Correction

Interfaith Council’s family shelter does take people suffering from substance abuse.
In a recent post, the blog said that those actively using drugs are not eligible to stay at the family shelter. The information has been corrected in the original post thanks to a comment by Megan Clarke.
Here’s what she had to say:
“At our family shelter, we will accept mothers with substance abuse issues, but if mothers are actively using substances, they need a more intensive drug treatment program. Our family program operates slightly differently than our other programs in regards to substance abuse, because an actively using mother puts the children at very high risk. Also, if a formerly problematic resident demonstrates that there has been a change in their behavior or situation, we will consider taking them back into our program.

I also wanted to clarify that the family shelter is just one service that the Interfaith Council provides. There is also a men’s shelter, a women’s shelter, the community kitchen, and a community services program that includes a food pantry and financial assistance to low-income families living in the community.”

IFC’s family house screens

Interfaith Council screens its residents before accepting them into its shelter.

Other organizations have had to step down their aid to the homeless after running into problems screening them.

The council hasn’t run into the same problems because of the process they use to screen families.

Coordinators get family’s basic information, look at their situation, how long they’ve been calling and the consistency that they’ve been checking back, said Megan Clarke, the coordinator for the family shelter.

The shelter is the only one of its kind in Orange County, which makes Clarke’s job difficult when she has to turn families away, she said.

“Trying to figure out how to choose one family out of the 30 (waiting) is the most difficult,” she said.

Clarke refers the families to other places if they need immediate help, but often they have to wait until a spot opens up, she said.

For more information, see Clarke’s comment on the Corrections section.

Meeting adjourned

The next partnership meeting will be May 7.

Real Change from Spare Change program

The program offers an alternative to giving panhandlers money on the street.

It allows people to donate money that will support Orange County street outreach programs, which began in spring 2007. Outreach workers ensure that the homeless get medial attention and mental health services, among other services.

Some local businesses have began participating by putting a change can by their cash registers.

The program was launched in November and $13,000 has been donated.

The goal for 2008 is $50,000, which will be raised through donations from partnerships that have similar goals as the program.

The program also has a Facebook group, which has 15 members.

Budgetary needs of the partnership

Tara Fikes, Chapel Hill’s housing and community development director, discussed the partnership’s budgetary needs of the next fiscal year during the meeting.

“I think that the budget needs for the coming fiscal year will be lower because we can apply the savings (from last year),” Fikes said.

Chapel Hill is obligated to pay 41 percent of the budget, which translates to about $32,000.

“Burning desires” of the partnership

The Orange County 10-year plan has 18 goals it wants to accomplish in the first six months.

The 18 goals look overwhelming at first, but they all turn into one big goal, Carson Dean said. And Dean said he wanted to see what was most important to the members of the partnership.

“I just want to try and get a sense of the pulse of the room today,” Dean said.”I think in the first year, you are going to see some of these things are going to take some infrastructure building. If we can get it done and be sustainable from the beginning, we’ll be much more successful.”

Stan Holt of Triangle United Way said he wants to focus on employment and housing first.

“Let’s pick the low hanging fruit and be successful immediately,” Holt said.

The partnership also talked about finding a place for support circles in the first six months.

Orange County’s 10-year plan

Libby Longino, a UNC-Chapel Hill student, spoke with the partnership about Orange County’s 10-year plan.

Longino said the students are concerned with funding for the plan. She cited the recent News & Observer series, “Mental Health: The Failure of Reform.” After the series, Governor Mike Easley has announced an overhaul on the mental health plan in the state.

The overhaul could provide another possibility for funding, Longino said.

The students are looking for ways to show the link between mental health and homelessness, hoping to get funding from the state as it revamps its mental health plan.

“(We’ll) see If we can’t convince some people from the state government to fund or partially fund (the plan) as sort of a pilot project for the state,” Longino said. “In some cases I realize it’s kind of a longshot. But there are some people at UNC who are very excited about the possibility of connecting you guys to state reps.”

Support Circles

Support circles serve people or families who live in a shelter or a transitional housing program but are ready for permanent housing.

The circles consist of volunteers from the community who help meet the needs of individual families.

The circles call the family members every week and check-in to find out if they have any needs, Macauley said. Possible needs include help with employment, school, counseling and child care, she added.

The supporters work with the family on a weekly basis for a year.

“This is something we certainly want to pursue,” said Sally Greene. Chapel Hill does not currently have a support circle plan.

Dean’s resume, meeting kickoff at 6

Carson Dean has experience.

Notables includes the co-chair of Project Homeless Connect event in Wake County and program director of Haven House, which serves young people.

Dean also started the first federal street outreach program for youth in North Carolina and is active in the state and national Alliance to End Homelessness.

Agenda for tonight

Here is the meeting agenda for the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness:

1. Welcome from Sally Greene
2. Introduction of Carson Dean — Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness Coordinator
3. Information Presentation — Support Circles by Roberta Macauley of Catholic Charities
4. UNC Students — Plan Tracking Project
5. Preview of Coordinator’s First Year
6. Fiscal Year 2008-2009 Budgetary Needs
7. Real Change from Spare Change
8. Special Transit Advisory Commission Draft Transit Plan
9. Other Business
10. Next Meeting Date — May 7
11. Adjourn