When a guest enters Nest Community Shelter, we recognize that this is the first step in rebuilding a life. Nest Community Shelter provides so much more than a safe place to rest and grab a warm meal. We work in partnership with our guests to set them up for success. Our mission at Nest Community Shelter is to reconnect our guests to their communities. This may sound simple, but the outcome is profound. Today, we want to share some of the ways we are living our mission in partnership with our guests, positioning them for success.
Essential Support Services:
Throughout our blog, we’ve talked at length about the challenges our unhoused community faces when trying to access support services. Something as basic as a birth certificate or driver’s license might seem insignificant until it is required to obtain support services, such as Medicaid, disability payments, or even to confirm identification for a job. Nest Community Shelter supports guests with these crucial relationships to obtain documents or services.
Nest serves as a bridge between our guests and a range of vital community services. Our experienced team, along with our meaningful relationships with community partners, helps individuals navigate complex systems to access essential resources, including healthcare, mental health services, substance abuse treatment, job training programs, benefits assistance, and other critical support. We recognize that successful outcomes often depend on having the right connections at the right time.
Case Management
Our case management approach ensures that each guest receives personalized attention and support tailored to their unique circumstances and goals. No two guests are the same, nor are the support services they require to rebuild their lives. Our case managers work closely with individuals to develop realistic plans, overcome barriers, and build the skills necessary for successful independent living. This relationship-based approach recognizes that healing and progress happen within the context of trust and genuine care. When our guests recognize that we are just as committed to a successful long-term solution for them, they are empowered by this support.
Community Partnerships
We’ve cultivated strong relationships throughout our community and beyond, recognizing that sustainable change occurs when organizations collaborate. Last year, we highlighted some of our community partnerships on the blog and conducted a deep dive into the benefits these partnerships offer our guests. These partnerships enable us to expand our reach and provide resources that might otherwise be inaccessible or challenging to obtain for our guests. Whether connecting a guest to employment opportunities, educational programs, or specialized services, our community relationships multiply our impact and create pathways to success.
Flight School:
Our Flight School program represents an innovative approach to individualized support. Trained community volunteers work one-on-one with guests, guided by our lead case manager to ensure professional oversight, collaboration, and support. This program demonstrates to our guests that they are valued and supported, while providing community members with meaningful opportunities to make a lasting personal impact.
The Flight School volunteers help guests navigate available support systems, providing personalized guidance that can make the difference between feeling overwhelmed and feeling empowered. The name “Flight School” embodies our belief that with proper support, each guest can take flight into a new, safe, and healthy life.
Continue Soaring Program:
Nest recognizes that for some guests, the journey doesn’t end when housing is secured. Our Continue Soaring program provides ongoing support to former guests who have found permanent housing. This program addresses a critical need in our community by maintaining connections and providing practical assistance during the vulnerable transition period and beyond. This one of the ways Nest is living our mission by ensuring that our guests know and recognize that Nest is part of their community if they choose to remain connected to us as a support network.
Support includes practical life skills training, essential items when needed, continued service connections, and the reassurance that support remains available. Recognizing that healing isn’t always a linear process, this program helps ensure that temporary setbacks don’t hinder long-term progress.
Our Comprehensive Impact
Since 2020, we have helped 443 individuals reconnect to their community and find a housing solution. Each individual represents an achievement that reflects our multifaceted approach, which addresses both immediate needs and long-term stability.
By combining direct service connections, professional case management, community partnerships, personalized care, and extended support, we create an environment where long-term success is available and obtainable for every guest. Each component of our approach reinforces the others, creating a robust support system that meets each guest where they are when they walk through our door and helps them reach their desired destination by reconnecting them to their community.
Our comprehensive model represents our commitment to supporting each guest as a whole person with unique strengths, challenges, and potential. When individuals receive this level of integrated support, they are far better positioned to build and maintain the stable, healthy lives they deserve.
