About the Nonprofit
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It is the mission of the House of Ruth to provide temporary and transitional housing and supportive services for homeless and battered women and their children. It is the commitment of the House of Ruth community to provide a caring and supportive environment to empower our clients through supportive services, educational and job training, and case management, to move from abuse and dependency to personal responsibility and self-sufficiency.
House of Ruth serves homeless women and their children, living below the federally determined poverty level, who are residing in emergency shelters, including shelters for victims of domestic violence, families living on the street, in parks, encampments or other public places. This includes pregnant women, large families and non-English speaking families. House of Ruth serves the most desperate families within the homeless population. Although the defining criteria are homelessness and poverty, more than half of the women aided have been victimized by domestic and/or sexual violence and over 95% of the clients are women of color. Approximately 77% of those served each year are Latino, with the remaining consisting of 20% African-Americans and 3% Caucasian.
Services Provided
House of Ruth provides for more than just the basic needs for our residents, offering a place to stay, a nutritious meal, clothing, medical attention, legal advice and most of all, emotional support. We support our mission by taking every step possible to ensure the well-being of our clients and help them achieve freedom and control over their own lives that gives them a sense of dignity and hope for the future for themselves and their children. We take a comprehensive approach and provide services in English and Spanish including:
-Safe, stable living accommodations
-Assistance in transitioning residents into permanent, affordable, safe housing
-Assist resident with identifying, defining and completing long term goals
-Help residents obtain appropriate public benefits
-Educational opportunities, such as assistance and transportation to GED preparation, postsecondary training, or vocational education
-Assistance in job preparation and job training, such as career counseling and job placement and computer skills for job applications, resume building and letter writing
-Provide a full array of mental health services, including individual counseling
-Provide access to medical care, including routine physicals, health assessments, and emergency treatment
-Basic life-skill building, including budgeting, housekeeping, menu planning, food preparation, and parenting skills
-Childcare program to meet a child’s immediate material and psychological needs
-Coordination with other community programs including Immigration/ naturalization, Outpatient Substance Abuse Services, and Legal assistance
Success of Our Program
In 44 years of service, we have provided shelter to over 7,000 women and children, achieved a 90% annual success rate placing families into permanent housing, and a 95% rate of keeping these families in stable housing long-term We also provide all the supplies residents need in their new housing: furniture, bedding, kitchen supplies, and appliances. Our goal is to ensure the well-being of our clients while they are in our care, help them achieve freedom and control over their own lives, and provide hope for the future for themselves and their children.
