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Illinois Native Gives Thanks For VSH

Lamar Williams, 56, arrived at Fort Lee in 1979 after serving a short time in the Army National Guard.  Originally from Rockford, Ill., he wanted to explore the East Coast and decided to settle down in a rural area in Petersburg.

Raised primarily by his mother, Williams belonged to a large family in Illinois consisting of five sisters and two brothers.  He obtained his first job at a young age at Chrysler and soon after enrolled in the Army.

His downfall came after leaving the armed forces with two failed marriages and a severe bout of loneliness.  He began hanging with a bad crowd who took advantage of his vulnerability and introduced him to drugs.

“[He told me] ‘This will take your mind off all your troubles’ and it tricked me.  I yielded to that temptation,” says Williams. “[The good feeling you get when you’re on drugs] it’s a deceiver, it – it lasts for so long…and then it’s gone and all your troubles are still there. “

Lamar spent his time drifting in and out of homelessness.  When he didn’t have shelter, Williams and his friends would spend time outside of businesses huddled together trying to get warm but were often dismissed by police officers.

“[One of the most difficult parts] was going to places and not being wanted,” he said. “People were frowning on me because I was homeless.  They just didn’t know what I was going through.”

While bouncing between several shelters, hope came from CARITAS employee, Tara Kantner, who is now a housing supervisor with Virginia Supportive Housing.

“He had been in homeless services time and time again,” says Kantner.  “If there’s anyone who deserves this, it’s Lamar.  He’s just a great guy and the ideal candidate.”

After almost 20 years in and out of homelessness, Williams is currently at a great point in his life. He has been sober for more than a year and says he could not have done it without the help of VSH.

“I like this place.  I have my own kitchen.  I’m grateful because I have everything I need in that little space back there,” he said.

He spends much his time in his apartment listening to gospel and enjoying his favorite past time – cooking.  In fact he and one of his four children spent Thanksgiving together as they cooked for his family.

“The ladies came home and did all the trimmings, pies, and sweets.  But me and my son, we did the turkey and ham and we were high-fiving one another.”

A deeply religious man, he also travels to various churches in the Richmond area with friends and encourages many of those still struggling with homelessness to do the same.

“I try not to forget what God has brought me from.  [I won’t] ever forget,” said Williams.  “I asked God to not let me get so high-minded that I think I can’t fall.”

Though regretful of his past mistakes and the time he lost to his drug addiction, Williams is optimistic for the future. “I know now today I know I am free – And I’m going to stay free.”

Make a difference during National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week

Driving down the highway, it is easy to see what causes people are passionate about. From “Support Our Troops” bumper stickers to pink breast cancer ribbon magnets, many people adorn the backs of their cars with decals representing issues they feel strongly about. In the U.S., we have holidays dedicated to everything from National Sandwich Day on Nov. 3 to National Clean Out Your Fridge Day on Nov. 15, many of which go by unobserved. However, this week is one that should not be overlooked. Nov. 14 to 20 is National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, and everyone should get involved and take the opportunity to make a difference. 

Every year, the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness co-sponsor this awareness week. Appropriately scheduled one week before Thanksgiving, this is the perfect time to reflect on everything you have in your life and to remember those who are not so fortunate. At a time when everyone is focused on giving thanks for their own good fortune, why not pay it forward and share your time and resources with others?

Awareness begins with knowledge and understanding. Have you ever read Richmond’s Ten Year Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness?

Do you know what agencies exist to provide services for people who are homeless in the Richmond area?

The National Alliance to End Homelessness has a number of easy-to-read fact sheets available to help familiarize newcomers with the core issues.

National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is about turning knowledge and understanding into something concrete and meaningful by taking action. Show your support by actually getting involved and making a difference. The NCH web site lists countless suggestions for ways to get involved.

One of the most meaningful ways to get involved is to volunteer, and Virginia Supportive Housing offers enough volunteer opportunities to meet everyone’s interests. VSH has a wide spectrum of options available for congregations of all faiths, corporate teams, service clubs, youth groups, scout troops, families and individual adults. Whether your interest is in leading a donation drive or teaching a skill, answering the phone or landscaping a property, serving a meal or moving furniture, VSH is ready to help you turn your concern into meaningful service that matters.

It is amazing what can be accomplished in one week when everyone works together for the betterment of the community. But hunger and homelessness are not quick fixes, and the problem will continue on after the seven days of awareness have officially ended. When this week ends, we cannot simply forget about the issues as if they no longer need our support and attention. Caring about those without the means to put food in their stomachs or maintain roofs over their heads should become a regular concern in society. Hopefully, communities across the country will get involved this week and be motivated to do more year round.

The awareness week may end on Nov. 20, but homelessness does not have a set end-date. Everyone should take it upon themselves to work toward the day that it does.

Restoring Hope

This week’s blog was written by VSH’s MSW intern, Robin Gahan

Hope – it’s a word we hear often, but perhaps fail to consider how deeply imbued it is with many nuances.  It’s driven political campaigns.  It’s helped some people cope with loss, or illness, and further still with recovery.  For some, hope implies a spiritual state of grace, for others a state of mind, and yet for others a dream to be realized.  In his influential Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire, a Brazilian educator and philosopher, echoes his own sentiment regarding hope.  As one of six critical elements of true dialogue, he asserts that hope is not so much a state of mind as it is a search or process of action,

“Hope is rooted in [humans] incompletion, from which they move out in constant search – a search which can be carried out only in communion with others.”

As a social worker and advocate, I cannot express how important hope is to the work I do.  The NASW Code of Ethics, which guides the profession, is driven by six core values: service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence.  For me, it’s not a stretch to say that valuing the dignity and worth of people and the importance of human relationships fits well with hope.  When I moved to Richmond in 2001, I was emotionally struck by the prevalence of homelessness.  I knew that I had to be a part of meaningful change in the lives of others, in restoring hope.  In fact, it led me to pursue social work.   

Persons experiencing homelessness or those who are formerly homeless can tell you what it is to lose hope.  Sometimes you don’t even have to ask, it’s written on their faces.  In the face of adversity, some people can only focus on immediate survival and lose all sense of hope.   At Virginia Supportive Housing there is no conditional statement on treatment in order to be housed.  According to John Rio,

“Many people do not seem to be motivated when offered services now and a chance for housing and jobs later.  Repeated experience has taught many people that ‘later’ means ‘never’.” 

Recognizing that our clients have experienced failure time and time again, VSH desires to restore hope and provide people with an opportunity to believe again.   This is exactly the reason that Virginia Supportive Housing is capable of transforming lives and transforming communities.  For some, it may take more than a few attempts to fully engage in making change in their life – but we are here to support them and affirm their dignity and worth whenever they are ready.  We are restoring hope – and it’s a beautiful thing.

Giving Thanks in the Season of Hope

Alice Tousignant is the Executive Director of Virginia Supportive Housing. She holds a Masters degree in Social Work Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Rhode Island. Alice has over 30 years of experience in the fields of housing, homelessness and social services. She is a founder and past President of Emergency Shelter, Inc. and past President of the Richmond Community Development Alliance. Alice is currently the Board Chair of the Virginia Collation to End Homelessness.

During this Season of Thanksgiving, it’s important to stop for a moment and take the time to evaluate what is truly important to us. Messages of hope, optimism, and giving are flowing through the chilly breeze as we recognize the significance of simple gifts such as family and friends, food and housing.

Here at Virginia Supportive Housing, we would like to express deep thanks to all of our wonderful supporters throughout the community who have helped to make this organization a success.  How do we measure that success? By fulfilling our mission to provide permanent housing for more than 1300 individuals through our residences and programs, and by offering supportive services to ensure that more than 90 percent of our clients don’t return to homelessness.

While we have successfully transformed the lives of many individuals and families over the past two decades, it’s important to remember that we still have a long way to go to ensuring that everyone has access to that most basic of human needs: housing. Homelessness is an issue that affects all of us, and together we can end it.

GiveRichmond.org is an exciting NEW online tool designed to make charitable giving more accessible and convenient, and as a registered 501(c)3, Virginia Supportive Housing is pleased to participate in this initiative. This season, options for contributing your efforts to ending homelessness within the Commonwealth of Virginia are more plentiful than ever.

Consider participating in Give Richmond’s Giving Card program.  Instead of populating your wish list with bathrobes and socks, you can request Giving Cards. These cards come in a variety of denominations and can be redeemed at GiveRichmond.org. By designating Virginia Supportive Housing as your organization of choice, you give the gift of housing to someone who is homeless and demonstrate the true meaning of the Giving Season. You can also use Giving Cards as stocking stuffers for everyone on your list. There’s never been an easier way to show your support for Virginia Supportive Housing.

What are some other ways that you can support the work of VSH?

• Make a financial contribution as an individual or through your employer.  Gifts are not only tax-deductible (tax ID# 54-1444564), but you can also take advantage of valuable NAP state tax credits. For more information, click here.
• Donate items on our wish list. VSH gratefully accepts donations of canned vegetables, peanut butter, pasta, paper products, and cleaning supplies all year round and distributes them to needy VSH clients who are struggling to get by on very limited incomes. For a complete list of needed items, click here.
• Volunteer your time! VSH has many opportunities available throughout the year for individual and group volunteers who want to make a difference. Opportunities range from client interaction to administrative to the beautification of our facilities. To find out more about VSH volunteer opportunities, click here.

As 2010 comes to a close, VSH would like to acknowledge all of its supporters with deepest appreciation. With your help, we will continue to provide proven permanent solutions to homelessness, bringing our region closer each day toward its goal to end homelessness. It’s a mission we can’t fulfill without you – thank you!

The Rise In Homelessness Among Families

This week’s blog was written by Koury Wilson, one of VSH’s fall communications interns.

The beginning of the millennium witnessed an economic crisis in the US that has forced thousands of families around the country into homelessness.  A lack of affordable housing, government support, and an increase in foreclosures put financial and emotional strain on those trying to support their families.  This is particularly true for many who are raising their children alone.

According to the 2009 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR), on a single night there were 643,067 total homeless persons across the country.  Of those, two-fifths (37 percent) were part of a family, and most (79 percent) were sheltered in emergency shelters or transitional housing.

Unfortunately the lack of financial stability is only one of the many problems families face when struggling to maintain shelter.  It’s found that homelessness “…can affect how children learn, can lead to depression, and can be misdiagnosed as learning disabilities.” Many families also face the possibility of separation and foster care when the government is involved.

The 2010 Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness states, “each year, 30,000 youth ages 16 and older transition from foster care to legal emancipation or ‘age out’ of the system.  One quarter of former foster youth experience homelessness within four years of exiting foster care.”

Recent studies of teenage homelessness have chronicled even well-to-do school districts that are experiencing a surge of students who have reported becoming homeless. South Chandler, Ariz. found of their 38,000 students, 563 don’t have permanent housing.

“We have families who have lost everything, dads who had (investment) properties that didn’t go well, an engineer who hasn’t been employed for a year,” Mundle said. “This isn’t your poor immigrant.”

A  statewide Summit on Family and Youth Homelessness took place on Oct. 21 at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden to create a plan of action in how to move Virginia forward in ending homelessness statewide and in localities.  The event provided a series of 10 sessions held throughout the day discussing topics such as the role of faith communities in preventing homelessness and implementing financial strategies.

Virginia Supportive Housing plays an important role for families in central Virginia.  VSH owns four supportive housing properties located in Richmond’s Cary Street, Highland Park, and Southern Barton Heights neighborhoods that house 16 families with children who are transitioning from homeless shelters and transitional housing programs.  Some may see this as a small step compared to the thousands of homeless families nationwide, but VSH continues to be a model in housing services that have proven effective.

The federal plan has a goal of ending homelessness for families, youth, and children in ten years. However, even as the economy and the job market slowly improve, many are still struggling to find their way back on their feet, and  it’s a crisis that continues to grow. Given the strong relationship between family & youth homelessness and adult homelessness, this issue has the potential to undermine all our existing efforts. It must become a top national priority. As long as there is still open discussion of a resolution and programs like VSH that prioritize to help prevent and support those experiencing homelessness, this problem has the potential to be eradicated.