July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024
Dear friends of the shelter,
This year at the Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky (ESNKY), I’ve been reminded time and again just how powerful our community can be Every night of shelter, every warm meal, every hot shower, and every encouraging word shared with our guests reflects our deep commitment to treating people with dignity and respect Thanks to your support, we’ve been able to provide a safe, welcoming space where our guests can be surrounded by holistic services and a profound sense of hope.
Read about the impact we made together to address the growing challenges that our community is experiencing. The need for shelter and services continues to outpace the resources available, and the stories of those we serve remind us there is so much more work to be done. The path forward is clear: we must do more to meet the increasing need and ensure no one is left to suffer outside.
ESNKY is committed to our Northern Kentucky community, giving our neighbors a voice and a choice in how and when they access services. The path towards personal and housing stability is not linear, and we provide each guest with the resources they need to self-resolve, rebuild relationships, and live productive lives in our community. With your continued partnership, we can rise above these challenges and create a tomorrow where compassion, respect, and dignity are available to everyone
With grace & gratitude
Executive Director, Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentuc
Board of directors
Andrew Schierberg, President Stages Elder Law
Tricia Watts, Vice President WAVE Foundation at Newport Aquarium
Amy Guenther, Treasurer City of Fort Mitchell
Sarah Houseman, Secretary Dinsmore & Shohl
Steven Doan, Past President Attorney & KY State Rep.
Jimmy Beatrice Business Benefits
Wesley Botto Hillcrest Financial Group
Alexa Drees Walker Drees Homes
Pete Nerone Great American Financial
Dave Osterday M+A Architects
Kevin Smith Newport Aquarium
Emily Toebbe Fidelity Investments
Emeritus Members
John S. Carey
Lisa A. Raterman
Gregory J. Schneider
Welcome to new board members
Dr. Kevin Lotz
Northern Kentucky University
Brad McNutt
UC Health
Stan Micek Spectral AI
Brant Owens
Edward Jones
Harsh Patel Celanese Corporation
Sarah Petracco Drees Homes
commitment
The Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky provides Life Saving, Life Changing low barrier shelter and services for adults in our community experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
our vision our mission our from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, ESNKY served
1,428
We believe homelessness is an emergency and that shelter is a basic necessity for human beings. We believe that only when this basic necessity is provided, do human beings have the ability to recover from homelessness.
We are committed to providing programs that are best practice, with a housing first model, in a trauma-informed, harm-reduction environment. We will trust, value, and respect everyone who walks through our doors, always giving our guests a voice and choice in how, when, and where they access services.
24,259 bed nights of safe and secure shelter across all programs
47% guests across all programs & services of guests self-reported experiencing homelessness for the very first time
April - October
Emergency Shelter
649 Guests, 12,453 Bed Nights
Year - Round
Housing Work Program
31 Guests, 1,974 Bed Nights
Consistent, Self-Service
Shower & Laundry
749 Guests, 5,501 Services
Covington & Kenton County
Street Outreach
423 Guests, 710 Contacts
November - March
Winter Cold Shelter
495 Guests, 9,175 Bed Nights
Year - Round, Northern Kentucky
Regional Mental Health Court
Diversion & Stability Program Contract
10 Guests, 633 Bed Nights
Engagement Center
Daytime Navigation and 215 Guests accessed Care Coordination
Onsite Urgent Care
Healthcare Clinic
1,575 Patient Visits
As part of our expanded services during weather emergencies, and in partnership with Kenton County, ESNKY opened our doors for both overnight and 24-hour warming & cooling centers.
volunteer groups
ESNKY’s grassroots approach offers life saving, life changing experiences to both guests and volunteers. While in shelter, volunteers deepen their understanding of what it means to be homeless and increase their knowledge of ESNKY’s holistic programs. Thereby becoming ambassadors of our mission to our community. from churches, schools, companies, & civic organizations
meal donors
78% of evening meals were cooked and served by volunteers, directly supporting ESNKY’s staff and budget as we work collaboratively to provide for our guests. Whether our guests are eating breakfast for dinner, pizza & salad, or barbecue, nothing brings more comfort than a warm meal before you fall asleep. cooked or served 19,488 meals
11,696 hours ofvolunteer service valuedat morethan$333,708 worth of time in service of our mission over more than
students
used their knowledge
ESNKY is proud to provide the next generation of leaders and philanthropists meaningful community experiences and service learning opportunities. Student interns, school groups, and college classes continue to inspire us with their talent and enthusiasm. A team of five recent graduates from Northern Kentucky University’s Visual Communication Design program won the Student Experiential Design category at the 2024 Cincinnati Design Awards for their work with ESNKY. The students’ design was inspired by Covington’s rich architectural history and vibrant mosaic art, resulting in a colorful signage system and large-scale wall murals to aide guests and visitors in navigating our facility.
Financial Summary
FY24 Income
July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024
Total Income: $1,755,462
DirectPublicSupport26%
Grants44%
LocalGovernmentSupport7%
StateOpioidAbatementGrant9%
CorporateContributions3%
Nonprofit&OnlinePartners2%
InvestmentReturn9%
FY24 Expenses
July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024
Total Expense: $1,448,612
Programs74%
EmergencyShelter58%
NavigationCenter11%
HousingWorkProgram3%
StreetOutreach2%
Management16%
Fundraising10%
Ending Net Assets: $7,074,256
TheEmergencyShelterofNorthernKentuckyis committedtoresponsiblestewardshipofdonations andcontributionstoourLifeSaving,LifeChanging mission AllinformationtakenfromtheFY24Financial ReviewperformedbyVeid&VeidCertifiedPublic Accountants.Ourfinancialstatementscanbeviewed onourwebsite.
Programs & Services
The Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky provides Life Saving, Life Changing low barrier shelter and services to adults in our community experiencing homelessness.
OVERNIGHT SHELTER PROGRAMS
Available to adult men (and adults who identify as men) year-round, and to all adults from November 1 through March 31
Emergency Shelter
Accessible nightly shelter and holistic services 365 days a year. Guests are able to choose when they access overnight services In FY24, 59% of guests spent 14 nights or less in the Emergency Shelter program (night-by-night)
Winter Cold Shelter
(seasonal, night-by-night)
Low barrier overnight shelter and wrap around services for any adult from November 1 through March 31.
RISE Program
(short term)
Short-term shelter for 45 days, helping individuals achieve stability while maintaining employment and creating a housing exit plan.
Housing Work Program
Opt-in program to help adults maintain employment and obtain stable housing Candidates complete an application after spending two weeks in the Emergency Shelter program This program is designed to support adults who have full-time employment and who are seeking market-rate housing (transitional housing)
Regional Mental Health Court
ESNKY maintains a contract with the NKY Regional Mental Health Court to provide shelter and services to individuals who need extra support These guests can access all onsite services (as needed)
SERVICES FOR ANY GUEST
Available to all adults 18+ during the day & after hours as part of overnight shelter programs
Shower & Laundry Program
Hot showers and self service laundry are free & available 7 days a week. Meetings with Navigation Coordinator can be scheduled in-person
Street Outreach
ESNKY’s Street Outreach Workers operate out of our bus throughout Covington and Kenton County. We provide our services at feeding sites, parks, bus shelters, and other places not meant for human habitation.
Navigation&EngagementCenter
Onsite Services
Showers Self-Service Laundry Cell Phone Charging Stations Free Wi-Fi Clothing Consultation and Referrals Computer Usage
Healthcare Clinic
The ESNKY Healthcare Clinic provides urgent care services and vaccinations for our guests to meet their healthcare needs. The Clinic sees guests in the evening and on some weekdays.
Thisprogramisahubofcommunityresources,socialinteraction,andcarecoordination.Ourlowbarriermodelwelcomesourgueststo workwithcarecoordinatorsandcommunitypartnerstoconnectwithpublicbenefits,healthservices,recovery,housingsolutions,and governmentresourceswhentheyareready.Aspartofourholisticapproachtoservices,2communitypartnerroomsareavailablefor agenciestomeetwithourguestsvirtuallyoronsiteCurrently,over40communitypartneragenciesutilizetheseroomstoprovide servicestoguests