Christian Help Inc. Helps Homeless Families By Barbara Augsdorfer When you hear the words “homeless person,” your mind automatically pictures a very dirty, smelly, unshaven man in ragged clothes standing on a street median and holding a cardboard sign. However, many homeless (and those just barely hanging on) are women, children, and entire families. The sudden loss of a job, a sudden catastrophic illness of a family member turns a family’s security of a home and food topsyturvy, and without a back-up plan, many end up on the street. Some may be lucky enough to find a relative to temporarily take the kids and shield them from the brunt of the disaster. LeTheda Noonan, Director, Christian Help, Inc.
Lawn
StreSSed from the
drought? now iS the time to fix it! starting at
Core aeration & overSeeding $59 for 3,000 sq. ft. Call for a free estimate! faLL iS the time to: Apply SeASon end Fertilizer inStAll MuMS & Mulch
We also offer leaf removal in the fall and snow removal in the winter!
Se rv iC eS
Check our Reviews on
LiCensed and insured
317-966-0438 ~ ZLandscaping.biz ZeiglerServices@gmail.com
20
center grove c o mm u nity
Still others may be lucky enough to scrape together a few dollars to hole up in a motel for a few days. Many homeless people lack a network of other people and resources to rely on – and very soon, survival instincts kick in – anything goes. Many times pride is a culprit. Who wants to admit that they’ve “hit bottom” and have nothing? Christian Help Inc. in Franklin was founded in 2003 with the mission of helping the homeless meet their immediate needs, and also help them get the skills needed to become self-sufficient – the “give a man a fish/teach a man to fish” concept. Before 2003, Johnson County did not have a shelter or any other resources for the homeless. CHI was begun with six people and $1,000 raised from a raffle at Our Lady of the Greenwood Church. After one year of prayer, service, and formation, CHI began to approach other churches to become involved. The “vision” is that CHI would be made up of Christians from all denominations who come together to help the poor and needy as taught in the Bible. Congregations that have joined with CHI include: St. Barnabas, New Hope Church, The Vineyard, Grace United Methodist, Sanctuary Church, Grace Assembly of God, Greenwood United Methodist, Greenwood Christian Church in partnership with Leadership Johnson County, and Mount Pleasant Christian Church. On Jan. 25, 2012, Christian Help Inc. counted 122 homeless people in Johnson County. It doesn’t sound like much, but when the numbers are broken down, those numbers are really people: men, women, children, whole families. The statistic was part of the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department’s data that provides Congress with the information it needs to allocate funding for homeless services such as housing, residential programs, hotel/motel vouchers provided by a public/private agency. Christian Help Inc. was serving 41 of the 122 counted on that January day. From 2005 through June 2012, Christian Help Inc. worked with “Friendly Village” to refurbish mobile homes for homeless families. In addition to working on the refurbishing, CHI clients attended classes on life skills and home maintenance, and if applicable, completed a GED and gained job skills. After two years, the client graduated from the program. The client gained a refurbished mobile home to live in, job skills and in many cases, a job. “We urge our clients to set goals and work toward meeting those goals,” says CHI Executive Director LaTheda Noonan. “Each client is treated as a unique individual. If that person didn’t finish high school, the client is encouraged to attend the classes necessary to attain his or her GED. The clients are also encouraged to attend classes that will give them job skills.” It’s all about setting and meeting goals, according to Noonan.
n e wsl e tt e r | September 2012