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Critical Programming Changes
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"It's really stressful being homeless. The Adult Center helped me out a lot. The people I have met here have become like family."
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January 29, 2008
Dear Friends and Supporters,
From all of us at Family & Adult Service Center, we hope that the New Year is off to a good start for you and your loved ones. We had a wonderful holiday season and are hopeful that 2008 will be a year of renewed commitment to the homeless individuals and families in our community.
The New Year is bringing both new and exciting changes and disappointing and somewhat discouraging changes to the people we serve.
The best news is that our Family Program has shifted from a shelter-based to an apartment-based program! Each family that enters our program will be placed into their very own apartment as opposed to the dormitory room. We will continue to provide the same degree of case management, support and services to families in need, but with increased living space and the comforts of a private apartment.
The new Family Program is broken down into two separate phases - Phase One will provide 3-6 months of emergency shelter and case management for homeless families. Phase One will continue to provide low-barrier services for families who are most in need of immediate assistance. Phase Two offers longer-term (one year) housing to families. This will help parents to establish a positive rental history, while continuing to access the support and services of FASC's Family Program.
These changes in the Family Program are consistent with the FASC Strategic Plan adopted by the FASC Board of Directors in 2005. The 2008 budget for this program is roughly equivalent to the 2008 budget projections under the former model as the cost of subsidizing apartment rents and utilities is approximately equivalent to the cost of 24 hour staffing required in the 3rd Avenue site.
Unfortunately, the 2008 outlook for the Adult Day Center program is not as bright. Effective February 3rd the hours of operation at our Adult Day Center Program will be reduced to 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM. The reduction in hours results from budgeting constraints for FASC overall and the lack of government support for this program. The Adult Day Center Program receives no funding from government, instead relying exclusively on the support of individuals and private foundations to meet its $375,000.00 operating budget.
The decision to reduce the hours of the Adult Day Center Program was not an easy one to make. The Board of Directors reviewed the finances of each program of FASC and deduced that it was the only option available to us at this time.
It is our goal to provide a safe and sustainable program of engagement for chronically homeless adults. In order to do so, FASC must employ and retain a skilled and experienced staff with the capacity to understand the complex needs of our clientele. Reducing the hours we operate allows us to continue to deliver quality services to the most vulnerable members of our community.
Regrettably, the reduction in hours at the center does not correlate to a reduction in need for the services offered. The center reports serving an average of 225 clients per day in 2007; a significant increase from 2006 when the center hosted an average of 160 clients per day.
Family & Adult Service Center plans to request support from the City of Seattle in the 2009 budgeting cycle. We invite you to be a part of our advocacy efforts by contacting each of the City Council members and asking them to support day services for the homeless in our community.
In addition, we continue to need your help to meet the basic needs of our clients. It is our goal to provide a healthy lunch and dinner for our clients every day. We rely on volunteers to prepare and serve these meals. We ask that you consider gathering a group of friends to serve a lunch or dinner. For details on serving a meal, please contact Amy Besunder at 206-357-3125.
The doors of each facet of Family and Adult Service Center are kept open because compassionate people like you understand that the services we provide for homeless individuals and families are both critical and humane. We appreciate your personal contribution and we hope that we can count on your continued support.
If you have any questions or concerns, or if you would like additional information about the changes being made, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you again for your generous support.
Sincerely,
Rick Friedhoff
Executive Director
206-357-3102
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| Copyright 2007, Family & Adult Service Center, Inc |
| 77 S Washington St, Seattle, WA 98104-2519 |
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