The YWCA Greensboro Emergency Family Shelter program provides shelter, food, case management and holistic support for families experiencing homelessness. Each family develops a plan to achieve educational goals, optimal health, financial stability, pay off debts and save money to move into permanent housing.
Shelter residents benefit from interaction with staff and community volunteers, who model effective parenting skills and assist parents as needed in looking up resources, thinking through decisions and problem solving.
Each evening, a hot dinner is brought in and served by volunteers who join with families to eat, talk, play with children, assist with homework or provide a listening ear. In the morning, a breakfast is provided and parents pack lunch for themselves and their children.
Weekday hours, children go to school, childcare or are with their parents. Parents seek jobs, go to work, school, job training or make use of needed community resources. Length of stay in the shelter is based on progress being made towards family goals and the family’s ability to fully participate in the program.