Your Way Home Montgomery County August 2016 Newsletter

Partnering To End Homelessness
in Montgomery County

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OUR IMPACT
NEWS
PEOPLE
UPCOMING EVENTS

NEWS

Your Way Home Annual Summer Point-In-Time Count

On August 17, 2016 the Second Annual Summer Point-In-Time Count was held in Montgomery County from 9:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. Thirty-seven volunteers participated in searching multiple areas around Montgomery County for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The volunteers found twenty-eight unsheltered persons throughout the county. The count is directed by Your Way Home and our goal is to understand how homelessness impacts our community. This information gathered by volunteers is extremely important in terms of generating more resources that are needed to help us end homelessness in Montgomery County.

Thank you to all the volunteers that participated in helping to make this event possible.

Special recognition to our Point-In-Time Action Team members that assisted with coordination prior to the event.

Co-Chairs: Robert Curry and Ryan Fox
Members: Cindy Whitley, Daniel Bossert, Marian Stroup

Your Way Home Operations Manual Training

Your Way Home Core Housing Providers were trained on the Your Way Home Operations Manual on August 2 & 11, 2016 at the Community Partners Center for Health and Human Services in Colmar.

An Executive Overview Session was held on August 22, 2016 at the Human Services Center in Norristown.

A Community Overview Session will be conducted at the Community Update Meeting on September 21, 2016 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Community Partners Center for Health and Human Services in Colmar.

The Your Way Home Community Update Meeting is an opportunity to provide information and guidance to Your Way Home community partners on Montgomery County’s Unified Housing Crisis Response System and the implementation of Your Way Home program activities. The components of Your Way Home that will be shared are Coordinated Entry through the Your Way Home Call Center and Street Outreach Team, Housing Counseling, Rapid Re-Housing, Transitional Housing and Permanent Supportive Housing.

Click here to register to attend this meeting.

OUR IMPACT

Acquired A Place of Her Own

Maxine and Tiffany finalize setting up electrical service for their new apartment!

After losing her apartment in January 2015 due to a work related injury, Maxine moved into her car and sought hotel rooms whenever possible. Maxine turned to Your Way Home for help to provide stable housing for herself and Tiffany, her full-time caregiver. The last two months have been difficult for Maxine due to her current medical conditions and mobility issues as she needed an apartment with first floor entry and handicap accessibility. Her patience and perseverance paid off as the Your Way Home Housing Locator was successful in finding an apartment that fit all her needs. When Maxine signed the lease, she expressed her appreciation to everyone involved in helping her acquire a place of her own.

Your Way Home Partnership

Katie Lundy, SOAR Benefits Specialist worked directly with a Housing Stability Coach to help a consumer (diagnosed with schizophrenia) access his previous mental health provider. Working hand-in-hand with Your Way Home staff was imperative so that wrap-around services could be provided for this consumer as he frequently avoided contact with medical providers. As a result, this consumer received a favorable decision from Social Security Administration within 13 days of submitting the application.

SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR)

SOAR is a national program designed to increase access to the disability income benefit programs administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) for eligible adults who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness and have a mental illness, medical impairment, and/or a co-occurring substance use disorder.

PEOPLE

Your Way Home's New Housing Locator

Leah Shollenberger- Housing Locator at Pottstown Housing Resource Center

Leah Shollenberger graduated with a Bachelor’s of Social Work from Kutztown University in May 2016. She is now working as the Housing Locator at the Pottstown Housing Resource Center, part of Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communities. Leah will be helping individuals who are homeless find safe and affordable housing in Montgomery County. While interning at the Salvation Army of Pottstown, Leah became interested in this population and wanted to pursue a career in this field. “I truly believe helping individuals is one of the ways to make this world a better place.”

UPCOMING EVENTS

Clarity HMIS Training
September 15, 2016 10:30-12:30 p.m.
Human Services Center, Dept of Housing
5th Floor, 1430 DeKalb Street Norristown

Your Way Home
Community Update Meeting
September 21, 2016 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Community Partners Center for Health & Human Services, Walton Room
2506 N Broad Street Colmar
Register here

Your Way Home Montgomery County is a transformational partnership between government, philanthropy, nonprofits and community partners to end homelessness and housing instability for hardworking families and vulnerable residents throughout Montgomery County, which will make our community stronger for everyone.

If you aren’t familiar with us, you can learn more at our website (yourwayhome.org).

To improve the housing stability, economic security and health of all Montgomery County residents.

Our vision is to make the experience of homelessness in Montgomery County rare, brief and non-recurring.

Our goal is to advance a unified housing crisis system that prioritizes services for the most vulnerable members of our community.

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