AmeriCorps Helps the Homeless

Hi! My name is Amanda Johnson and I am a second year Michigan’s Campaign to End Homelessness AmeriCorps member. The main goal of the Michigan’s Campaign to End Homelessness AmeriCorps program is to help communities become more dynamic partners in the Campaign by increasing capacity through AmeriCorps members serving in shelters, housing resource centers, and other service providers. We are placed throughout the state and work with a variety of programs and agencies.

AmeriCorps members do outreach and resource networking where we identify people in need of services and link them to those services. An example of this is if an individual might be eligible for the Homeless Assistance Recovery Program (HARP). We would refer the individual to the lead agency of this program and might assist with filling out the paperwork. AmeriCorps members also provide housing assistance where we help in finding safe and affordable housing. This might be through the creation of a housing list or we might actively search for affordable housing available at that time. Members also provide follow up support and are involved with volunteer generation.

For my year of service, I am placed at Midland Area Homes in Midland County. Midland Area Homes is a private nonprofit corporation that helps low-income Midland County residents maintain and improve housing conditions for safe and independent living. Midland Area Homes is the lead agency for HARP and Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Rehousing (HPRP) for Midland County as well as the Central Community Housing Intake for Midland. I serve primarily with the HPRP program where I provide assistance locating affordable housing, providing household furnishings, and offering follow up support to those in the HPRP program. I also link these individuals with other resources that are needed which can include referring them to a local food pantry, assisting with completing a State Emergency Relief (SER) application, and completing a HARP application when appropriate.

This year I was also able to be a part of the planning of Project Homeless Connect in Midland County. This is an event that happens once a year where a variety of agencies that work with those in need of housing assistance get together and provide those services to individuals in need. We had agencies that provided weatherization, utility assistance, rent assistance, legal advice, and more all in one building. There was also a give-a-way room where coats, hats, laundry detergent, and boxes of food were given to those that came to the event. This year Midland County Project Homeless Connect saw an increase of 49 percent in households from the previous year and an increase of 42 percent in people that attended.

If you would like to hear more about all the amazing things Michigan’s Campaign to End Homelessness AmeriCorps members are doing, please visit our blog at http://americorpscteh.blogspot.com/.