Shelter Maritza came to VOC’s shelter with two small children. She had some struggles to get there, but had so many aspirations for the future. With her strength and perseverance and a little bit of support from VOC, she was able to achieve stability even during this time of COVID. With the help of her Case Manager, Maritza obtained child care at VOC and has since moved into her own apartment where she has begun a new chapter for herself and her family. The Main Street Shelter is a 14-room congregate family shelter located in Holyoke. The Case Manager and Housing Specialist at the shelter offer intensive case management services around housing, employment, education and child nutrition. VOC provides stabilization services for up to one year after a family has been housed. This program has been funded through Way Finders by the Department of Housing and Community Development, and all participants must qualify for emergency assistance. “My experience in the VOC shelter was amazing,” said Maritza. “The staff was always available and attentive. With the help that they gave us, we also needed to put in our own effort. In time I was out of the shelter with a VOC voucher for a VOC apartment. I couldn’t have done it without the motivation and the extra time they gave me when I needed the help. Thank you once again!” In 2020, 60 individuals were served by VOC’s shelter and nine families were housed. VOC utilized $52K in SRI funds to remove the barrier of eviction histories for families, and leveraged over $60K in HomeBase funds.
Real People.
Real Help.
Real Impact.
Homeless 257 individuals without a place to live were provided shelter and stabilization services.
63 formerly homeless families were provided stable, supportive housing and support services.
Homeless Prevention 51 households avoided eviction and received intensive supports to maintain stable housing and self-sufficiency.
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