Kootenai County St. Vincent de Paul assistance programs.
The HELP center is the main Kootenai County St. Vincent de Paul Society assistance program, and the resource is used to help the poor, disadvantaged, and people facing a crisis. A number of financial aid programs (rent, heating, deposits) are combined with Legal Aid, meals from Father Bills Kitchen, and much more.
All clients from the Coeur d’Alene area as well as the County need to call on the HELP Center. This is where applications are taken, and were the assistance originated from. St. Vincent de Paul uses volunteers to visit the applicant, sometimes at their home. Based on the need, there may be grants given to pay bills, loans, referrals, and other general aid, including from the Rapid Rehousing Program.
HELP Center programs in Kootenai County
Homelessness Prevention and Re-housing as well as Rent/Utility Assistance is for both stopping an eviction from occurring as well as limiting the time someone spends without a permanent home or living on the street, and it for Region 1 only. The preference from St. Vincent de Paul is to offer counseling as well as emergency financial help way early in the process, much before an eviction occurs. This is cheaper for the government and better for the client as keeping a tenant in their apartment decreases their chance of becoming chronically homeless somewhere in Kootenai County and also reduces their exposure to risk factors such as deteriorating health.
Applicants will need to meet with Case Manager at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Center and also have verifiable income. If found to be eligible, then applications can be completed for government grant programs for what may be causing the homeless event, such as rent, unpaid water, heat or electric bills, or lack of transportation. If the church can’t assist, then find additional grants that help with bills.
When it comes to rehousing in St. Vincent de Paul, Housing Locator helps families locate and enroll with service providers throughout St. Vincent de Paul County. They can both find a new apartment and get help in moving into it. While the client is homeless, the Coeur d’Alene Saint Vincent de Paul warming center may be used during the winter. There are also emergency overnight shelters for homeless men and women in the community.
The HELP center also focuses on veterans. Whether returning to Kootenai County, or if they live there and need assistance, everything from free food, USDA commodities, housing, government grants, and job placement is available. Members of our services are given priority by Saint Vincent.
A soup kitchen provides free hot meals. The Kootenai County St. Vincent de Paul kitchen known as Father Bills is open a few times per week to feed the poor, homeless, and lonely. The nutritious food as well as meals served, access to a laundry and showers are often critical to the health as well as nutrition of homeless children, senior citizens and low income adults.
The Society of Saint Vincent in Coeur d’Alene also does not discriminate on who can get a meal. As an example, they also serve persons who abuse drugs or alcohol, or those that live in night shelters in Kootenai County. Many of these types of clients likely would not get adequate nutrition or healthy food from any other source.
The location, called Father Bills, is also attached to the Saint Vincent thrift store in Kootenai County. The site is open 7 days per week. It sells a wide variety of goods, with some deep sales occurring from time to time. It in effect allows the community to save up to 50% (or more) of what they would normally spend at a retail store.
The main goal of Kootenai County St. Vincent de Paul is to break the cycle of homelessness and even try to address generational poverty. To that end, clients receive in-home case management, which stresses financial literacy. The case management services from the church will try to meet the needs of each clients rather than trying to fit each and every person into some type of standard, existing mold.
Society of Saint Vincent also works with other local non-profit organizations in Kootenai County to connect clients to additional community resources. This will be needed based. It incorporates phone and computer access, addresses of warming/cooling center, information and referral, linkage to medical and free dental services, and more. Another option is Legal Link, which volunteer attorneys provide free advice on a variety of topics.
The HELP center of the Kootenai County St. Vincent de Paul is at their main administrative office. Applications are accepted during posted hours, and the address is 201 E. Harrison, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814, or call 208-664-3095.
|
