Volunteers from 20 groups, including local churches and other religious/community organizations, purchase, prepare and serve hot meals, as well as "carry out" sack lunches provided on Sunday afternoons. Of those who use this program regularly, approximately 32% are homeless, 68% are extremely at risk of being homeless, 25% are children, and 11% are veterans.

Total Served:

704 Homeless

1774 non-homless

222 veterans (129 homeless)

78 persons over 60

506 children (50 homeless)

31,673 individal meals served

Advent House Owns three homes, two of which can house one family each for 9-18 months. Our third home is currently being rented out to the Lansing chapter of the National Council on Alcoholism for use as a Sober Center.

The Shelter Home program provides transitional housing to homeless families, the next step after emergency shelter for those ready to seek permanent housing. Families commit to long-term (6-18 months) programming to identify, address and solve the problems that led to their homelessness.

Total Served:

5 families, including 7 adults and 15 children

The Good Work! Employment Program offers employment readiness training and job placement assistance for homeless adults (funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development).

The segment of the program funded through Food Assistance Employment & Training funding assists low-income marginally housed adults between 18 and 49 who are not disabled and do not have dependents living with them. This program works with participants to develop the "pre-pre-employment" skills necessary to overcome obstacles and obtain stable jobs.

Since the inception of the Advent House Good Work! Employment Program, we have taken the Program to the people in need. Therefore, our staff is located on-site at Volunteers of America and the Lansing City Rescue Mission, as well as offering sessions at Loaves & Fishes Ministry, EVE's Place (assisting victims of domestic assault), and Holden House and Glass House (inpatient programs of the National Council on Alcoholism). We also have a staff person at the Capital Area Michigan Works Service Center to assist needy adults in overcoming barriers to the full use of employment services available in the Lansing area.

Total Served: 185 homeless adults entered the program

- 99 persons participated in life skills/job search

- 110 persons developed an employability plan

- 60 persons found jobs and received follow-up services

Staff and volunteers, focused on the special needs of children and their families, provide recreation and learning activities on weekends to 20-25 families (60-80 children) annually.

The need for this program has increased as participants have struggled with low-paying jobs and unstable living situations.

By providing the basic necessities of safe shelter and nnutritious food, leaning activities and advocacy, this program is a bridge to weekday services for the needy.

NEW PROGRAM STARTED IN DECEMBER 2006

In the fall of 2006, Advent House Ministries was awarded $500,000 by MSHDA to provide Tenant Based Rental Assistance to chronically homeless adults. Considering the limited amount of this funding, we have determined that we can serve 25-27 persons with consistent monthly rental assistance for a period of three years.

After advertising, as prescribed by funding regulations, in the form of flyers distributed at area shelters and other locations frequented by chronically homeless adults, we opened the application process for one day only on Wednesday, November 1, 2006. We worked in close partnership with other area shelters and service providers, (Volunteers of America, Capital Area Community Services, National Council on Alcoholism, JIMHO, and City Rescue Mission, to ensure that all eligible adults had access to the application process.

Out of 129 applicants:

86 were verified as chronically homeless

25 were drawn by lottery to receive the TBRA vouchers

Note: all other names were drawn to create the waiting list.