People Serving People Inc

WE EXIST TO SEE FAMILIES THRIVE.

EMERGENCY SHELTER:IN 2023, PEOPLE SERVING PEOPLE, INC'S (PSP) WELCOMED AN AVERAGE OF 297 GUESTS PER NIGHT. THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF STAY WAS 98 DAYS AND THE AVERAGE FAMILY SIZE WAS 3.39. PSP SERVED (UNDUPLICATED) 327 INDIVIDUAL FAMILIES TOTALING 108,649 (DUPLICATED TOTAL) SHELTER STAYS. IN 2023, PSP WELCOMED BACK MORE VOLUNTEERS AND HAD 718 VOLUNTEERS WHO DONATED 6,209 HOURS OF TIME. PSP SERVED OVER 170,000 MEALS AND DISTRIBUTED 10,213 DIAPERS PER MONTH. OF THE GUESTS, 62% WERE UNDER THE AGE OF 18, AND 26% WERE UNDER THE AGE OF 6. ADDITIONALLY, 96% OF GUESTS IDENTIFIED AS BLACK, INDIGENOUS, OR PEOPLE OF COLOR. THE AVERAGE AGE OF CHILDREN STAYING AT PSP WAS 7 YEARS OLD. PSP OFFERS GUESTS A RANGE OF WRAP-AROUND SERVICES TO SUPPORT THEM IN THEIR JOURNEY TO STABILITY. GUESTS CAN CHOOSE WHETHER OR NOT TO ACCESS THESE SERVICES, INCLUDING BASIC NEEDS, EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE, TECHNOLOGY ACCESS, FINANCIAL LITERACY, SYSTEMS ADVOCACY, AND CONNECTIONS TO OTHER SUPPORTIVE LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS. PSP AS AN ORGANIZATION AND OUR GUESTS HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY BOTH THE LIFTING OF THE EVICTION MORATORIUM AND INFLATION. PSP HAS BEEN AT MAXIMUM CAPACITY SINCE SUMMER 2022. 2023 SAW PSP'S MEAL SERVICE RETURN TO REUSABLE TRAYS, PLATES, AND CUPS WHILE CONTINUING TO USE DISPOSABLE SILVERWARE TO MINIMIZE THE RISK TO OUR KITCHEN STAFF AND HAVE CONTINUED ADHERING TO STRICT CLEANING REGIMES THROUGHOUT THE SHELTER. TO PROMOTE THE SAFETY OF OUR STAFF, VOLUNTEERS, AND GUESTS, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO OFFER MEALS DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO ROOMS AND, IN THE FALL OF 2022, REOPENED (OPTIONAL) CONGREGATE DINING TO GUESTS IN OUR CAFETERIA.

PSP'S FAMILY HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION PROGRAM WAS LAUNCHED AS A PILOT PROGRAM IN 2021. WITH COMMUNITY SUPPORT, PSP INCREASED THE DIRECT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE TO PARTICIPATING FAMILIES AND EXPANDED THE PROGRAM TO SERVE MORE FAMILIES. THIS PROGRAM AIMS TO PREVENT THE EXPERIENCE OR RE-EXPERIENCE OF HOMELESSNESS THROUGH CONNECTION WITH FAST AND FLEXIBLE RESOURCES AND LIMITED CASE MANAGEMENT, ALLOWING FAMILIES TO STAY STABLY HOUSED. FOR PARTICIPATING FAMILIES, 2023 SAW A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN NEED AND REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE. THESE REQUESTS WERE TYPICALLY FOR SUPPORT WITH SECURITY DEPOSITS, BACK RENT, RENT SUPPORT, CAR REPAIRS/TRANSPORTATION/TIRE REPLACEMENT, AND CELL PHONES TO ASSIST WITH JOB SEARCHES AND CHILDCARE COMMUNICATIONS. IN 2023, 190 FAMILIES COULD RECEIVE SERVICES AND PREVENT THE RE-EXPERIENCE OF HOMELESSNESS THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, AND 28 FAMILIES COULD REMAIN STABLY HOUSED BEFORE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS:PEOPLE SERVING PEOPLE'S COMMITMENT TO HELPING FAMILIES ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES OF THEIR HOMELESSNESS AND RETURN TO STABILITY IS GROUNDED IN THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION. IN 2023 201 CHILDREN WERE ABLE TO ENROLL IN OUR SHELTER'S EDUCATION PROGRAMS. THESE PROGRAMS INCLUDED THE ONSITE LICENSED AND NATIONALLY ACCREDITED EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM WHICH SERVES CHILDREN AGED INFANCY THROUGH PRESCHOOL MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. PSP'S K-12 ENRICHMENT PROGRAM OFFERS EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT FOR SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN, INCLUDING 1:1 TUTORING, HOMEWORK HELP, AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES. THIS PROGRAM IS OFFERED AFTER SCHOOL AND DURING THE SUMMER. IN ADDITION TO ON-SITE OFFERINGS, PSP OPERATES THE OFFSITE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE PRESCHOOL AND LEARNING CENTER LOCATED AT FIRST COVENANT CHURCH OF MINNEAPOLIS. THIS PROGRAM FEATURES EDUCATION AND CHILDCARE FOR INFANTS, PRESCHOOL, KINDERGARTEN PREPARATION, PARENT ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS, AND SYSTEMS CHANGE WORK TO IMPROVE THE FIELD OF FAMILY RESILIENCE AND TRAUMA-INFORMED EDUCATION AND SERVICE. THE CENTER IS PART OF PSP'S CONTINUITY OF CARE INITIATIVE WHICH ENABLES US TO PROVIDE SUPPORTIVE CONTINUITY OF SERVICES FOR FAMILIES TRANSITIONING OUT OF EMERGENCY SHELTER AND FAMILIES AT RISK OF EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND OTHER CHRONIC ADVERSITIES.

FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES PROGRAMS:WHILE STAYING AT PSP, FAMILIES ARE ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ORGANIZATION'S STRENGTHS-BASED, CLIENT-CENTERED PROGRAMMING THAT EMPOWERS FAMILIES TO REACH STABILITY BY ADDRESSING THEIR SELF-IDENTIFIED BARRIERS AND AREAS OF POTENTIAL GROWTH. EVERY FAMILY IS ASSIGNED AN ADVOCATE WHO WILL BE THEIR PRIMARY TOUCH POINT AND CASE MANAGER THROUGHOUT THEIR STAY, ALTHOUGH THEY CAN SPEAK TO ANY ADVOCATE ANYTIME. THESE ADVOCATES OFFER INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS AND CONVERSATIONS TO HELP FAMILIES WORK TOWARD THEIR SELF-DETERMINED STABILITY GOALS. IN 2023, PSP ADVOCATE STAFF HELD 480 1:1 MEETINGS WITH GUESTS (UNDUPLICATED). IN ADDITION TO THESE INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT SYSTEMS, PSP ALSO OFFERS MORE STRUCTURED PROGRAMMING. IN 2023, 207 PARENTS WERE ABLE TO ATTEND PERSONALIZED FINANCIAL FITNESS CLASSES, AND OF THOSE GUESTS, 110 OPENED NEW SAVINGS ACCOUNTS. TO FIND JOB OPENINGS AND HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES, PSP SUPPORTED 158 GUESTS WITH EMPLOYMENT SERVICES SESSIONS, AND 133 GUESTS MADE 621 VISITS TO PSP'S TECHNOLOGY RESOURCE CENTER TO SEARCH FOR JOBS, PREPARE RESUMES, AND SEEK OUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEIR CAREERS. WHILE 14% OF GUESTS WERE EMPLOYED WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT PSP, 40% WERE EMPLOYED WHEN THEY LEFT.