MASH Fall News - Mystic Area Shelter and Hospitality

FALL 2015
MASH
SAVE THE DATE
Friday, May 6th
MASH’s
2016 Gala
Dust off your cowboy
boots and don your
denim for this
Western-inspired
evening of fun!
MASH in Washington, D.C.
Every year over 1,500 homeless service providers travel to the
nation’s capital to share their experience and learn about national
best practices at the annual conference of the National Alliance to
End Homelessness (NAEH).
MASH has regularly attended this dynamic event and returned with
enhanced knowledge of data driven methods that are proving
effective in tackling homelessness in other States. This year, MASH
was honored with an invitation to present a workshop on the
positive Southeastern Connecticut experience in reducing family
homelessness though Shelter Diversion. MASH Social Worker,
Marlynn Benker, represented our region and explained how Shelter
Diversion has enabled us to reduce the number of families that
needed to enter the emergency shelter system over the past three
years.
Marlynn was proud to share the MASH experience and was
impressed by advances being made at a national level toward the
goal of ending homelessness. Marlynn connected with many
homeless service providers including Crossroads, the largest
homeless service provider in Rhode Island, who recently visited
MASH to learn more! For more information visit: naeh.org
Non-Profit
Organization
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Permit #7
Mystic, CT 06355
www.mashshelter.org
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Fax: 860-245-0035
www.mashshelter.org
119 High Street, Mystic, CT 06355
Ph:860-245-0035
860-245-0222
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Ending family homelessness, one family at a time
MYSTIC AREA SHELTER & HOSPITALITY, INC.
MASH
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119 High Street, Mystic, CT 06355
www.mashshelter.org
119 High Street, Mystic, CT 06355
Fax: 860-245-0035
Contact Information
Ph: 860-245-0222
Contact
Information
Ph:
860-245-0222
Contact Information
Non-Profit
Organization
Non-Profit
U.S. Postage
Paid
Organization
Permit
#7
U.S. Postage
Paid
Mystic,
CT 06355
Permit #7
Mystic, CT 06355
Melville Charitable
Trust:
Fall 2015
MASH
MASH
MYSTIC AREA SHELTER & HOSPITALITY, INC.
AT
MASH AT WORK
Ending family homelessness, one family at a time
Ending Family
Homelessness
Beyond Shelter
Shelter Diversion: Avoiding
Homelessness
In the last newsletter, we told you about one of our recent shelter clients, a
young single mother whose dream was to become a Certified Nursing
Assistant (CNA). With assistance from MASH, made available through a
Melville Charitable Trust grant, she was able to take the CNA exam. Within
days of passing the exam, she found full-time work at a local assisted living
facility. MASH then helped her and her son move into a two-bedroom
apartment in New London. MASH provided the security deposit and partial
first month’s rent. She had saved enough while in shelter to contribute the
remainder of the first month’s rent.
WOMMM
MRK
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Letter from MASH
Executive Director
Bulletin: Board
Getting the Word Out:
Garlic Festival and MASH
So how is she four months later? Because of her strong work ethic and the
support of her local family, she has maintained stable housing on her own.
She opted to work the 11 pm to 7 am shift, relying on her mother for childcare
through the night. Though a punishing schedule, this shift allows her to spend
more time with her son, who just started full-day Kindergarten.
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Local Largesse
Local Businesses
Supporting MASH
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She tells MASH that because she doesn’t own a car her biggest challenge and
expense continues to be transportation to and from her job. When she
worked the earlier shift, she relied on the public bus. The closest stop still
required her to walk 20 minutes to work. To be on time for her shift, she had
to leave her apartment 1 ½ hours earlier. Commuting by bus added three
hours to her work day.
Because of the hours of her current schedule, she now travels to and from
work by taxi. Though it has cut her time commuting, the taxi is an expense
that eats into her weekly paycheck. CNAs in Connecticut, on average, make
$14 or less an hour. She is someone that would greatly benefit from the
donation of a car in good working condition.
The tenacity of this young mother to achieve a stable and happy life for her
and her son, along with her new dream to become a Registered Nurse (RN),
will be what drives her to navigate the ups and downs of her everyday life.
She is a survivor and someone MASH is very proud to have had the
opportunity to help.
Maintaining
Shelter
Help Spread the News…
Ken and Crew
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By sharing MASH’s newsletter with family, friends and co-workers, you
help MASH reach more people in the community. Before recycling the
newsletter, think about passing it on. Thanks!
FALL 2015
MASH
Ending Family Homelessness
Shelter Diversion:
Avoiding Homelessness
Shelter Diversion is the most effective tool in
combating family homelessness. Since 2012,
New London County homeless providers,
including MASH, have employed Diversion
programs to guide people into housing
solutions other than shelter. In FY2015,
MASH and other providers diverted 80% of
families seeking emergency shelter to
alternative housing solutions. Keeping
families out of shelter makes sense.
Diversion spares parents and children the
trauma of homelessness, costs less than
sheltering and subsequent re-housing, and
frees shelter units for those in true need.
Social Worker Marlynn Benker is MASH’s
compassionate problem-solver. She works
with families to resolve their housing crises.
Diversion strategies include: preserving a
family’s current housing; assistance securing
new housing; reuniting with relatives; or
relocation out-of-state to an established
support network. Marlynn/MASH paves the
way to stabilization by negotiating with
landlords, mediating with relatives and
providing financial assistance, budget
counseling and access to other services.
Shelter Diversion reduces the numbers of
families accessing the area’s shelters.
However, the demand for shelter has not
declined, with about 350 families in our area
presenting each year.
MASH’s shelter
continues to be used by families who have no
other housing alternatives.
Maintaining
Shelter
Letter from MASH
Executive Director
Ken and Crew
Dear Friends,
Your support of MASH helps
struggling parents maintain a safe
and stable home for their children.
With a home, success in school and
life will follow.
With your support, MASH served
71 families facing homelessness in
the past year: 9 families were
served in our emergency shelter
with an average stay of 32 days; 14
families were served in our rapid
re-housing program and 48 families
were served through our shelter
diversion program. In other words,
48 of the families served were
spared the stress and trauma of
entering the homeless shelter
system.
We hope one day to find housing
alternatives for all families seeking
shelter.
No family in our
community should be without a
place to live and no child should
worry about where to sleep at
night.
With your support we
believe this is possible. Thank you
for being a friend of MASH!
Denise Collins
With each client family, MASH seeks to impart
hope. MASH recently received this card from a
grateful family of three who avoided
homelessness last year thanks to MASH’s help.
MASH also paid for their 5 year old son to attend
Denison Pequotsepos Nature Camp this summer.
The kindergartener loved being outdoors and
learning about Earth, Animal and Plant
Superheroes. The family continues to sustain
themselves and has bright plans for their future.
Maintaining our two-family
shelter is a MASH priority.
Whether it’s replacing a broken
kitchen tile, re-treading the
basement stairs or applying a
fresh coat of paint to the
hallway, it’s a punch list that
requires constant attention.
Enter Ken and Crew.
In June, Ken Sigel, a Mystic
resident and MASH supporter,
approached MASH about some
hands-on volunteering. Since
the shelter needed repairs, Ken
surveyed the work to be done,
called a few hammer-wielding
friends and assembled a
handyman corps to keep the
shelter shipshape.
If
you’re
interested
in
volunteering your time or on-call
expertise to Ken and Crew,
contact MASH for his number.
Board of Directors:
Michael Mondello, President
Karen Roman, Vice President
David Cruthers, Secretary
Neil Kluepfel, Treasurer
Rev. Ann M. Aaberg
Jeffrey Anderson
Rev. Dr. G. Kenneth Carpenter
Betsy Moukawsher
James Rosenman
William Smith
Staff:
Denise Collins, Executive Director
Marlynn Benker, Social Worker
Kathryn Keller, Office Manager
Trisha Shah, Intern
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FALL 2015
MASH
Local Largesse
Local Businesses Supporting MASH
MASH is fortunate to have the support of a number of area businesses.
They support our annual giving campaigns, sponsor our fundraising
events, donate auction items and volunteer their time and expertise. This
past fiscal year, a few business owners, in particular, singled MASH out as
the charitable beneficiary of their own events. Their events bestowed
much appreciated donations. But they also highlighted MASH’s mission
and our work in the community.
Every December, for the past few years, Saltwater Farm Vineyard in
Stonington has hosted a holiday party for Vineyard friends. Their
invitation asks that party-goers bring a household item for MASH. The
evening’s generosity fills three cars with bedding, blankets, towels, pots
and pans, flatware, cleaning supplies and more. These donations help
re-house families throughout the year.
Leo Roche, owner of the Harp & Hound in Mystic conceived of the idea
for the first annual BARmuda Triangle Spring Fling with Pizzetta and
Voodoo Grill . MASH was featured in the promotional materials and on
the T-shirt. The event raised $500 for homeless prevention.
The Mystic Boathouse, located on Coogan Boulevard in Mystic, organized
a golf tournament last September. They raised $1,344 for MASH’s family
stabilization programs.
Last year, MASH was a beneficiary of the Downtown Mystic Merchants
Mystic Eats Food Festival and a Downtown Mystic winter coat and blanket
drive. They donated over $700 to MASH and invaluable profile-raising
publicity for MASH as well.
Bulletin: Board
Getting the Word Out:
Garlic Festival and MASH
by Mike Mondello
As President of MASH’s Board of Directors, I’m
always looking for opportunities to increase the
public’s awareness of MASH. Many businesses
and individuals throughout New London County
are strong supporters of our mission. However, I
still encounter folks who live and work in the
area who are unaware of MASH’s positive impact
in the community.
That’s why my wife, Beth, and I decided to
th
sponsor Olde Mistick Village’s 8 Annual Garlic
th
Festival on behalf of MASH on September 19 th
20 . With thousands of people attending this
annual two-day event, the Garlic Festival
presented a unique venue to promote MASH’s
mission to End Family Homelessness, One Family
at a Time.
In step with the culinary theme, MASH’s booth
featured our logo aprons and recipe cards for
roasted garlic “MASH” potatoes. MASH staff,
MASH Board Members Bill Smith, Karen Roman
and David Cruthers, and volunteers Irene KoenigKluepfel, Jeremy Collins, Beth D’Amato of Dime
Bank and Rachel Adams, Jon Reid, Bekah Butler
and Fiona LeMay from the Groton Bible Chapel
helped set up and man the booth.
Recommended Reading
In 2001, Barbara Ehrenreich wrote a New York Time’s bestseller, Nickel
and Dimed. Ehrenreich wrote about her experience trying to live on
wages she earned employed in low-skilled, minimum wage jobs. With
good health, no children and a reliable car, Ehrenreich was more likely to
succeed than the majority of clients who turn to MASH for help. Yet she
couldn’t survive. Her expenses outweighed her income at the end of each
month, with high rents consuming the bulk of her wages.
Fast forward to 2015 and not much has changed. A full-time job at CT’s
minimum wage of $9.15/hour earns a gross salary of just $19,032. Factor
in the absence of deeply affordable housing, the high cost of utilities and
gas, and childcare expenses and the economic reality of low wage earners
is painfully clear. Even a dual income family lives on the edge of
sustainability when more than 30% of income expenditure is rent.
Reading Nickel and Dimed today feels strikingly current. In spite of the
fact that the book was published 14 years ago, Ehrenreich’s experience
living a minimum wage life is no different than the challenges MASH’s
client families face today.
Jon, Bekah and Fiona at the MASH booth
The crowd loved the free recipe cards and was
generous with on-the-spot donations. But it was
one donation that underscored the positive, life
changing impact of MASH support. A woman
paid for her $20 donation with a credit card and
left. But then she came back and said, “I was a
MASH client once. Now I have a good paying job
and own my own home. I feel like I need to give
back.” MASH works.
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