Dana, Author at Reach of Washington County

November 6, 2020 by Dana Leave a Comment

We are officially kicking off our 2020 Matching Funds Campaign and we need YOU to make it a success!

Once again we are incredibly blessed to have generous donors providing up to $25,000 in matching gift funds! We challenge you to take advantage of this opportunity to donate once and make twice the impact between now and December 31, 2020.

Have a PayPal account? Click the link to donate (no fees):
https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/116266

No PayPal Account? No worries! Simply drop a check in the mail payable to Reach of Washington County, 140 W. Franklin Street, Suite 300, Hagerstown, MD 21740.

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Due to generous support of the community in fiscal year 2020 we were able to support 3,500 Washington County residents through our programs: 6,385 shelter bed nights during the cold weather season, case management, crisis services, mail services, eviction prevention, IDs and birth certificates, permanent housing, and financial literacy. Additionally, in fiscal year 2020, our dedicated case managers permanently housed 43 individuals. None of this would be possible if it were not for your support.

As you are aware, 2020 has been a challenging year due to COVID-19. Despite these challenges, our programs continued to assist and support our clients. Due to the pandemic, we are seeing individuals and families with higher-than-normal crisis needs and we are facing a challenging shelter season. We are dedicated to continuing our mission regardless of the challenges, but we need your help! Your support will help us provide critical services from homeless prevention to independence which includes permanent housing. How amazing is it that together we can help our county’s homeless move from the streets to a warm bed with food and job possibilities?

You can help us prevent and resolve homelessness in Washington County today.  Here’s what your tax-deductible donation can provide:
• $1,300 will support 1 week of the Bridge to Change program which will help 6 individuals develop confidence and soft skills for independence by cleaning the City of Hagerstown.
• $1,000 will provide first month’s rent and security deposit toward permanent housing.
• $500 will aid toward eviction prevention.
• $250 will provide utility assistance and financial literacy support.
• $100 will provide a warm bed for a homeless person for two nights.
• $50 will provide a warm bed for a homeless person for one night.
• $25 will provide an ID card or birth certificate.

We want to extend a big “thank you” to these gracious Match grant donors: Anonymous, Hebron Mennonite Church, Hilltop Christian Fellowship, Hagerstown Church of the Nazarene, God’s Grace Fund, and Margaret Louise Harrison In Honor of her children Hillary Smith Wade and Hunter Harrison Wade.
Please know that your gift will help individuals and families find housing security and peace of mind.

February 24, 2020 by Dana Leave a Comment

Reach of Washington County Celebrates Selections as a MARTIN’S Bags 4 My Cause Program Beneficiary

PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 24, 2020

Dana Jenkins, 301-733-2371 x 101, [email protected]

Reach of Washington County Celebrates Selections as MARTIN’S Bags 4 My Cause Program Beneficiary
HAGERSTOWN, MD – Reach of Washington County has been selected as a beneficiary of the MARTIN’s Bags 4 My Cause Program for the month of March.

The Martin’s Bags 4 My Cause Program, which launched in March 2019, is a reusable bag program that facilitates community support with the goal to make a difference in the communities where shoppers live and work.

Reach of Washington County was selected as the March beneficiary of the program by store leadership at the MARTIN’S located at 1650 C Wesel Boulevard, Hagerstown, MD 21740. Reach will receive a $1 donation every time the $2.50 reusable Bags 4 My Cause Bag is purchased at the location during March, unless otherwise directed by the customer through the Giving Tag attached to the bag.

“We are thrilled to be chosen as a beneficiary of MARTIN’S Bags 4 My Cause Program. Every dollar that we receive will go towards the Cold Weather Shelter, our largest program at Reach. Each year, we serve approximately 225 homeless individuals in the shelter by providing a warm bed, showers, meals, and support. These individuals also work with case managers to help them achieve self-sufficiency and independence.”

Reach of Washington County is a non-profit based in Hagerstown, MD. Founded in 1990, Reach has been preventing and resolving homelessness in Washington County. Learn more about Reach by visiting www.reachofwc.org.

For more information on the MARTIN’S Bags 4 My Cause Program, visit martins.bags4mycause.com.

July 31, 2019 by Dana Leave a Comment

PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 30, 2019

Reach of Washington County Launches New Bridge to Change Program

HAGERSTOWN – Reach of Washington County is thrilled to announce that is has launched Bridge to Change, a new program that develops human potential through purposeful work experiences for the homeless. This program helps prepare those who are ready for change to develop confidence and skills to move toward independence. Collaborating with the City of Hagerstown, Reach offers its clients opportunities to work and develop soft skills (confidence, sense of pride, responsibility, and reliability) by cleaning the city of Hagerstown.

“This is truly and exciting time for our clients and our community. We have been working on this project for over a year and it has been a blessing to collaborate with the City and watch this program unfold. We are thankful to have had the opportunity to work directly with Councilwoman Shelley McIntire (who initiated the program) through the process. We are so very proud to be launching a program that focuses on our community and most importantly, our clients.” Dana Jenkins, Executive Director, Reach of Washington County and leader of the Bridge to Change program.

Jenkins stated that Bridge of Change is a pilot program for Reach clients and Cold Weather Shelter residents. Case Managers offer the opportunity to clients based on readiness for change. From there they can enter the program and have strong Case Management support through the program to help them move onto next steps. Case Management is the key to success in this program: Jenkins stated: “When we initially started this program, we knew the most important piece of this program was the individualized support each client would receive. The length of time in the program and the case manager follow-up is tailored to fit the specific needs of each client.”

The program can currently accommodate 4-6 workers per four-hour shift, 2-3 days a week. Hours will expand as the program grows. Eric Deike, Director of Public Works, provided the cleaning supplies to Reach and directs Reach on the areas to clean. Last week, Reach ran two practice runs with Bridge to Change Supervisor, Diana Castle. Castle took out a crew of four that immediately embraced his/her role. Success from those 2 days encouraged Reach to move ahead with the planned launch date of July 30. In those 3 days, the crew covered approximately 6 miles of the city removing about 1500 gallons of trash. Castle has been thrilled with the performance of the crew, she stated: “I am so proud of these workers. They work very hard and take pride in their work.”

When the crew is finished for the day, they come back to Reach to debrief. Jenkins states: “This is the most amazing part. It is difficult to capture in words what the feeling is like in that room. The clients are thrilled to be making a difference in the community. They feel so encouraged when passerby’s and business owners take time to thank them and congratulate them on a job well done.”

Reach invited City Councilwoman, Shelley McIntire to the debrief on July 30, and she was thrilled with the early successes: “My expectations for the success of this program have already been exceeded and we are just getting started! When I spoke with the work team at the debrief, it was clear these individuals felt a true sense of purpose and were incredibly proud of the work they had done. I anticipate great things to come as a result of this program.”

Early success from the program aligns with expectations of the program. There are currently 5 individuals in the program; 4 of which are chronically homeless. In the last week, 3 of the chronically homeless have made significant steps towards independence. “We didn’t expect this so soon, but the support they are receiving and the confidence they are building is making a difference. We can’t wait to see what is in store for them.” – Dana Jenkins

Reach expects to have 50 people participate in the program within a year with the following outcomes: participants entering a job service program or permanent employment, participating in case management services (including Behavioral Health Services, if needed), attaining permanent housing, and participation in Reach’s Financial Literacy program.

Bridge to Change was modeled after a homeless work program in Albuquerque, New Mexico called “There’s a Better Way.” Jenkins spent time over the last 12 months, talking to leaders in cities across the U.S. currently running these programs. Many are run like the NM program and others are quite different. With such a varying degree of programs and so many good ideas Jenkins led collaborative discussions with Councilwoman Shelley McIntire; Jeannie Asbury, Deputy Director of Reach; Jill Zamostny, Director of Housing and Case Management at Reach; and Eric Deike, Director of Public Works City of Hagerstown. Therefore, the team was able to pick and choose from the programs to create Bridge to Change according to the needs and best interests of our community.

“We feel very confident that what we created will be a solid platform to help those that need it as we already collaborate with organizations in the community that specialize in behavioral health services and employment. We are aware that this is a pilot program and we will celebrate the successes and adjust as necessary as we grow the program. Although this program will initially be for Reach’s clients, we plan to branch out and take referrals for homeless adults in the community once we get the program established.” – Dana Jenkins

Bridge to Change is currently funded through the CDBG grant, Wegman’s grant, private donations, and sponsorships. AC&T is the official first sponsor of the program. You can learn more about bridge to change on the website at: http://www.bridgetochangewc.org/ or follow the program on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BridgetoChangeWC

Anyone interested in becoming a program sponsor should contact Dana Jenkins at [email protected].

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Since 1995 Reach of Washington County, a grassroots organization, has worked to prevent and resolve homelessness by serving the homeless and working poor of Washington County. Reach programs range from safety net to self-sufficiency and independence. We provide a seasonal Cold Weather Shelter and year-round Case Management for homeless adults. We also run a Day Resource Center that provides financial assistance to serve those facing crises as well as self-sufficiency programs including Open Table and Financial Literacy classes. You can learn more about Reach programs at: https://reachofwc.org/.

Reach has 1600 volunteers who donate an estimated 15,000 hours of service to the Reach programs annually. During the last shelter season 225 individuals (aged 19-80) slept in the shelter for a total of 6,818 bed nights. 47 of those individuals were placed in permanent housing. Over the last year we assisted 303 families with crisis needs (eviction prevention, first month’s rent, security deposit, emergency utility bills, and imminent needs).

January 23, 2019 by Dana Leave a Comment

PRESS RELEASE

Reach of Washington County Partnering with City of Hagerstown to Provide Job Opportunities to the Homeless

HAGERSTOWN, MD – Reach of Washington County is thrilled to launch Bridge to Change, a new program that develops human potential through purposeful work experiences for the homeless. This program helps prepare those who are ready for change to develop confidence and skills to enter a job services program or permanent employment.

“We are very excited about partnering with the city and supporting our community’s most vulnerable population towards independence” said Dana Jenkins, Reach’s Executive Director.

Jenkins stated that Bridge to Change is a pilot program for Reach Cold Weather Shelter residents and clients. The program will begin in late-spring/early-summer. Case Managers at Reach will select Reach clients based on readiness for change to participate in the program. Reach will work with the Department of Public Works each week to address areas of the city that need to be cleaned up. A supervisor will take a team of 4-6 program participants to work in the areas designated by the City. The team will work in four-hour shifts, three days a week. The team will return to Reach to journal and work with case managers on additional services and support.

Reach expects to have 50 participants in the program within the first year. The anticipated program outcomes include: participants entering a job service program or permanent employment, participating in case management services, attaining permanent housing, and participation in Reach’s Financial Literacy program.

Bridge to Change was modeled after a homeless work program in Albuquerque, New Mexico called “There’s a Better Way.” There’s a Better Way was developed in 2015 with a partnership between a homeless service organization and the City of Albuquerque. At the origin, the City provided $50,000 toward the program to buy a van and pay panhandlers to work. Since the inception of the program There’s a Better Way has experienced the following successes: 1) They engaged 1744 unduplicated workers, totaling 7545 jobs in NM through 8/31/18; 2) 24% sought out employment and 80 individuals secured permanent employment; 3) 23 households were placed into stable housing and; 4) 22% engaged with the Behavioral Health Department for either mental health or substance abuse treatment options. The FY18 budget for the program increased to $375,473. Furthermore, 15 other cities across the U.S. have modeled a program off of the NM’s program.

Jenkins spent time over the last 6 months, talking to leaders in cities across the U.S. currently running similar programs. Many are run like the NM program and others are quite different. With such a varying degree of programs and so many good ideas Jenkins, in conjunction with Councilwoman Shelley McIntire; Jeannie Asbury, Deputy Director of Reach; and Jill Zamostny, Director of Housing and Case Management at Reach, created Bridge to Change according to the needs and best interests of our community.

“We feel very confident that what we created will be a solid platform to help those that need it and we are very eager to get it started. We are aware that this is a pilot program and we will celebrate the successes and adjust as necessary as we grow the program. Although this program will initially be for Reach’s clients, we plan to branch out and take referrals for all homeless adults in the community once we get the program established.”

Jenkins and Councilwoman McIntire have discussed the program with a few community leaders and the support has been overwhelmingly positive. They are preparing to tour across the city talking with many about the program. If you are interested in meeting with them, please contact Dana Jenkins at [email protected].

The program will be funded through grants and gifts from private donors. Reach has already applied to several grants including CDBG funding. Anyone interested in becoming a donor for the program should contact Dana Jenkins at [email protected].

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Since 1995 Reach of Washington County, a grassroots organization, has worked to prevent and resolve homelessness by serving the homeless and working poor of Washington County. Reach programs range from safety net to self-sufficiency. We provide a seasonal Cold Weather Shelter and year-round Case Management for homeless adults. We also run a Day Resource Center that provides financial assistance to serve those facing crises as well as self-sufficiency programs including Open Table and Financial Literacy classes. You can learn more about Reach programs at: http://bit.ly/2PP6vDC.

Reach has 1600 volunteers who donate an estimated 15,000 hours of service to the Reach programs annually. During the last shelter season 213 individuals (aged 18-75) slept in the shelter for a total of 6,664 bed nights. Over the last year we assisted 254 families to avoid eviction and/or get into independent housing, 38 people were provided emergency lodging placements, 57 were assisted with emergency utility bills and many more were provided a variety of imminent needs.