Homeless Outreach Services in Wyandotte County gets a $2500 grant from Bike for the Brain:
Homeless Outreach services can help Wyandot county's homeless guys like this one walking in the snow across the pedestrian bridge on last years Bike for the Brain route.
In 2011, Bike 4 the Brain generously granted Wyandot Center’s Homeless Outreach Program $2,500.00 in funds that we used to purchase food items in the homeless outreach work that we do here in Wyandotte County. As we cited in our grant application, the simple act of offering food supports harm reduction and helps build trust with the individuals we are outreaching. It also provides needed nutrition for many of the people located on outreach. Part of the service provided via the outreach activities performed by team members is to offer a healthy, nutritious food item to everyone who is outreached.
The $2,500 we received from Bike 4 the Brain helped pay for fruit, sandwiches, dairy products, canned soups and pasta, and vegetables that the team members take on homeless outreach services throughout the year, in addition to other needed supplies like toiletry items, socks, gloves and hats (purchased only when we do not receive donations). We receive some snack donations from various community organizations; however the need for more healthful choices cannot be understated. We also try to keep in the mind the food preparation limitations of the folks we are outreaching, and choose items that are easy to open, do not require refrigeration, and are still healthful. In the fiscal year 2010-2011, 546 individuals were contacted by our homeless outreach services. Of those, 204 were identified as having a severe and persistent mental illness and struggling with homelessness. We could not have achieved this outcome without support from Bike 4 the Brian!
Debating the need for Homeless Outreach Services: Matt Quinn from Harvesters with Richard Tripp from Care of Poor People, Inc. at the 2011 Homelessness Marathon.
In addition, the funds received from Bike 4 the Brain this year helped our program continue to offset outreach supply costs, which allowed us to request additional funding to hire a part-time peer support/homeless outreach position. We believe this portion of our program, which in this manner is indirectly funded by Bike 4 the Brain, matches the funding priority to provide “peer support, role modeling, and other consumer provided services.”
We are grateful to Bike 4 the Brain for the generous assistance you have provided to our organization and by extension to the clients we serve. We continue to believe it aligns with your funding priorities, including “outreach for people not receiving adequate mental health services”, “integration of physical wellness and mental wellness” and “advocacy for permanent supportive housing and other community-based living”.