Yes, it’s August — but since Homeward Bound’s fiscal year is July 1 – June 30, we’ve recently ‘done’ our yearly numbers.
Check these out, and see what your support has helped us do in just 12 months! Remember, behind every number
is an individual whose story is a part of your Asheville/Buncombe community.

From July 1, 2009 – June 30, 2010…

Homeward Bound assisted 3,230 homeless individuals to meet basic needs and gain access to supportive services and housing.
• The A HOPE Center provided case management services to 2,603 individuals. Case management services include, but are not limited to, entitlement benefit procurement, mental health and substance abuse counseling, shelter advocacy, housing counseling, first aid care, employment assistance, and prescription assistance.
• The A HOPE Center assisted 415 individuals to obtain entitlement benefits (Food Stamps, Unemployment, Medicaid, Social Security Disability, Vocational Rehabilitation, and Veteran’s Benefits).
• The Room In The Inn Shelter case managed and housed 95 homeless women in over 30 churches during the year.
• The Pathways to Permanent Housing program provided in–home case management to 115 individuals during the year.

Homeward Bound coordinated 1,860 volunteers to assist Homeward Bound clients.
• Homeward Bound coordinated 1,860 volunteers who donated approximately 17,220 hours helping Homeward Bound clients. The agency conservatively values cost savings of $163,590.

Homeward Bound helped 187 homeless individuals gain access to permanent housing.
• The A HOPE Center provided housing counseling to 1,002 individuals.
• Homeward Bound assisted 144 homeless individuals to move into permanent, non-supportive housing.
• The Pathways to Permanent Housing program assisted 43 individuals to move into permanent, supportive housing.
• The Pathways to Permanent Housing program has maintained an 89% retention rate of homeless individuals moving into permanent housing since the fall of 2006. This rate is above the national average of 85% for similar supportive housing programs.

Homeward Bound spends on average $278.46 per person to provide basic needs, shelter, and housing services for an entire year.
• The A HOPE Center spends on average $100.74 per person to provide for basic needs and supportive services for an entire year.
• The Room In The Inn program spends on average $393.12 per woman to provide overnight shelter and case management for an entire year.
• The Pathways to Permanent Housing program spends on average $2,683.58 per person to pay for all housing related costs including rent, utilities, deposits, and case management for an entire year.

Homeward Bound’s staff works hard, seven days a week, everyday of the year, to serve those who are homeless and tenuously housed in our community.

Here’s just a glimpse of what happened through the work of our A HOPE Day Center in July:

832 different men and women walked through the door – and accessed showers, received mail, made phone calls to potential employers and mental health caseworkers, talked to an A HOPE case manager about applying for permanent, stable housing — to name a few opportunities offered through the Day Center
42 individuals received first aid treatment from a staff person, thereby reducing the impact on Mission Hospital’s emergency room
62 were able to attain assistance with procuring a form of identification to help in job searches, housing applications and establishing a link with community social services
152 obtained clothing items from our bi-weekly clothing closet
106 individuals received Substance Abuse counseling and services from our on-site Substance Abuse Counselor

Of the 832 men and women we saw in July,
165 are under the age of 30
74 are over the age of 55
110 work day labor
14 work full-time jobs; 15 work part-time jobs
91 are veterans of U.S. military service
92 are officially disabled

There’s a name, a story, a life in each of those numbers that make up the 832 men and women who crossed A HOPE’s threshold in July. Several hundred are people we’ve known, and have served before. 127 of them came to us for services for the first time. All of them are searching for something more, for a way through to a life that can be lived without having to look over shoulders and scrounge for a place to sleep safely at night. It is our privilege to welcome them, to hear to their stories, to work with them to imagine a future that holds a more hope-filled life, a future with a place to sleep inside at night, a roof to shelter their families and call their own.

Moving 211 “home”less people into housing may sound simple but the fact is this was no small feat!

The combined staff of Homeward Bound’s AHope and Pathways to Permanent Housing Programs have spent hours identifying people who needed homes, filling out mountains of paperwork, courting landlords, finding appropriate funding, moving furniture and belongings…sounds exhausting, doesn’t it?

But then you drive down to the river and pick up Ray and the two trash bags that contain all of his belongings…you pull up to the door of Steadfast House and Ellen and her friends move her suitcases and Rubbermaid containers into the trunk of your car…Ben, from the Safe Haven, comes down the front steps of AHope with his very carefully packed bags… they’re all moving into their own apartments, some for the first time in decades.

Homeward Bound gets to see the smiles, the tears, and the looks of disbelief as we move these folks into their new homes.  The homes that you, your churches, your businesses make happen with the time and financial support you have given so generously to Homeward Bound.  A safe, decent home is something that each individual deserves.  Homelessness comes to an end, one person at a time, as we celebrate each unique person behind the numbers

You, too, can support Homeward Bound’s mission to end homelessness in our community by sending in your donation to 35 Grove St., Asheville, NC, 28801.  Or come and volunteer your time and energy at the A HOPE Day Center (email heathers@hbofa.org).  We welcome you to this way of bringing hope to those in need!

Go check out the Village Wayside Bar & Grille after 4 p.m., but first check out YuDeal! Each time you have a meal 5% of the cost will be donated to Homeward Bound. If you’re not a regular, now is the time to check it out! See Wayside’s menu on line and then check out http://www.yudeal.com/outlets/8?featured=…39 (the YuDeal) site for your Homeward Bound contribution.

With a mutual commitment to affordable housing in Asheville and Buncombe County, HomeTrust Bank and Homeward Bound have embarked on a partnership to help homeless individuals find and maintain permanent housing.  HomeTrust bank has invested $5,000 in Homeward Bound’s Pathways to Permanent Housing and A HOPE Day Center programs to provide case management services to chronically homeless individuals moving into scattered site apartments in the community.

HomeTrust Bank AVP Manager Christine Dozier presented the check to Brian Alexander, Homeward Bound Executive Director, after the weekly service at Central United Methodist Church’s Haywood Campus on June 30, 2010.

“Housing is the answer to ending homelessness in our community.  Partners, like HomeTrust Bank, understand the need to support in-home case management services,” Alexander said “which for many chronically homeless individuals provides the only means of support that will help them maintain permanent housing long-term.  Without community support, we could not be able to meet the goals laid out in the 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness.”

Homeward Bound provides a comprehensive array of services to homeless persons from street outreach to permanent supportive housing.  Homeward Bound has committed itself to the community’s 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness, focusing all program areas to assist clients in obtaining permanent, affordable housing as quickly as possible.   HomeTrust Bank is a mutually owned bank with an 83-year history of serving families and businesses in Western North Carolina. HomeTrust Bank offers a variety of home loans, consumer loans, checking accounts, Online Banking, and a broad range of investment options to help families build a secure financial future. The Bank also offers a full array of financial products designed especially for businesses.  To learn more, visit  www.hbofa.org and www.hometrustbanking.com.

Thanks to Charlotte Street Computers and the Asheville Community Theatre, Homeward Bound sold 68 tickets to the ACT production, “Noises Off”. This special night of theatre was Thursday, July 15th with the production beginning at 7:30 pm.   Thanks to all who enjoyed a great night of theatre and supported Homeward Bound!