Newsroom

The Dover Interfaith Mission for Housing aspires to be the leader in homeless services in Kent County. During 2016, shelter was provided to 312 men, with a record 70% achieving employment and stable housing. Currently, Dover Interfaith houses 36 men in its shelter and 42 in supportive housing in four sites within Dover. 400 to 500 unique individuals utilize the daytime Resource Center annually. This Center was developed with support from the Rotary Foundation as well as local Rotary Clubs. These results are accomplished with just four full-time staff plus part-time evening and night supervisors. Despite the small staff and efficient operation, funding is in peril and support is needed to sustain the organization.

For more details, see the website at http://doverinterfaith.org or the Facebook page at Dover Interfaith Mission.

Dover Interfaith Mission for Housing 

PO Box 1148, Dover DE 19903         684 Forest Street, Dover DE 19904                              302-736-3600

2016 Annual Report

 

I have never been shown such kindness.

This is among the remarks made by our shelter guests over the holiday season in response to the gifts and festivities provided. Our thanks go to all who make such statements possible here, through your provision of meals, contributions, and assistance.

During 2016, the Dover Interfaith Mission for Housing (DIMH) provided shelter, meals, and assistance to 312 homeless men—more than ever before. The high number assisted was due, in part, to the more rapid rate of success achieved by those coming into the shelter: a record 70% of shelter residents secured employment, and our average shelter stay declined to just 53 days. Factors in this success include our dedicated and effective staff, an improving local employment picture, and an increase in the acceptance by employers and landlords of those who have experienced challenges and even incarceration in their past.

Surprisingly, the most successful group within the shelter are those who come from prison: of the 254 ex-offenders housed in 2016, 196 or 77% were working by the end of the year. We find that these men recognize that they have done something wrong in the past and are motivated not to repeat their mistakes. Most are accepting of the guidance and assistance available to them.

Walt Bagley Hall continues to operate as a source of affordable transitional housing for up to 30 men, along with 12 additional beds in three different houses scattered around Dover. Some of the Walt Bagley Hall residents have already been able to move on to housing in the private market.

DIMH collaborated with a network of local organizations, faith communities, and businesses this year with the objective of providing the unsheltered homeless at least one hot meal each day. In part, this complements the meal service provided by the Salvation Army. Becky Martin of Code Purple prepares a monthly calendar for electronic distribution. Pastor Jeff Dyer of Deepwater Church collects food donations from Wawa which result in lunches at DIMH two days a week and on Sunday at the Dover Public Library. DIMH personnel collect food donations weekly from eight local restaurants. This food is repackaged and shared with those in need. In total, DIMH was able to provide an estimated 2,500 meals this past year in addition to those served without our shelter and housing.

In addition, several church groups have assembled “brown bags” with nonperishable food items. These are distributed to those who come to DIMH for meals, making it possible for those most in need to consume one hot meal here in the shelter dining hall and to take a second meal “to go.” This is a wonderful ministry for youth groups. Bags can be dropped at DIMH any time; and we commit to making them available to those who still live on the street.

Success Stories (names have been changed to protect individual privacy.)

Over the years, we lose track of many of the men who have come through DIMH. One exception is “JD,” who continues to operate a successful automobile repair business. Among the work he does is rebuild cars acquired at auction. In a few cases, he has been able to provide an affordable vehicle to someone moving on from the shelter. He also keeps the small number of well-used DIMH vehicles roadworthy. His work includes repairing heavy equipment and maintaining equipment for snow plows, which will provide additional short-term, temporary work for shelter residents.

Ed had IT skills when he arrived in the shelter. Family problems led to his homelessness, as he was out of work and no one was able to take him in. Ed pursued on-line applications diligently and found interest at Vanguard Securities near Philadelphia. After five interviews that required bus travel along with an extensive background check, he was successful in obtaining a position as an IT Specialist with a starting salary of $70,000.

Mark was among those who were successful in Amazon’s search for holiday-season employees. He had to travel to Middletown DE by bus to begin his shift at 6:00PM. Working until 4:30AM meant problems getting back to Dover on Sunday, when no bus service was available. Initially, Herb Konowitz picked him up, with others taking over as the weeks went by. His $13.75 starting wage eventually increased to $16 as he became a supervisor. This job required him to walk up to 27 miles during his ten-hour shift; but he built up his strength and did what was required of him. Mark grew up an orphan and has struggled with PTSD; but local mental health resources and the supportive environment of the shelter is making it possible for him to move on with his life. He plans to move to Walt Bagley Hall soon.

Nick’s criminal record seemed like a formidable obstacle to his employment and success; but he persevered, beginning with volunteering with DIMH personnel at the downtown farmers’ market last summer. After many attempts, he was hired as a dishwasher at Dover Downs. His work ethic and skills led to rapid promotion to the position of Chef, where he has prepared food in various restaurants there.

Young Sam got into trouble early in his life and also went to prison. He came out without a supportive family to turn to, and those of us at DIMH became his family. He was always willing to volunteer when help was needed and promises to return to volunteer once he moves on. He has had a long road to get back on track and to improve his core academic credentials; but success is on the horizon: Sam is attending classes at DelTech and working in a local restaurant as a busboy, where we are certain that his diligence will pay off in the long run.

The Less-Successful Stories

Something DIMH has experienced this past year to a greater extent than before is what we might bluntly call the “dumping” of very challenging cases into our shelter. At times, it appears that no other agency wants to follow up on an individual, or that he simply “falls through the cracks” of the available assistance programs. One example is William, who had stayed at DIMH a few years back and then moved from one shelter or mental health facility to another, finally ending up back at DIMH. William has no skills, a low level of education, significant mental health issues, and no capacity to secure a job or to hold on to one. DIMH staff worked diligently to try to find a suitable place for William. No one seemed to care about him, and he was often difficult for us to manage with his incessant talking and lack of ability to be of much help around the shelter. Following many months of effort, staff were able to place him in a rare opening in a home operated by NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness.) DIMH obtained the furniture and other items William needed and moved him in, where he appears to be content and stable.

Such cases take a tremendous amount of time and energy. With a small staff and high demand for shelter beds, scarce resources that might be utilized to move ten or fifteen men into productive lives are spent, instead, on such challenging cases; but who else will do it? Our meetings with and memos to senior officials have not resulted in any changes. It is apparent that there is a lack of resources to assist the most vulnerable members of our community.

Resource Center

The daytime resource center continues to be a busy place. We regretted the departure and retirement of Breeta Littlefield, who launched this effort and served as its heart and motivating force for its initial year and a half. Breeta moved to sunny Florida and is missed; but we are grateful for the great team of volunteers who continue to keep it running. Some staffing changes now result in expanded hours under the coordination of Rose Murphy, whose calm and encouraging personality has already proven valuable as a front-desk person and site supervisor. Staff report that between 400 and 500 unique individuals are assisted in the resource center annually. Perhaps this is the best estimate of the number of adults who experience homelessness in our community each year.

Case Management

Charlotte Boone and Corey Clampitt are our case managers, and it is worth describing what they do. Each must maintain a caseload of 35 individuals as a condition of grant funding; so it’s clear that they assist more than those who reside in the DIMH shelter at any given time. Charlotte’s focus is on shelter residents, and her office is in the shelter so that she is most accessible to them. Her efforts have contributed much to the high rate of employment and success among shelter guests this past year. Corey is located mainly in the Resource Center, with some hours in the shelter to reach those available only during the evening and some at Walt Bagley Hall to assist those in transitional housing. Among the most difficult and remarkable cases of his assistance are those who are still homeless and who come to the Resource Center for help. Not everyone is eligible for case management: DIMH insists that these resources be utilized for those who are most motivated and, therefore, likely to achieve success in their quest for employment, housing, and stability. Both Charlotte and Corey continue to take advantage of training opportunities to increase their own skills and capacity to address the challenges of the population we serve. DIMH is proud of them!

Management

We are fortunate to have Lisa Davis as our executive director and job developer, as she oversees all operations on a daily basis. Herb Konowitz (vice chair) and Jeanine Kleimo (chair) continue to be involved on a daily basis, with board member and treasurer Kathy Lessard keeping the books. All worked together to improve financial operations this year and to undergo an audit of 2015. This is available electronically by request to interfaithdover@verizon.net.

 

Our Staff

In addition to those mentioned above, we have additional personnel who work in our shelter and transitional housing:

• Ivey Wilson—a former shelter guest—currently manages Walt Bagley Hall.

• Jason Carboni and Paul Adamson—also former shelter guests—reside in the apartment above the shelter and serve as evening or overnight supervisors in the shelter. Both are available to assist with a wide range of tasks, including picking up donations of food and other items and helping in the kitchen. Jason is pursuing a degree in human services at DelTech.

• Adam Degnan is long-time overnight supervisor in the shelter.

• AnnMarie Rash volunteered in the Resource Center and now serves as part-time office manager. She will begin classes at DelTech in March.

• Nona McNatt continues to be our “Tuesday and Friday” lady at the front desk. Her nursing skills are put to good use taking blood pressure and diabetes tests along with arranging for medical care needed by shelter residents and users of the Resource Center.

Our Funding

Our program budget comes from several sources. During 2016, we operated with the following funds:

• $100,000 from the Office of Community Services, DE Department of Health & Human Services

• $97,900 from the Delaware Criminal Justice Council

• $91,298 from First State Community Action Agency/Community Services Block Grant

• $22,000 from the City of Dover’s Community Development Block Grant

• $15,000 from State of Delaware’s Grant-In-Aid program

• $6,000 from the Delaware State Housing Authority

Total grant funds of $332,198 were supplemented by local donations and in-kind contributions for which we are most grateful.

Funds spent on the shelter alone mean that the average cost of enabling a homeless man to regain a productive life is $905, or a cost of $20 per man for each 24-hour period he is in the shelter. Those in transitional housing pay rent that is designed to cover lease or debt service and other operating costs.

Our Impact

Beyond the numbers noted earlier in this report, it is worth pointing out that those who are employed are no longer homeless, but are contributing members of our economy. They are now earning approximately $3.5 million and are paying taxes on it, more than replenishing the public funds spent to operate the shelter. Their earnings are primarily spent locally, generating additional spending and employment as well.

Our Appreciation

As they say, it takes a village. We are blessed to have the engagement of many faith communities and organizations as we endeavor to feed and shelter the homeless each year. We would not be able to assist so many to achieve so much success without your help. THANK YOU to all who have served a meal, spent hours in the Resource Center, brought in donations, and contributed in so many ways to making it possible for the Dover Interfaith Mission for Housing to have this impact.

Our Board of Directors

Jeanine Kleimo, Chair (Christ Episcopal Church) Herb Konowitz, Vice Chair (Congregation Beth Sholom)

Kathy Lessard, Treasurer (Holy Cross)                     Dot Kashner, Secretary (Trinity Wesleyan Church)

Dr. Jerome Abrams                                                         Rev. Ellis Louden, Mt. Zion AME Church

David Callahan, NCALL                                                   Michael McCann, MBA

Irving Culver, Dover First Baptist Church                                Mohamed Sami Essoulh, Islamic Society of Central DE

Soheil Gharebaghi, Baha’I Faith Community        Jeff Shockley, St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church

Jessie Green, Star Hill AME Church                           Rev. Ellen Witko, People’s Church of Dover

Bishop Nelson Lewis, Mt. Carmel Church

 

In Memoriam

Anthony Hines—a former guest and long-time night supervisor—passed away this year. We also lost Perry Bratcher, who served as Wesley United Methodist Church’s representative on our board, and Rev. Richard Avant, who represented Calvary Baptist and the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance and who was the board’s founding Vice Chair. We mourn the loss of these wonderful men who applied their concerns and talents to help the homeless.

It is our hope that we continue to engage the community to improve the lives of those in need.

At the end of the year, I hope that each of us is able to say I have never been shown such kindness.