Mission
The mission of Georgia's House is to ensure that low-income homeless women and children and those displaced due to domestic violence, are housed in a safe environment while being afforded the opportunity to seek means and resources to better themselves and their families without concern for shelter, food and safety. To provide a safe environment for a second chance!
Description
Georgia's House opened its doors on April 18, 2011 as a temporary shelter to fill a need during severe weather season. Upon completion of the first temporary permit the Board of Director applied for a permanent due to the need for another permanent shelter in the community. Over the past 7 years we have averaged approximately 185 clients per year. The success rate of the shelter have been very consistent in the number of clients moving into stabilize and transitional housing upon completion of the program at Georgia's House. The one thing that makes Georgia's House unique is that it is the only shelter in Kitsap County and probably the state that allows young boys over the age of 12 to remain in shelter with their mothers up to age 18. This is one of the things we have worked with the mother to ensure the protection of the family unit, by keeping mothers and children stay together at all cost.
The program at Georgia's House include life-skills training; clients are required to maintain their living space and the common areas of the shelter as a means of learning to maintain a home when they obtain permanent housing. They participate in weekly case management with individualize case manager who work one on one with the clients, they act as advocates, as well as support the client with resources and other areas as needed. On week-ends the ladies get the opportunity to support each other at the weekly house meeting which is usually and empowerment class, they are given the opportunity to share their success and support each other. This is one area of the client's life where they are building their social environment.
Case managers are trained to work with the clients based on their biopsychosocial (biological, psychological and social) needs, which deals with the individual as a whole. Clients are given the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE's) questionnaire upon entry and assigned case managers based on their needs. We have professional volunteers with certifications and degrees in psychology, drug and rehabilitation as well as life coaches serving as case managers.