continues to serve as an anchor for helping San Antonio’s homeless community. President and CEO Kim Jeffries noted soaring inflation and rising housing costs have contributed to the unprecedented number of families seeking shelter and services.
“Family dorm is full and we have 65 families in overflow and so those families are coming to us because of all of these factors and so that tells us that we still have work to do,” Jeffries said.
Jack and Emma Heeney already understand the importance of giving back. Jack needed a project for his Eagle Scout rank. He asked his former Scout Master for ideas. Monty McCann, Life Safety Officer at Haven gave Jack a tour and pointed out two projects. The butterfly garden or the Hair Care Center.
Haven has operated a Hair Care Center since opening its doors in 2010. Volunteer barbers and hairdressers provide free haircuts and styles to Haven clients. For someone who has been experiencing homelessness, this is very impactful. A fresh haircut or style boosts one’s confidence, especially for a job interview. The Hair Care Center lacked personality and many of the supplies needed by the volunteers.
Haircare Center Transformation
The remodel included new flooring, paint, frames around the mirrors, larger barber chairs, back bars for supplies, a TV, and a cordless vacuum. As a bonus, Jack secured a donated barber shop pole. The project helped Jack earn his Eagle Scout rank, the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Scouts program. And Jack is only 15.
His sister Emma, age 17, got involved and is going for her Gold Star ranking (equivalent to the Eagle Scout) for the Girl Scouts. She secured supplies – clippers, scissors, hair care products, brushes, combs, etc. A family friend took photos on campus and around San Antonio. The black and white photos on the Hair Care Center walls add personality to the transformed space.
The value of the project is more than $13,000 and took approximately six months to complete. Haven’s volunteer barbers are thrilled with the new “look” and hope to recruit more volunteers to help in the Hair Care Center and make it accessible to clients multiple days per week.
Watch the impact of this project when KSAT interviewed Jack and Emma and one of Haven’s clients and volunteer barbers. It will inspire you. Click here to watch!
Did you know that socks are the #1 requested item among those experiencing homelessness? Haven for Hope distributes more than 1,500 pairs of socks each month. David Chancellor, morning anchor for News4 San Antonio does a segment called “Sock it to Monday.” News4 wanted to help Haven’s clients by sponsoring a sock drive.
During the month of October, in partnership with News4 San Antonio and participating Subway restaurants, we are asking the community to purchase new socks (men’s, women’s, and children’s sizes) and donate them to Haven for Hope.
Socks can be dropped off at the following Subway locations:
3227 SW Military Drive
San Antonio
TX
78211
1911 Nogalitos St
San Antonio
TX
78225
1315 S. St. Mary’s Street
San Antonio
TX
78210
7239 SW Loop 410
San Antonio
TX
78242
302 Valley Hi Drive
San Antonio
TX
78227
8124 Fredericksburg Rd
San Antonio
TX
78229
6338 Old Pearsall Rd
San Antonio
TX
78242
2864 W Loop 1604 S
San Antonio
TX
78245
803 Castroville Rd
San Antonio
TX
78237
12952 Bandera Road
Helotes
TX
78023
15355 FM 471 N
San Antonio
TX
78253
12550 Leslie Road
Helotes
TX
78023
1134 Culebra Road
San Antonio
TX
78201
4977 Walzem Rd
San Antonio
TX
78218
5429 E Hwy 87
San Antonio
TX
78222
11390 IH 35
Von Ormy
TX
78073
1009 E Hondo Ave, #3
Devine
TX
78016
6394 Rittiman Rd
San Antonio
TX
78218
111 N IH 35
Pearsall
TX
78061
9727 Poteet Jourdanton Freeway
San Antonio
TX
78211
3138 SE Military Dr
San Antonio
TX
78235
314 S. W.W. White Rd
San Antonio
TX
78219
15511 Applewhite Road
San Antonio
TX
78264
11643 SE Loop 410
San Antonio
TX
78214
4102 S New Braunfels
San Antonio
TX
78223
1503 Pleasanton Rd
San Antonio
TX
78221
4096 Foster Road
San Antonio
TX
78244
131 Business Park Drive
Kenedy
TX
78119
8538 IH-35 South
San Antonio
TX
78224
1115 SE Military Drive
San Antonio
TX
78214
5626 Walzem Rd
San Antonio
TX
78218
175 IH 35 North
Devine
TX
78016
4130 Broadway St
San Antonio
TX
78209
240 E. Houston Street
San Antonio
TX
78205
6826 N Loop 1604 E Bldg 1
San Antonio
TX
78247
8223 Marbach Road
San Antonio
TX
78227
8119 Culebra Road
San Antonio
TX
78251
12315 Judson Rd
Live Oak
TX
78233
23503 Hardy Oak Blvd
San Antonio
TX
78258
4233 McCullough Ave
San Antonio
TX
78212
10650 Culebra Rd
San Antonio
TX
78251
902 Kitty Hawk Rd
Universal City
TX
78148
8181 Tezel Rd
San Antonio
TX
78250
1464 Austin Hwy
San Antonio
TX
78209
11726 I-35 North
San Antonio
TX
78233
8839 Culebra Road
San Antonio
TX
78251
9638 Potranco Rd
San Antonio
TX
78251
5138 UTSA Blvd
San Antonio
TX
78249
2606 TPC Pkwy
San Antonio
TX
78259
4638 W. Commerce
San Antonio
TX
78237
20079 Stone Oak Pkwy
San Antonio
TX
78258
6010 Ingram Road
San Antonio
TX
78238
1802 Nacogdoches
San Antonio
TX
78209
1248 FM 78
Schertz
TX
78154
9427 Culebra Road
San Antonio
TX
78251
12639 Blanco Road
San Antonio
TX
78216
8000 Pat Booker Road
Live Oak
TX
78233
15118 Potranco Road
San Antonio
TX
78245
11282 Culebra Road
San Antonio
TX
78253
791 FM 1103
Cibolo
TX
78108
24403 W I-10
San Antonio
TX
78257
14084 Nacogdoches Rd
San Antonio
TX
78247
6912 Military Dr West
San Antonio
TX
78227
7015 Bandera Rd
San Antonio
TX
78238
11615 West Ave
San Antonio
TX
78213
1621 N Main Ave
San Antonio
TX
78212
6422 Babcock
San Antonio
TX
78240
11309 Bandera Rd
San Antonio
TX
78250
2414 Babcock
San Antonio
TX
78229
11330 IH 10 W
San Antonio
TX
78249
8830 Huebner Rd
San Antonio
TX
78240
10811 Perrin Beitel
San Antonio
TX
78217
5545 NW Loop 410
San Antonio
TX
78238
2800 Thousand Oaks
San Antonio
TX
78232
5143 West Avenue
San Antonio
TX
78213
7280 UTSA Blvd
San Antonio
TX
78249
2400 West Avenue
San Antonio
TX
78201
1150 N FM 1604 W
San Antonio
TX
78224
14439 NW Military Hwy
San Antonio
TX
78231
5025 Loop 410 NW
San Antonio
TX
78229
18410 US Highway 281 N
San Antonio
TX
78259
8202 N Loop 1604 W
San Antonio
TX
78249
16600 Huebner Rd
San Antonio
TX
78248
17815 La Cantera Pkwy
San Antonio
TX
78257
12335 Wetmore Road
San Antonio
TX
78247
8630 W. Hwy 90
San Antonio
TX
78227
2927 E Southcross Blvd
San Antonio
TX
78223
2339 Evans Rd
San Antonio
TX
78259
2267 NW Military Highway
San Antonio
TX
78213
3953 Fredericksburg Road
San Antonio
TX
78201
8507 McCullough Avenue
San Antonio
TX
78216
1803 Vance Jackson
San Antonio
TX
78213
8521 Perrin Beitel
San Antonio
TX
78217
5601 Bandera Road
San Antonio
TX
78238
4331 Thousand Oaks Drive
San Antonio
TX
78217
10915 Wurzbach
San Antonio
TX
78230
6811 San Pedro
San Antonio
TX
78216
415 Pecan Valley Drive
San Antonio
TX
78220
Or you can purchase a pair of socks from our Amazon Wish List and have them shipped directly to our organization. Click here!
Haven for Hope President & CEO, Kim Jefferies, provided an update to the Bexar County Commissioner’s Court on Haven’s operations. She shared that we are seeing a record number of families experiencing homelessness. Watch KSAT’s coverage for more information.
Courtney Freidman, reporter and anchor for KSAT News in San Antonio recently visited Haven for Hope and talked to one of our families about living at Haven for Hope and preparing for a new school here.
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!