The Clinton County Homeless Shelter held its annual board meeting Thursday, Jan. 16 at Chester Friends Meeting, where Executive Director Denise Stryker shared the 2019 Annual Report:
In 1988, the Clinton County Services for the Homeless — “the Shelter” — opened its doors and became the first emergency shelter in a rural Ohio community. For 31 years now, the support of our Clinton County Community has enabled the Shelter to continue its mission of providing emergency shelter, compassionate care and support to the homeless and underprivileged while remembering each resident is a person of worth.
The challenge of finding full-time sustainable employment that can support an individual and/or family is challenging for those who have become homeless. Loss of transportation, lack of affordable childcare, separation from a spouse, illness, and injuries are among some of the many hardships that the homeless experience.
Those whom the Shelter serve not only receive a temporary place to stay, but also encouragement and access to the basic tools needed to help them regain their independence and dignity.
In 2019, we provided a home for 253 people, including 39 children. Residents spent 6,811 total nights at the Shelter. During their stay, residents received a total of 34,055 meals and snacks.
The Shelter’s ability to help those in need depends on funding from various sources. The Ohio Development Services Agency Homeless Crisis Response Program (HCRP) emergency shelter grant provides operating funds for the Shelter.
Additionally, the Shelter collaborates with four surrounding counties operating as Region 16 and receives funds from the Rapid Rehousing Program (HPRP) Grant. The goal of HPRP is to rapidly move families from emergency shelter into permanent housing. The funding from the grant enabled the Shelter to enroll 53 people during the last year.
Mental Health and Recovery Services of Warren and Clinton Counties provided a 2019 fiscal year grant to the Shelter. This grant allowed the Shelter to provide essential services to those Shelter residents who were in recovery.
While grants from governmental sources provide stability to its work, the Shelter could not operate without the amazing support it receives from the local community. The Wilmington Area Ministerial Association continues to support the Shelter along with numerous local churches, businesses, service organizations and individuals.
The Shelter also benefited from community giving through funds awarded by the Clinton County United Way in 2019.
Volunteers from the community provide countless hours to help make a success of various fundraising efforts held throughout the year.
The Board of Realtors sponsors the Day of Caring pancake breakfast held each year the last Sunday in February at the Wilmington Friends Meeting.
The Wilmington AM Rotary Club works tirelessly in organizing and sponsoring the Cardboard City event held annually in September. AM Rotary also sponsored CANstruction in April of 2019 to generate food items for the shelter food pantry.
The staff and board members of the Shelter, with help from many others, hold a soup fundraiser each year in the spring and fall.
The Shelter continued collaboration with the Cincinnati Food Bank in conjunction with the Feed America Program and donations from Walmart and Aldi in 2019. Volunteers organize efforts to pick-up the donated food and distribute it to the Shelter as well as other local organizations that help feed those in need.
In 2019, 412 Clinton County households benefited from the Shelter food pantry with assistance from the Feed America Program and donations from individuals, churches, families and businesses.
Three days a week, volunteers deliver food donated from the Feed America Program to Churches in surrounding villages in Clinton County.
The Shelter’s nine volunteer board members meet monthly to oversee operations of the Shelter and volunteer numerous hours each year. The Shelter employs four full-time and three part-time staff members covering shifts 24 hours seven days a week.
In addition, previous and current residents of the Shelter “pay it forward” by sharing their time and talents to volunteer at fundraising events, to help maintain Shelter property, and to lend a hand wherever needed.
A porch replacement/expansion project was recently completed at the Matrka Family House where families with children and single women reside. The project included replacing a wood deck with an expanded cement porch. Additionally, a new back door replacement was completed.
Clinton County is a wonderful place to live and work. The Shelter board and staff thank each of you for your continued support in 2020 and beyond!
Please call the shelter’s phone number at 937-382-7058 or [email protected] if you would like more information about the shelter. We hope you will like us on Facebook at Clinton County Homeless Shelter A Place to Call Home
