Mary's Shelter

History:mary's Shelter opened in 1995 and is a maternity home, which serves the needs of homeless, pregnant young women. Many of the residents have multiple home life problems with little or no support for the present pregnancy. The vision of Mary's Shelter is to provide temporary housing and primary care where each resident is offered life-changing assistance through quality, comprehensive care in a secure, comfortable, and supportive environment.in response to the growing concern and staggering numbers of homeless and runaway youth in berks county Mary's Shelter joined forces with the berks county intermediate unit, education for children and youth experiencing homelessness (ecyeh) and the berks coalition to end homelessness youth committee to find and initiate solutions. Mary's Shelter received several grants to open the yess (youth empowerment support services) residential program and drop-in-center to address the immediate needs of young people living on the streets. Youth servicesofficially began in february of 2018. The residential program serves young people between the ages of 14 and 17, and the drop-in-center serves young people between the ages of 14 and 22.the board of directors is the governing body of Mary's Shelter. Their primary objectives are to implement program and organizational policies, uphold the mission and philosophy, and provide vision and direction for future growth. The staff of Mary's Shelter manages theday-to-day operations and provides direct care and services to the young women who reside at the facilities. The volunteers actively support current projects including fundraising, client activities, or improving the facilities. Volunteer support is a vital component to the program and services.program services:what makes the program unique is the focus on comprehensive services. Upon entering the program at Mary's Shelter, the case manager, counselor, and resident establish long-term and short-term goals. The primary areas of focus are medical care, life-skills training, personal counseling, education, and future housing. These goals are reviewed and updated with the residents on a regular basis. Goals are written with associated measurable tasks. Residents are given a timetable for completion and evaluation.analysis:the young people who seek housing and supportive services from Mary's Shelter are experiencing multiple personal life problems and obstacles that hinder their progress toward independence. The case management services focus primarily on assisting the clients with the tasks related to completing goals and objectives with regard to their medical care, education, and housing, thereby addressing the issues of homelessness, low pay, and low achievement. The counseling services focus on assisting the clients with internal obstacles to success suchas low self-esteem, low expectations, anxiety, depression, and management of mental health disorders. "2023 achievements:our maternity home programs housed 5 women ages 16 to 18, their newborns and three toddlers enrolled 17 expectant women in our homeless prevention program, which assist with maintaining safe and stable housing while preparing for childbirth pantry services provided to 515 expectant women with over 4,450 visits for material needs, counseling, and supportive services diaper bank services provided to 883 families with more than 3,105 children ages 1 to 3 assisted 7 single dads with baby supplies, counseling, and referrals assisted 9 grandparents raising their grandchildren with diapers, emotional support, and referralsour youth programs yess - youth ages 14 to 17 housed for 21-days 46 individual youth representing over 1,449 sheltered nights 61% family reunification with ongoing support from Mary's Shelter 145 drop-in and call-in youth needing intensive case managementstrong - youth ages 16 to 21 housed for 18 months. 22 individual youth representing over 10,150 sheltered nightsprogram successes: 5 high school graduations, 9 advanced a grade level 8 with high school diplomas engaged in career training and employment programs 100% received trauma-informed care and advocacy services 79% increased school attendance 93% received medical, eye and dental care 62% received mental health counseling