Mission Emergency Family Shelter
Our family shelter offers a safe, nurturing environment for families in crisis with the goal of providing the stabilization necessary to break the cycle of poverty they experience. Each year over 100 women and children call the shelter home in this 30 bed facility/8 crib facility. In addition to providing shelter, the program provides three daily meals, case management, substance abuse counseling, mental health services, recreational activities and is staffed 24/7 in order to provide safety and security to our clients.
Mission Transitional Housing
Our Transitional Housing facility, part of our continuum of care for homeless families, contains 15 one and two bedroom apartment units and is located at 513-515 Avon Avenue, Newark. An incentive to progress, this program affords the client their own apartment and some freedom regarding meal times, recreational activities and privacy. While transitioning out of the shelter experience and before they are independent, our transitional housing environment allows clients to receive After Care services and support in an environment that closely resembles permanent housing.
Mission Food Pantry / Feed the Solution
The Apostles’ House Food Pantry is a major resource, which prevents or limits severe hunger in Newark. One of the largest food pantries in Essex County, we served over 8,500 people in 2007 and are one of only a handful open five days per week. The people we serve represent the many different faces of hunger from working families, to seniors raising grandchildren to single individuals many of whom are veterans. In addition, our “Ryan White” program provides food specifically to HIV/AIDS clients who are infected and affected by this disease. While feeding the hungry is critical, we also understand the need for lasting changes. The “Feed the Solution” program component of our pantry educates and advocates for changes that would positively impact food insecurity. Through seminars, advocacy workshops, educational materials for all ages and ongoing contact, supporters are educated on needs beyond emergency and charitable services. While our Food Pantry is often the first stop in our continuum of care, Feed the Solution is our last stop, addressing the struggle of all low-income wage earners.
Mission Multigenerational Home
The Multigenerational Program is a transitional home for adolescent girls and their babies located at 28-30 Grant Street, Newark that houses six teenage mothers and their babies. The young mothers range in age from 15 years to 18 years old. The purpose of the program is to support teen mother and child. In addition to completing their education, mothers receive training in basic life and parenting skills that allow them to prepare for independent living. In many cases acceptance into this program results in unification of mother and child who may have been placed in separate foster homes.
Mission Family Preservation
The Apostles' House has been providing “companionship” services to families for the past 20 years. Originally called the Parent Aide Program, in 1993 the name was changed to reflect the philosophy of the program to the Family Preservation Program. Families identified by the Department of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) as being in danger of foster home placement as a result of abuse or neglect, are referred to us to provide support for these families with the goal of stabilizing and preserving the family structure in place. Many of our clients are overwhelmed by their conditions and need direction, information and referrals, face to face counseling, mentoring and basic attention to help them resolve their problems. The Family Preservation program provides these necessary services.
Mission After Care
This program is designed to strengthen the continuum of care by offering supportive services for women and children exiting an emergency shelter or transitional housing facility. After Care offers case management services that include job training and placement, advocacy, help with school, doctors, day care, and accessing available services for low-income individuals. In providing these services to families we prevent their return and facilitate their continued growth. We have seen a very good success rate of almost 75% of our After Care families remain in permanent housing. We also conduct random drug testing and 90% have remained drug free for at least one year.
Mission Special Initiative
The Special Initiative has been in place since January, 2006. This program, provided to Emergency Shelter residents (from our agency and others), is designed for those individuals who have the greatest number of barriers to self-sufficiency. They have histories of combined domestic violence, drug abuse homelessness, developmental limitations, and sometimes physical limitations. Because they do not have enough skills, they are often not successful in more traditional Workforce Development job training programs. We provide a holistic continuum of services that will take women in crisis and move them to the point of job readiness and self-sufficiency. The Program Instructor works with residents on raising self-esteem, anger management, parenting, language, reading, and math skills -- basic, but real barriers to this population’s ability to achieve success.
Mission Housing Relocation
Our Housing Relocation Program provides rental security assistance to low income-working families with dependent children.
Mission Rooming House
The rooming house located at 22 Grant St. is comprised of 12 single room occupancy units. The objective of this program is to provide safe, decent, and affordable housing for low-income men-- many of whom have disabilities. Dinner is served daily and services include health management, budgeting as well as advocacy for the men’s medical needs.