GREENFIELD — The county’s homeless shelter has started doing more than just providing room and board for people going through hard times. It’s now taking a broader approach to help clients make better decisions so they never experience homelessness again.
Hancock Hope House highlighted the new services at an open house this week. People who toured the facility heard about the recent initiatives, including financial advising, counseling and life skills courses for clients, in addition to the basics like food, shelter and job help, said Colin Murphy, a member of the Hope House board of directors.
More than 50 people attended the open house Thursday at Hope House, 35 E. Pierson St., where staffers offered tours of the shelter and thrift store, highlighting improvements to the facility, including new bathroom stalls, TVs in the recreational areas, and fresh coats of paint in the halls.
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Beer, wine, fruit and cheese were offered to touring guests, and the thrift store’s stock was 50 percent off during the open house.
The shelter, focused on providing transitional housing for families in Hancock, Henry, Shelby and Rush counties, was established in 1991 and can house 35 individuals, including 20 people in family-style rooms and 15 men in an open dormitory-style area.
Hope House is working with local churches and other organizations to refer residents to counseling or financial advising, said executive director Andrea Mallory.
“I love the fact that we’re providing more than just food and shelter,” Mallory said.
On Thursday, about 20 people were staying there, said staff member Cyndi Huff.
“We try to send clients on to self-sufficiency,” Huff said, adding that those who reside at Hope House are required to work and make their own meals, though they are provided a food pantry to prepare food from.
The staff helps support residents if they want to further their education as well, or pursue recovery skills, she said.
People typically spend 40 days at Hope House before moving on to a more permanent housing situation, Huff said. Some people have stayed up to 120 days, because rental housing wasn’t available or other timing didn’t work out, she said.
She said Hope House’s 8,000-square-foot thrift store, which features clothes, household items, furniture and books, provides nearly half of the operational funds for the shelter. The other half comes from donations and sponsors, she said.
Hope House in August had its largest annual fundraiser, the Hops 4 Hope beer tasting at the Hancock County 4-H Fairgrounds, which raised some $35,000 toward the shelter’s annual budget of $289,000.
Murphy said by providing counseling and financial advice, Hope House aims to change the trajectory of clients’ lives.
“We are trying to make more of an impact on our clients,” he said. “We want them to be able to be more self-sufficient and lead a more sustainable life long-term.”
He said the shelter follows up with clients after they leave, and early indications are that the lessons in money management and other life skills are helping former residents to better provide for themselves.
“We want to not only provide temporary shelter, but help them be able to make good decisions going forward,” he said.
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The Hope House homeless shelter, 35 E. Pierson St., provides temporary transitional shelter to individuals and families in Hancock, Henry, Shelby and Rush counties.
The facility, established in 1991, can house 35 individuals, including 20 people in family-style rooms and 15 men in an open dormitory-style area.
The shelter is supported by a thrift store that sells donated clothes, furniture and household items.
More information is available by visiting hancockhopehouse.com or call (317) 467-4991.
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