Impact and Programs
Accomplishments
In 2016, 3,088 individuals from 1,070 families called People Serving People their temporary home for an average of 41 days. Sixty-one percent of our guests were children, whose average age was 6 years. Employment Advocates helped 223 adults to obtain employment at an average wage of $10.99/hr. 304 children learned in our early childhood development classrooms, and 98% of those who took a pre- and post-assessment showed an increase of knowledge and skills across all categories of the Teaching Strategies – GOLD Birth through Kindergarten and Preschool Individual Growth and Development Indicators. Our early childhood development program recertified as a 4-Star Parent Aware program and earned national accreditation through National Early Childhood Program Accreditation 681 youth ages 5-18 bolstered academic skills through individual tutoring, enrichment activities, and summer programs. 1,172 parents connected to community services, obtained mental health services, participated in peer support groups, or learned financial fitness skills to increase family strength and long-term stability.
Current Goals
Our programmatic goals flow from the organizational goals in our 2016-2018 strategic plan.
1. Increase the stability of children at our existing facility.
2. Increase the stability of children in the community.
Advocacy Services provides individual support, education, and referrals to resources for housing, financial assistance, legal, medical, dental, mental health, and other services to help our guests meet their basic needs and return to self-sufficiency. Educational Services prepare young children for learning and improve the academic skills of school-age youth in our, 4-star Parent Aware rated and nationally accredited (NECPA) early childhood development classrooms and through academic support and enrichment activities. Employment Services assist guests with their career goals, empowering them to obtain and retain employment. Parent Engagement partners provide many services focused on specific aspects of parenting and peer support groups. Our Center of Excellence opens in April, providing early education, school-age support and parental engagement services to families at-risk for housing instability and families in the local community. Building on our strength providing direct care services, the Center will include research, development, and training to improve the field of family resilience and trauma-informed education. We measure outcomes through regular assessments of children's and families' progress throughout their stay. We use a Microsoft CRM database to streamline data collection and internally share results and information. Family Advocates update these files as they meet with families, and families complete an Outcomes Questionnaire as they move out to record their experiences and measure their progress during their stay.
Community or Constituency Served
Children and families experiencing homelessness in Hennepin County
Geographic Area Served
Hennepin County in Minnesota
