WILLIS DADY EMERGENCY SHELTER INC
1247 4TH AVENUE SE, CEDAR RAPIDS, IA 52403 www.willisdady.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: TO PROVIDE SHELTER AND PREVENTION SERVICES TO THE HOMELESS AND NEAR-HOMELESS. WILLIS DADY EMERGENCY SHELTER EMPOWERS CLIENTS TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF HOMELESSNESS AND BECOME SELF-SUFFICIENT.

TO PROVIDE SHELTER, PREVENTION, AND SUPPORTIVE HOUSING SERVICES TO THE HOMELESS AND NEAR-HOMELESS.

EMERGENCY SHELTER WITH CASE MANAGEMENT: IN 2020 WE COMPLETED A SIGNIFICANT SHELTER EXPANSION AND RENOVATION. THIS CHANGED OUR SHELTER CAPACITY FROM 32 TO 64, EFFECTIVE MID-AUGUST 2019. IN 2020 WE SERVED 284 HOUSEHOLDS, A TOTAL OF 418 INDIVIDUALS, WITH EMERGENCY SHELTER SERVICES. THIS INCLUDES 53 VETERANS AND 43 FAMILIES. IN 2020 58% OF OUR SHELTER CLIENTS EXITED TO HOUSING. WE PROVIDE SHELTER AND CASE MANAGEMENT FOR SHORT AND LONGER-TERM STAYS FOR VETERANS THROUGH A GRANT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. IN SERVICE-INTENSIVE TRANSITIONAL HOUSING, THE VETERAN CAN STAY FOR UP TO 2 YEARS. PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES AND CARE COORDINATION. PARTICIPANTS IN THE BRIDGE HOUSING PROGRAM CAN STAY IN SHELTER UP TO 6 MONTHS. THESE PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE CARE COORDINATION WITH THE VA AND NON-VA VETERAN SERVICE PROVIDERS, WITH A GOAL OF LEAVING FOR HOUSING AND INCREASING INCOME. IN 2020 OVER 70% OF THE VETERANS IN THIS PROGRAM HAD POSITIVE EXITS. THE OVERFLOW IS THE WORK OF MORE THAN 15 ORGANIZATIONS WHO GUIDE THE POLICIES AND MANAGEMENT OF THIS WINTER EMERGENCY SHELTER. WILLIS DADY PROVIDES STAFFING AND AS IS THE FISCAL AGENT. THIS SHELTER IS LOW-BARRIER, ACCEPTING ANYONE WHO WOULD OTHERWISE SLEEP OUTSIDE. OVERFLOW OPERATES DURING THE COLDER MONTHS OF THE YEAR, FROM NOVEMBER THROUGH MARCH.

SUPPORTIVE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM: IN 2020 WE EXPANDED OUR EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE MORE OF OUR CLIENTS WITH DIRECT HOURLY EMPLOYMENT. WE FILL 6 - 12 FULL TIME POSITIONS AT FRONTIER CO-OP EACH DAY ACROSS THREE SHIFTS, AND AS OF JULY 2019 WE BEGAN PROVIDING TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM FRONTIER. IN 2020 WE EMPLOYED OVER 70 OF OUR CLIENTS AT A RATE OF $12.50/HOUR AT FRONTIER. IN THE SUMMER OF 2019 WE BEGAN TWO OTHER EMPLOYMENT PROJECTS, ONE OF WHICH HIRED RECENTLY HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS TO PROVIDE REFERRALS AND SERVICES IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, EMPLOYING FIVE OF OUR CLIENTS PART-TIME. THE SECOND PILOT EMPLOYED FOUR CLIENTS TO PERFORM YARD WORK FOR A HOME OWNERS ASSOCIATION IN CEDAR RAPIDS.

HOMELESS PREVENTION AND STREET OUTREACH: OUR HOMELESS PREVENTION ADVOCATES PROVIDE CASE MANAGEMENT AND REFERRALS FOR HOUSEHOLDS AT IMMEDIATE RISK OF LOSING HOUSING. SUCH HOUSEHOLDS MAY FACE EVICTION, LIVE DOUBLED UP WITH RELATIVES OR FRIENDS, LIVE IN A HOTEL, OR LIVE OUTSIDE. THE PREVENTION ADVOCATES TRAVEL THROUGHOUT LINN COUNTY TO HELP HOUSEHOLDS ACCESS SERVICES SUCH AS HOUSING, ENERGY ASSISTANCE, CHILDCARE, AND HEALTHCARE. IN 2020, WE SERVED 236 PEOPLE WHO WERE LIVING ON THE STREETS OR IN VEHICLES, CONSISTING OF 132 SINGLE ADULTS AND 30 FAMILIES (WITH 63 CHILDREN). THE PREVENTION PROGRAM SERVED OVER 700 INDIVIDUALS WITH FEWER THAN 2% ENTERING HOMELESSNESS.

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