Advocates for Homeless Famiies, Inc. | 216 Abrecht Place | Frederick, MD 21701 | 301-662-2003 | www.afhf88.org

Advocate CurrentThe AUGUST | SEPTEMBER 2015

Serving Frederick County for 27 Years

Pour House Trivia is hosting the Brain Games trivia event to benefit Advocates for Homeless Families, Sunday, September 13, 2015, 2:00pm-5:00pm, in the Great Hall, at All Saints’ Episcopal Church, 106 W Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701. Check-in registration from 1:15-1:45pm is required.

Please Join Us! Form a team with friends, coworkers, family! Games begin promptly at 2:00pm, with check-in registration between 1:15pm - 1:45pm. Teams must have a minimum of four players and maximum of eight players. There will be four rounds of games; teams will have the opportunity to purchase ONE ANSWER per round for $5.00 each. Single players will be assigned to a team.

Tickets are limited. Tickets are $25.00 per player if registered before September 7, 2015. After September 7, including the day of the event (space permitting), tickets are $30.00 each. Please register before September 7, 2015. You can register using the enclosed registration form or online at www.afhf88.org.

The event will also feature a 50/50 raffle and door prizes available to everyone, and trophies for winning teams! A light lunch and non-alcoholic drinks are free. Wine and beer will be on sale at reasonable prices. Please call Ken Allread at 301.662.2003, ext 2/23, if you have any questions. We hope to see you there!

Parking is available at the W Patrick Street entrance and at the Patrick Street Garage.

Advocates for Homeless Families is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

SAVE THE DATEJoin Us for

BRAIN GAMESTHE

Sunday, September 13, 20152:00pm - 5:00pm

50/50 Raffle!Door Prizes!

Free Popcorn!

Wine, Beer, Food will be Available!

On July 28 and 29 2015, 25 youth volunteers, ages 12 to 17 years, worked at two of Advocates properties housing homeless families in order to beautify and maintain them. They replaced a 200-foot fence around the back yard of one property housing four families and built a paved, 14 foot pathway from the back door of one property to rear parking spaces. Last year’s Summer Serve event was so successful, the youth volunteers asked to come back to Advocates and have the ability to work for two days instead of one.

We have to recognize the efforts of our property manager, Dan Herbert, in organizing and coordinating the volunteer crews as well as our Board members Dan Lajewski, Stewart Smith, Meredith McAdam, as well as Darlene Aulls and husband John. All tasks were accomplished within a four-hour period each of the two days in a thorough fashion. These kids were on it! Thank you, volunteers! And, thanks to the United Way of Frederick County for making this volunteer effort possible.

Congratulations, Kids for a job well done!

OUR THANKS TO

OPS!We thank our community

partner Other People’s

Stuff (OPS) for co-hosting

our June 8 fund-raiser

at The Lodge. Thanks to

proprietors Laurie Zook

and Steve Berryman for

donating vintage jewelry

for the Silent Auction and

working the bar. OPS is

located at 93 Monocacy

Boulevard, Frederick, and

sells deeply discounted

furniture, glassware,

decorative items, rugs,

and other remainders

from estate sales and

downsizing sources. Sales

are held the first Friday,

Saturday, and Sunday of

each month. One dollar is

collected at the door for

Advocates and is matched

by OPS. In return, our

Board of Directors helps

to greet customers and

staff sales.

United Way SUMMER SERVE PROGRAM

Andrea Hillier is a single mother with four children: three boys, ages 11, 8 and 2, and one girl, age 4. Andrea is a domestic violence survivor and became homeless when she fled an abusive relationship. She was accepted into our program in January 2012 upon referral from Heartly House. While Andrea

already had a position as Certified Nursing Assistant, she quickly realized that she would never be able to support herself and her children on her salary. She enrolled immediately at FCC to prepare for an RN degree. Because of prior school debt, Andrea was not eligible for scholarship funding and paid for all of her pre-requisite coursework herself, with Advocates assisting with textbook expenses. An “A” student, Andrea was one of 30 applicants accepted into FCC’s 2014 Registered Nursing degree program. Due to her diligence in paying off old debt and her good grades, Andrea became eligible for scholarship funding in March of 2014. She reduced her work hours so she could go to school full-time, and her only income sources were her part-time earnings and food stamps. Andrea is a very determined woman! In June 2015, she graduated within an RN degree and has just transitioned to Section 8 housing. She is a devoted mother and astute budget manager. Like many of our participants, Andrea has grasped the concept that achieving personal milestones will lead her to financial stability. We are so very proud of her accomplishments and her determination to build a better life for herself and her children.

Mandie and Andrea are role models for the homeless women currently in our program. Out of the 15 women currently housed, 6 are going to school full-time for certification and degrees in nursing, paralegal studies, accounting, medical coding, and hospital administration. Four others are going to FCC part-time in similar coursework while working full-time.

Meet Our Participants...

Advocates is a charter member of the Frederick County Coalition for the Homeless

OUR THANKS TO... The WOMEN’S GIVING CIRCLE OF FREDERICK COUNTY for three generous grants to (1) assist with two case manager salaries; (2) assist homeless women with transportation and childcare expenses; and (3) assist homeless women to plant herb and vegetable gardens.

Thanks also to the ROTARY CLUB OF CARROLL CREEK for a grant to send 9 homeless children to the Boys and Girls Club Summer Activity Program.

And, we can’t forget the youth group from the FREDERICK CHURCH who painted the interior of a whole house this July 2015.

Mandie Otto also is a single mother of two young girls, ages 10 and 6. She became homeless in April 2012, after her then husband was laid off during the recession and their home was foreclosed. The husband abandoned the family shortly before the foreclosure. When Mandie was accepted into our transitional housing program, she had no

money, no work experience, and a debt load of more than $100,000. What she did have, however, was the absolute determination to build a secure life for herself and her two children. Almost immediately, she got a full-time job in a local deli and enrolled part-time in the Human Services progarm at Frederick Community College (FCC). Mandie transitioned into Section 8 housing in April 2014, but has continued her association with Advocates by enrolling in our Families Forward Program, a program for families who live independently but remain at-risk of homelessness.

Mandie now works full-time for in Frederick County’s Department of Parole and Probation as a Drinking Driver Monitor II, a probation officer for DUI offenders. Most recently she was awarded her degree in Human Services, Social Work by FCC and plans to continue her coursework to become a probation officer. She also has paid off all debt and is poised for home ownership with our community partner Interfaith Housing Alliance. Mandie serves on our Board of Directors and provides peer counseling to the women in our program. She is an amazing success!

Mandie in Cap and Gown. Congratulations!

Nurse Andrea recently attained permanent housing for her family. Congratulations!

TRANSITIONAL HOUSING11,088 sheltered bed nights provided54 adults and children housed14 adults in vocational training programs13 adults working full or part-time45 monthly housing inquiries and applications110 families on our waiting list

HOMELESS PREVENTION37 Adults and children served13 Women working full- or part-time6 Women enrolled in vocational certification classes

PERMANENT HOUSING4 Families (4 adults and 8 children) placed in permanent housing3 Families eligible for home ownership through Habitat for Humanity or Interfaith Housing Alliance

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEREDITH MCADAM | President

MELISSA MATESA | Vice-President LINDA CHRISLER | Treasurer

JAN SAMET O'LEARY | SecretaryDARLENE AULLS | Immediate Past President

AMANDA GARCIADAN LAJEWSKIMANDIE OTTO

STEWART L. SMITHJEFF WALKER

ADVISORY COUNCIL ANDREW DIPASQUALE

STAFFKEN ALLREAD | Executive Director

CONNELLY STEWART | Family AdvocateCHARLOTTE STRINE | Family Advocate

ALLISON CALHOUN | AccountantDAN HERBERT | Property Manager

KAREN GEOFFREY | Administrative Assistant

MISSION STATEMENTAdvocates achieves permanent solutions to homelessness by providing access to housing, education, and supportive services to Frederick County families motivated to overcome their circumstances. Families achieve success through a two-year structured program of education, job-training, housing, and intensive case management services. We maintain 15 single-unit, scattered-site properties to house one- and two-parent families with custody of one or more children in our Transitional Housing Program. We also provide limited financial assistance for rent and utilities to families at risk of homelessness in our Families Forward Program.

ollow Us On Facebook!Please take a moment to friend us on Facebook to learn more about the work we accomplish with the families we support, our community partners, and upcoming events. See Advocates for Homeless Families, Frederick, MD from your Facebook page and friend us.

Donations can be dropped off at our office between 9:30am and 4:00pm.

We ask that you call first, so we can make sure a staff member is available to receive the goods.

The homeless and at-risk families in our programs typically have monthly incomes of $800 or less and

are always in need of the following items:

• Liquid laundry detergent• Body Wash• Women’s deodorant• Men’s deodorant• Paper towels• Toilet paper• Dish detergent• All purpose cleaners

WISH LIST ITEMS

STATISTICS JANUARY - JULY 2015