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Welcome to Stepping Stones Shelter!
Stepping
Stones Shelter is healing homelessness step by step by providing
the opportunity for homeless men, women and children to regain
their independence. By offering food and shelter in an atmosphere
of dignity and respect, Stepping Stones Provides
Hope for the Future, Strengthens
Family Values and Enables
Self-sufficiency. By focusing on these three broad areas,
Stepping Stones attempts to heal the underlying problems that
brought the family to our doors.
We invite
you to learn more about Stepping Stones Shelter by browsing
our web site and reading our newsletter. Continue reading this page, then use the menu
above to read more About
Us, our Shelter
program, Hope Housing,
and how you can Help
us take the next step. Please feel free to Contact
Us for more information about our programs and how you
can help.
Hope for the Future
"Where do I start?" This is the question most asked
by the parents at the shelter. They are often so overwhelmed
by the long road ahead, that they feel immobilized; not knowing
which action to take first, they often take none and become
stuck; once they are stuck, they begin to lose hope. As the
name implies, Stepping Stones is a place where families can
get their start and take their first steps towards independence.
We instill hope in families by telling them about others who
have made it; by supporting them; by holding their hands;
by complimenting them on a job well done; and by telling them
every day that they are competent and capable of making a
better life for their children! We show the father who grew
up without the support of a family that he can provide for
and become a true role model for his family. We show the teen
mother that with an education she is still capable of a bright
future. We show the mother of three who grew up dependent
on the Welfare System that there is a better way of life.
Strengthening Family Values
Stepping Stones Shelter attempts to strengthen family values,
by focusing on the family unit, promoting effective parenting,
providing family focused activities, and through positive
reinforcement. Strengthening family values is inherent in
all that we do, from our family style dining to our Parent
Education classes.
Enabling Self-sufficiency
Everything that we do is designed to encourage and make possible
a future of greater self-sufficiency for each family. We have
a case manager who works individually with each family to
design a goal plan specific to their circumstances. This individualized
approach makes it possible to address underlying problems
that are specific to that family. Whether it be poor budgeting,
domestic violence, health issues or something else that led
the family into homelessness, the case manager can work with
the family to address the underlying problem, rather than
just taking a "quick-fix" approach and sending them on their
way. We want to heal homelessness permanently for each family.
A primary way in which we facilitate this is through our on-site
education programs that all families attend. Educational seminars
focus around three broad areas: Financial Issues, Healthy
families, and Job Readiness.
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