At Nest, we know that addressing homelessness requires a collaborative effort from all corners of our community. Today, we want to highlight one of our most crucial partnerships: our relationship with our local township trustees. This alliance exemplifies how working together can create a stronger safety net for those in need and ultimately benefit our entire community.
The First Line of Support
Our local Township Trustees often serve as the first point of contact for community members facing difficult times. Their unique position allows them to quickly identify and respond to emerging crises, making them an invaluable partner in our mission to combat homelessness. They connect residents within their constituency to emergency services, such as temporary housing, help with utility bills, clothing, and connections to food pantries. Local trustees receive tax dollars specifically earmarked for the health and welfare of township citizens. These funds are used efficiently to support those in crisis and prevent homelessness whenever possible.
When the need exceeds the support that the Trustee can provide in terms of housing, they contact us to connect the individual with us for housing. This is a key relationship in preventing community members from being without shelter.
A Continuum of Care
The beauty of this partnership lies in its ability to provide a continuum of care:
- Crisis Intervention: Township trustees often provide immediate, short-term assistance to individuals and families in emergencies. This can sometimes include funding for 1-2 days of housing, which can be crucial in preventing homelessness.
- Shelter Referrals: When longer-term support is needed, trustees connect clients to Nest or other shelters in our area, ensuring a smooth transition and preventing people from falling through the cracks.
- Ongoing Support: While individuals are staying at Nest, our trustees continue to work with them, offering resources and connections to help rebuild their lives.
- Transition Assistance: As our guests prepare to leave the shelter, trustees can play a vital role in connecting our guests with deeper support through various government departments, facilitating a more stable transition back into the community.
We rely on the compassion and expertise of our local township trustees, particularly when we have shelter guests who are in the process of securing housing. Our local trustees can help us in obtaining housing for shelter guests when they are ready to move out of our care. Additionally, our local trustee has a myriad of support tools that are often key to ensuring that our guests remain housed once they leave our shelter. From access to food support to clothing support or even access to jobs, the work of our town trustees is crucial to many of our guests’ success once they are housed so that they may remain housed.
Community-Wide Benefits
This partnership doesn’t just benefit those facing homelessness—it strengthens our entire community. By working together with our local trustees at Nest, we reduce the strain on emergency services and prevent long-term homelessness, which can have cascading adverse effects on community health and safety. Through cohesive community partnerships, our shelter and local trustees are able to maximize resources and create opportunities for individuals to rebuild their lives.
As we continue to develop and strengthen our partnership with the township trustees, we’re excited about the possibilities for an even more significant impact. We’re always open to exploring new ways to enhance our data sharing, streamline our referral processes, and develop joint outreach programs to reach those in need more effectively.
We’re immensely grateful for the dedication and support of our township trustees. Their commitment to the welfare of our community aligns perfectly with our mission, and together, we’re creating a stronger, more resilient safety net for all our neighbors.
If you’d like to learn more about how you can support this partnership or get involved in our work, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Together, we can build a community where everyone has a place to call home.
