This story is sponsored by Wayfinders Ohio.
Wayfinders Ohio, formally known as Harmony House, provides emergency shelter and support services to individuals and families to help them gain freedom from homelessness. Wayfinders is participating in Richland Gives to raise funds to enhance their shelter facilities and continue investing in the lives of those they serve.
When a person walks through the doors of Wayfinders Ohio, the staff tends to their immediate needs first, providing things like a warm bed and a shower. But the work doesn’t end with shelter. After a few days to catch their breath and rest, clients will begin working with the Wayfinders staff to focus on their individual needs and circumstances.
Together, they create a plan to address the obstacles at the root of their homelessness. The Wayfinders team is able to connect an individual with resources such as medical care, addiction treatment, legal services, employment training, and more.
Centralizing access to these services is critical to the Wayfinders’ mission to help individuals and families find freedom from homelessness. People struggling with homelessness typically don’t have easy access to transportation and technology necessary to connect with the resources they need to find their way back to the life they want to live.
“In the last 12 months we have served 591 unique individuals with 17,819 nights of lodging and 53,457 meals provided,” said Executive Director, Kelly Blankenship.
33% of those helped in the last 12 months have exited to a positive housing destination, 20% exited to a transitional housing or other temporary situation, and 27% left without completing the program. The remaining 20% exited to an institutional or other setting.
When someone leaves Wayfinders Ohio, that does not mean the team leaves them. To ensure that the person remains free from homelessness, services, assistance and care are still provided after they move out of shelter.
“We are so proud of the work we are able to accomplish with the resources we currently have, but there is so much more that we can do and need to do,” Blankenship said.
This coming year, Wayfinders is actively pursuing the option of purchasing the Volunteers of America buildings on North Main Street to expand their capacity and ability to assist clients. In February, they will be conducting a 2K and 5K walk fundraiser called the Coldest Night of the Year in conjunction with 200 agencies across the United States and Canada.
“As a small non-profit, we rely heavily on the generosity of the community members to keep us operational. Although we have grants from the government, they cover only 40% of our annual budget. The rest comes from donations. We have no other dedicated source of funding,” Blankenship said.
“When you donate to Wayfinders, you are helping to change the future for someone who is hurting and living in crisis. You are directly affecting lives who have literally nowhere else to turn,” Blankenship said.
Funds raised through Richland Gives will be used to improve the quality of the shelter by enhancing the upstairs kitchen, which experiences substantial wear and tear from daily use. New cabinets, countertops, plumbing and a sink are all needed.
“Every life matters. No matter what background a person has, he/she deserves assistance to get back on track. That’s what we do at Wayfinders Ohio. We help our clients to heal in a supportive atmosphere, so that they can become good neighbors in our community,” Blankenship said.
“When you give to Wayfinders Ohio you are helping to literally change lives.”
To learn more about Wayfinders and become a Wayfinders Supporter, visit their website. Click here to give to Wayfinders Ohio during Richland Gives visit.
