Sojourner Truth House Grant Jacquelyn Scott

Jenna LaReau

Jordana Boton

Sojourner Truth House Sojourner Truth House is a nonprofit organization whose mission is

to provide hope and help for homeless and at-risk women and their children. The ministry is sponsored by the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ. Sojourner Truth House helps connect homeless and at-risk women and their children to area service providers and community partners in Lake County Indiana. Through STH clients receive needed services helping them secure employment and obtain independent living arrangements (Sojourner Truth House).

Sojourner Truth House is a day center whose clients come from two local shelters, Missionaries of Charity and Calumet Township, in Gary, IN.

The shelters only accommodate the clients with dinner in the evening and overnight sleeping arrangements.

During the daytime hours, when the clients must leave the shelters, they are able to utilize Sojourner for various resources including: Breakfast, various group class, and receive pantry items.

Sojourner Truth House, Cont’d

Full noon meal

Laundry services

Cyber lab

Limited transportation

Basic medical screenings

Housing searches

Phone use

Monthly supplies of personal products

Mission Statement

Sojourner Truth House is a ministry of hope and help for homeless and at-risk women and their children sponsored by the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ. Through hospitality, advocacy, integrative services, and collaboration, participants can improve their quality of life and that of the community in a safe, trusting environment (Sojourner Truth House).

Who we serve…..

Women and children who are staying at Missionaries of Charity and Calumet Township shelters.

Women, men, children or families who are in need of food and clothing and live in the Gary community.

Assist men and women with resources for Nipsco, Housing assistance, GED, pantries, phone assistance, Medicaid, food stamps and disability.

Who we serve…..Cont.

The women who come to Sojourner for resources come from all walks of life. Some are:

Living in poverty

Recently unemployed

Long-term unemployed

Victims of domestic violence

Drug Addicts

Mentally ill

Why we serve……

In Indiana, 21,200 people are homeless on any given night.

One of the fastest growing segments of homeless populations is families with children.

Approximately 20-25 % of the adult homeless population suffers from mental illness.

Only 30% of poor people eligible for housing assistance actually receive it because of 3 year long Section 8 (rent supplements) wait lists.

(State Homeless Data)

Why we serve……Cont’d

In Indiana the equivalents of a full-time wage of $11.25 per hour is required to afford a one bedroom apartment.

A full-time wage of $13.70 per hour is needed for a two bedroom.

A full-time wage of $17.56 per hour is needed for a three bedroom apartment.

Median rent in Gary is $600 - $759 per month.

The median full-time wage in Gary is $8.00 per hour.

(State Homeless Data)

Need Statement

“The fastest growing population of homelessness is among young female heads of household, with two to three children”, according to the release of National Coalition for the Homeless. On any given night in Lake County, there are more than six- hundred people who are homeless.

National Coalition for the Homeless. (n.d.). National Coalition for the Homeless. Retrieved December 1, 2011, from http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/who.html

Need Statement II

During the month of August of 2011, Sojourner Truth House provided personal items to over 610 women ; a record breaking number for Sojourner Truth House, thus far. Since the economic recession, Sojourner Truth House has seen a steady increase in the clients served.

Needs Statement III

We are asking the John W. Anderson Foundation for a grant in the amount of $16,000 to provide the women of Sojourner Truth House with 3 months of personal care items. Average cost of personal care packages will be $12.50 per package.

Personal care items for the clients of Sojourner are a constant issue for the at-risk and homeless women. The women are low to no income and this leads to extremely limited amounts of cash to purchase personal items such as feminine hygiene products, leading clients to find other way to pay for these desperately needed items.

Goal

Supply and purchase personal care packages for the pantry.

Personal care packages will consist of 1 deodorant,1 bar soap, 6 tampons or pads, 1 roll of toilet paper,1 body wash, 1 razor, 1 comb, 1 lotion, and 1 mouth wash.

Objectives

1) By June 2012, we will purchase items from the local Costco and package them accordingly.

2) By June 1st, 2012 we will distribute 1,242 personal care packages over a three month period to the women of the Gary community.

Methods Cont.

Objective 1We will purchase the items and bags to store the

personal care packages.Put together the personal packages and store them

in the STH pantry.

Methods

Objective 2Then we will distribute them Tuesday, Wednesday

and Thursday from 9:30am to 11:30am and 12:30pm to 1:30pm

Evaluation In order to track the grant dollars and provide the grant maker,

John W. Anderson Foundation, with data detailing how the grant was used the clients will complete a survey.

A pre-test and a post-test will be given to the clients.

The tests will be in the form of a questionnaire asking the ladies to check the personal care items received for the month.

Personal care items distributed by Sojourner include: Deodorant Soap or body wash Toilet paper Tampons or pads Comb Razors Lotion Mouthwash

Evaluation Cont.• Once the grant is submitted we will begin to distribute the

pre-test to measure which items are received on a monthly basis for 3 months.

• Once the grant is funded and the items are purchased we will administer the post-test which will show the items received on a monthly basis for 3 additional months.

• The pre-test and post-test will serve the purpose of showing the grant maker, John W. Anderson Foundation, that for 3 months after the grant was received that Sojourner was successfully able to provide clients with personal products for 3 months.

Budgeting Personal Care Packages

Target Price

Deodorant $ 3.90

Bar Soap $6.89/(6)pk= $1.14ea

Body Wash $1.97

Toilet Paper$12.49/(18pk)= $.70 a roll

6 Tampons$7.49/(54pk)=$.83 for 6 Tampons

6 Pads $7.49/45 = $.16x6=$1.00

Combs $1.97

Razors $4.50/12 = $.38 each

Lotion $1.50

Mouth Wash (Samples) $.99

Total=$13.50 (Rounding up to the nearest $.05 on each item.)

Average 414 care packages a month = $5,589

Budgeting Personal Care Packages

Wal-Mart Prices

Deodorant $ 3.90

Bar Soap $3.73/(8)=$.46

Body Wash $2.00

Toilet Paper$12.97/(24pk)= $.55 a roll

6 Tampons$5.27/(54pk)=$.58 for 6 Tampons

6 Pads $3.76/48 = $.47x6=$2.82

Combs $2.00

Razors $4.50/12 = $.38 each

Lotion $1.50

Mouth Wash (Samples) $.99

Total=$11.95 (Rounding up to the nearest $.05 on each item.)

Average 414 care packages a month = $4,947.30 month

Client Testimonials• One client said: The people at Sojourner welcomed me, didn’t

judge me and definitely didn’t turn their backs on me. I prayed and prayed for a friend to help me, and God, with his loving grace, gave me a family of friends. My physical needs were met and I felt like a normal person. I had clean clothes and a meal, when many days I knew the pains of hunger and shame. My personal business, medical, and mental health needs were met from a birth certificate to a voter’s registration card. I was on my way.

• Another client wrote: I left my husband after 20 years of abuse. I came to Indiana with only the clothes on my back. I got a job immediately because I have a degree in the medical field. I needed uniforms, shoes, and personal items in order to go to work feeling good about myself. Sojourner purchased my first uniform and work shoes. They supplied me with personal hygiene items to feel confident and proud to be a woman who was able to start a new life after years of turmoil. I will always be grateful to Sojourner. May God continue to bless this agency.

(Names were omitted because of client confidentiality)

Client Testimonials Cont.

A 46 year old African American women was homeless when she came to Sojourner Truth House. She did not have any insurance and did not receive any other kind of benefits. She only received SSI of $647.00 a month. She just signed on her new lease and will be moving into her apartment, is now receiving Medicaid and food stamps, phone assistance and has stable physicians all with the help of the Sojourner Truth House.

Grant Maker

John W. Anderson Foundation

Established in 1967, founded by John W. Anderson, a manufacturing executive and inventor

Giving primarily in Lake and Porter counties in NWI

Giving to primarily organizations serving youth, community funds, care of needy, crippled or orphaned children, aged or helpless; improving on health, and quality of life of all persons; human services

Grant Maker, Cont.

Six copies of the proposal must be submitted.

Application not required; only need cover letter and the proposal.

Contact person is William N. Vinovich, Vice-Chairperson.

The board meets bi-monthly beginning in February of each calendar year.

Deadline for grant submission is the 20th day of Jan, Mar, May, July, Sept, and Nov.

No awards dates were mentioned in, but in 2009 10 grants were awarded to various agencies and businesses.

References

National Coalition for the Homeless. (n.d.). National Coalition for the Homeless. Retrieved December 1, 2011, from http://www.nationalhomeless.org/factsheets/who.html

Sojourner Truth House. (n.d.). Sojourner Truth House. Retrieved December 1, 2011, from http://www.sojournertruthhouse.org/

State Homeless Data. (n.d.). Indiana’s Homeless. Retrieved December 8, 2011, from http://www.destination-home.info/Homelessness/Data/state.htm