Haven for Hope Prepares for Cold Weather Event

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.

News4 Story – Click Here

Fox 29 Story – Click Here

 

 

Haven for Hope Staff Participate in Annual Point in Time Count

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.

 

San Antonio is the first city to surpass housing 1,500 individuals through the House America Pledge

 

SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio has become the first of 70 cities aligned with the House America pledge that’s met and exceeded the goal of placing 1,500 people from the streets into permanent housing.

“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.

Click here for the news story on Kens5

 

 

Teens Transform Haven for Hope’s Hair Care Center

Teens Giving Back

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!

Sock it to Monday Sock Drive

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!

Thank you for supporting Haven for Hope!

Servant Leadership at a Young Age

Giving Back 

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!