Information about
House of Neighborly Services
MISSION STATEMENT:
House of Neighborly Service will use accountability, compassion, and dignity to maintain a vital role in our community by helping people meet their emergency needs.
Brief history of organization:
HNS was started in 1961 by the local faith community to be one place where they could refer people in need, where there would be ample resources and accountability. It continues to be a vital hub in the arena of emergency services, cooperating with all churches and agencies and partnered with many on collaborative services.
How many total clients are served annually:
During fiscal year 2008/09, our agency provided more than 36,317 services to 20,804 individuals in need. The food baskets that we provide were designed by a professional nutritionist to feed each individual for seven days. In 2008/09 we served 6,500 food baskets to 14,551 clients. 548 food baskets were served to the homeless. We provided clothing for 2,730 families, helped 323 individuals with their transportation needs, provided special medical assistance and prescriptions for 1,132 individuals, distributed Back-to-School gift cards to 402 children, helped 567 households with utility costs, and provided shelter for 76 families, with a total number of 267 shelter days.
What are the demographics of the population
that is being served:
• Serve the R2J School District which includes Loveland, Berthoud,
and South Ft. Collins.
• Serve all ethnic populations with the largest populations
being White (60%) and Hispanic (35%).
• 40% are children 17 and under.
• 17% are elderly or disabled.
• 21% are single parent homes.
• Served 289 homeless.
• Served 1053 new families.
Current major initiatives:
House of Neighborly Service has added an additional program to the many services that we offer. The Inclement Shelter program provides shelter to homeless people during inclement weather when day temperatures fall below 40 degrees and nights below 20 degrees. The Day Center will provide case management to help people access resources such as job placement, food stamps, and housing options. The Night shelter will rotate between 11 local churches. HNS will have a paid staff person to supervise all activities related to these facilities, arrange transportation, and provide supervision throughout the nights. The goal is to build relationship with the homeless in order to help impact decisions and plans that may steer them out of homelessness while providing safety from inclement weather.
What is the greatest challenge you foresee for your organization in the next year:
Overall demand for emergency services from House of Neighborly Service is on
the increase. Due to the economic crisis, HNS experienced a 41% increase of total services over previous year. New families increased 15% for the year for a total of 1053. Homeless needs have increased 75%. People and families who have always been self-sufficient and have enjoyed the role of donor are now walking thru our doorstep as clients. Large segments of this population are victims of loss of employment or the unemployed who have found jobs but not of the same
financial stability.
The current fiscal year is NOT stabilizing. Increases in the need for all of our
services continue to climb. With this, our greatest challenge is to continue the
level of support that we have been blessed with in the past two years while expanding the pool of support for the demand of increased demand and the
addition of a new program.
How are Empty Stocking funds expended to
benefit your clients:
House of Neighborly Service has been extremely grateful for the Empty Stocking funds. These funds have been useful in providing the general support for Food, Clothing, Utility, Prescription, Emergency Shelter, and Transportation programs
that House of Neighborly Service offers to the families and individuals of Loveland, Berthoud, and South Ft. Collins communities.
Since 2007, our agency has provided for a total of 40,486 individuals of which the Empty Stocking funds have supported 1215 of these individuals.
What is the true, lasting impact of the Empty
Stocking Fund on your organization/clients:
Our goal as an agency is to provide "help for today and hope for tomorrow" as we directly impact the living conditions for low-income and impoverished residents. “Help for Today...” refers to the immediate services we provide to families and individuals that come to HNS with emergency requests when their situation has reached a critical level of need. “Hope for Tomorrow...” describes the further help that is provided by our caseworkers meeting individually with each client as they guide through referrals, recommendations to other programs, scheduling of educational classes, or phone calls made on their behalf to increase their success within their current situation.
The lasting impact on these individuals is to stabilize their circumstances to prevent further crisis such as homelessness, eviction, hunger and more serious illness. Our goal is to encourage them toward long-term and permanent changes and solutions that will bring self-sufficiency.
"THANK YOU!!!"