Christina Belcher woke up in her teal Hyundai Elantra after a restless night in the Albertson’s parking lot. The stay-at-home mom of two boys, a 9-year-old...
Her boys browsed the shelves of Inn Style Resale Store for books and games. At the checkout a poster plastered to the wall read, “The Samaritan Inn.”“It’s our homeless program down the street. Everything that sells here goes toward the program,” she told her.last available family room the next morning. She’d spend the next four months finding a job, taking career classes and saving enough money to support her family on her own.
All kinds of people go to the Inn for help — some are experiencing generational homelessness while others find themselves in their cars, hotels or on the street after losing a job or being unable to pay rent. While there is no time limit on the program, the average stay is 5½ months, but some stay for up to 18 months, Maynard said.
Three meals prepared by two full-time chefs are served each day with donated food from area grocery stores. About 60 lunches are also prepared each day for kids to take to school and parents to work.Rooted in dignityEveryone has a badge, so you can’t really tell the difference between those who work there and those who live there, Maynard said. This helps foster a feeling of community.
While physical space is an issue, Maynard said it always goes back to the funding: If the program had more money, it would build more residences on site.The program has an annual budget of $5.3 million. Individual contributions make up 61%, program income makes up 14%, special events make up 12% and grants make up 13%. However, grants include city funding, which has dwindled in recent years.
During Christina’s stay, she learned how to type, how to write a resume, got better at reading comprehension and learned about the basics of business. She got good at asking for help and building a support system.
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