The Comprehensive Emergency Services Center invites you to join us for the Grand Opening Ceremony!
WHEN: Thursday April 2, 11:00AM – 1:00PM
WHERE: 2650 Municipal Way
We are especially pleased to invite you, a long time supporter of The Shelter, to be part of the Grand Opening Ceremony of the Comprehensive Emergency Services Center! This is where we will be locating in April. The new Center will provide us space for expanded programming and services including our brand new case management program for all our clients, a complete medical suite, isolation rooms for anyone with a contagious illness, a hot room for all belongings to eliminate bed bugs, and a full kitchen to offer nutritional meals. Our kitchen is state-of-the-art, and will give our donors like you a place to come prepare the meals at the Center. Our clients will have opportunities to learn skills such as kitchen services that will provide them jobs, and we are partnering with the City to offer daily bus passes to help with transporting Shelter clients to and from work. It will be a truly one of a kind program and we want you to come to the Grand Opening to witness our growth and change.
The Shelter exists because supporters like you have made it possible for us to feed and provide shelter to the homeless in our community for over 27 years, every year, each and every day, Without these critical services, our City would have hundreds of less fortunate people sleeping and trying to survive on the streets. Your donations and contributions have been crucial in the past, and will be even more important as we move to our new location on West Pensacola Street.
Your support makes a difference! In the last 20 months, we have implemented a full professional case management team ably supported by our universities’ social work interns, so that our clients can more effectively and rapidly find stable long-term housing. In the last 20 months, we identified 75 people who had been staying at The Shelter for 5 years or longer. With caring case management, we have moved 53 of them into stable housing. This success is possible only because of our loyal supporters like you, who know we use 93% of our dollars for client services. That is why, year after year, we are continually helped by United Way of the Big Bend. Our 27 years of clean independent financial audits attest to our careful and professional use of your cash gifts and material contributions.
With all of the new services and staffing in place we need your help more than ever. Please consider buying a brick or helping with our other ongoing needs as we continue to expand and improve our services to the community. With your ongoing caring support the Shelter will now even more effectively address homelessness in our community at the new Center.
We look forward to having you come to the Grand Opening Ceremony so you can see what your dollars can accomplish and to hear the words of the state and national dignitaries who will speak. Lunch will be served after the ceremony and the Sauce Boss and Shelter Band will be playing. Thank you and please join us!
Priscilla Tharpe
Chair of The Shelter Board of Directors