As we enter the season of giving, Haven Ministries is asking the public to support its efforts in sheltering and feeding Queen Anne’s County residents in need the year-end giving program.
Through its new Homes of Hope in Stevensville, which opened in June, Haven Ministries is providing clients with affordable housing while leading them to a permanent housing solution. While participating in the Haven Ministries Housing Assistance Program, participants work closely with a Haven Ministries case manager to ensure that they are positioned for success to secure safe and stable long-term housing once their respective program period is over, usually within two years.
Pictured are Melanie and Cameron Lednum who are residents in one of the Haven Ministries’ Homes of Hope.
“To date, both homes are filled and staff is working with clients toward long-term housing solutions. We are thrilled with being able to implement our Housing Assistance Program. The need for affordable housing on the Mid-Shore has never been greater and we rely upon our donors to help us bridge the gap,” comments Peter Grim, Executive Director of Haven Ministries.
Individuals and families who live in Queen Anne’s County can apply for the program, must pass the background checks, pay a program fee, and voluntarily agree to work with a case manager. Haven Ministries will connect participants to area resources such as education, jobs, and job training, allowing individuals and families to stabilize, build up their resources, and successfully move on toward safe and affordable housing.
In addition to Homes of Hope, Haven Ministries is continuing to operate its seasonal shelter at Kent Island Methodist Church in Stevensville to offer emergency overnight safe and warm accommodations for individuals and families who do not have a dedicated location in which to sleep. The shelter operates from October through April each year.
In addition to shelter needs, Haven Ministries is seeing a growing need for food pantry items at its Food Pantry/Resource Center location at 206 Del Rhodes Avenue in Queenstown. Haven Ministries also operates a Mobile Food Pantry Truck where residents in northern Queen Anne’s County can go and “shop” for needed food items. The “store on wheels” is parked at Faith Bible Church at 407 Dudley Corner Road in Sudlersville every week on Tuesdays and Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., offering a selection of non-cooked food items for area residents. Haven Ministries partners with The Judy Center/Queen Anne’s County Public Schools to supply food to this part of the county.
Pictured is Tina Trice in Haven Ministries’ Queenstown Food Pantry.
“The demand for food items at both these locations has increased by 40 percent since the pandemic began. We are now serving an average of 500 people per month through our food pantry program. The need is great and we rely upon the public’s support to keep up with this growing demand,” adds Grim.
Financial donations between now and December 2, 2023, will be matched up to $15,000. To support the Housing Assistance and Food Pantry Programs, call 410-827-7194 or make an online donation at Haven-Ministries.org before December 2, 2022, making your dollars go even further.
Love shapes the ministry, love transforms people, and hope prevails at Haven Ministries. Haven Ministries operates a seasonal Homeless Shelter, a Resource Center, and Food Pantry in Queenstown, Our Daily Thread Thrift Store in Chester, Hope Warehouse in Queenstown, and a Food Pantry Truck in Sudlersville.
Robert Hall says
Today, after reading a news item describing how police arrested a woman for feeding homeless persons, I considered how we use the word “homeless.” It seems that the identity homeless suffers the indignity that does not describe a person’s cause or condition, only the consequence – shelterless. So we treat all of these individuals in the same manner ignoring the fact that they are victims of different formidable life conditions, caused by addiction, working conditions, deficient education, abuse and broken relationships, as well as illness and disability. As a result they come together as a group, forming a “challenging population,” misunderstood and marginalized.
BobHallsr