On the Rise

Each year, On the Rise's programs provide tangible aid and long-term, broad-based support to approximately 500 women and trans/nonbinary individuals, as they experience and recover from homelessness.safe haven: about two-thirds of On the Rise's participants are experiencing homelessness. Through comprehensive daytime direct services, the safe haven program engages and assists these participants providing emotional, practical, and professional support that helps them achieve and sustain extraordinary accomplishments-from improving health, to getting jobs, to finding housing. the goals of the safe haven program are to:goal 1: provide a safe space six days a week where participants can find practical necessities and a supportive community to begin to explore the steps they need to take to move out of homelessness and increase their quality of life.goal 2: provide advice, assistance, accompaniment, and advocacy for individuals addressing housing, abuse, trauma, physical/mental health, legal concerns, and other urgent needs and issues.goal 3: ease access to and transition into specialized and single-issue programs and eventually out of homelessness.on the Rise relies On a collaborative network with approximately fifty other human service providers. This network helps facilitate an individual's access and success in programs such as domestic and sexual violence services, detoxification programs, emergency and transitional shelters and housing, legal and healthcare services, and more. On the Rise does not duplicate other services but fills in the cracks to make the whole system work better for those who need it the most. Many of On the Rise's community members cope with complex physical and mental health conditions. Program participants' struggles are often complicated by the fact that they cannot set a daily routine, have no sense of place in a family or in a community, and have little control over when and what they eat, where they can sleep, and other basic survival needs. Wellness activities improve wellbeing by providing positive care to minds and bodies in the safe haven, as well as facilitating access to emergency, primary, and preventative healthcare through referrals, support, accompaniment, and advocacy at community health centers, hospitals, and other services. These and other strengths-based group and individual activities are key components of On the Rise's success.

the community outreach and education program: integral to On the Rise's mission is its responsibility to raise awareness and facilitate public discourse about the issues that affect the individuals who participate in On the Rise's programs. Through the community outreach and education program, On the Rise informs the broader community about the interplay of homelessness, trauma, mental illness, addiction, and domestic violence. On the Rise works to educate and end all forms of oppression that affect program participants, especially racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia. the community outreach and education program helps individuals and groups participate in creating a safe, supportive space for women and trans/nonbinary individuals, as they experience and recover from homelessness, heal, and strengthen their connections with community and mainstream resources.

Keep the keys: with the help of On the Rise and other service providers, over time many participants have succeeded in securing housing. In housing, they continue to address the long-term challenges that existed during homelessness - addiction, mental and physical health issues, domestic and sexual violence, financial struggles, unemployment, legal issues, etc. They also face the challenges and responsibilities associated with independent living, and new opportunities for wellbeing that were not available in homelessness. Each year, about one-third of participants are in housing.participants in the keep the keys program maintain their connections with On the Rise staff and the safe haven community and receive a range of services designed to support housing retention and help them build the neighborhood connections and independent living skills they need to sustain and continue to improve their quality of life. Services include home visits, goal setting, support with life skills, and weekly support groups. Keep the keys participants are also welcome to visit the safe haven during certain hours and participate in On the Rise's social and wellness activities.