WV homeless service organizations receive $97,000 to continue missions
The two organizations offer a variety of resources to assist people experiencing homelessness in the Huntington and Charleston areas.
'These two organizations provide essential services for our community members in need,' Laura Boone, CEO of the Pallottine Foundation of Huntington, said in a news release. 'They collaborate with other providers to ensure those experiencing homelessness receive dignified care and support.'
The Cabell-Huntington Coalition for the Homeless will use its money to support a new director position for the Cabell-Huntington-Wayne Continuum of Care (CoC), which coordinates services and partners with other local agencies that assist those experiencing homelessness.
It also oversees the administration of funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Huntington.
The new position will be fully dedicated to the CoC and will oversee operations, as well as the performance of all HUD-funded projects. The CoC director position and the coalition (Harmony House) executive director have been a dual role for several years, CoC Treasurer Melinda Midkiff, said; however, the combined role was too much for one person.
Some of the money to fund the position comes from HUD. The Pallottine Foundation will supplement the funding, said Sarah Walling, president of Harmony House's board of directors.
The new CoC Director Cindy Toliver was chosen because of her combined skills in grant experience, homeless services experience and management skills, Midkiff said. Toliver will be employed through Harmony House. Midkiff said the ultimate goal is for the CoC to become a 501(c)3 and become its own entity.
Toliver will mainly oversee and implement approximately 15 grants the CoC receives. Last year, it distributed $3.9 million in grant funding to local homeless services. The grant awards will not be given in two-year increments.
Midkiff said having a separate CoC director will improve local homeless services by allowing more time to make sure everyone is compliant with its regulations, and to ensure there are no duplicate services, which she said will serve clients more efficiently and improve relations with members of the CoC.
Walling said being able to financially support a separate CoC director will create a more equal partnership between local services.
'It will be a more equal partnership by not having a lead agency,' Walling said. 'You will have someone who will be responsible for the operations of the CoC who is beholden to any particular agency, but I think where we'll see the greatest improvement in service delivery is really on the day-to-day.'
Bream Neighborhood SHOP in Charleston will use the funding for operational costs, including salary support, utility costs, food for its pantry, and supplies for outreach efforts. The organization partners with a network of providers to offer resources to community members in need. On-site services include showers, laundry facilities and lockers, as well as a food pantry, clothing closet and cold-weather shelter.
Through its partnerships, SHOP also provides legal services, medical care, utility and rental assistance, access to substance use disorder treatment, long-term housing, domestic violence services and family unification assistance.
The Pallottine Foundation of Huntington was established in 2018 following the sale of St. Mary's Medical Center to continue the Pallottine Missionary Sisters' legacy of caring for the spiritual, emotional and physical health of the community.
It supports nonprofit organizations in 20 counties across West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio through the funding of projects and initiatives that focus on health and wellness, food insecurity, mental and behavioral health, substance use disorder, capacity building, and tobacco use prevention and cessation.
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