| How did Lydia Place begin? A residence for homeless women and their children, Lydia Place opened as a
means to address the two primary needs of poor women in the community: housing
and employment. Initiated by a task force of Church Women United, Lydia Place
is now a nonprofit corporation supported wholly by grants and donations from
individuals, churches, businesses and corporations. How did we get our name? The name was taken from Lydia in the New Testament. She was a businesswoman
(a seller of purple cloth) and hospitable (she opened her home to the apostle
Paul). Since the goal of the transitional housing program was to assist the
women in becoming self-sufficient and to offer hospitality to homeless women
and their children, Lydia seemed to exemplify the mission of the new organization. When did Lydia Place actually open its
doors?
The first family moved in October 1989. Back to top When was our house built?
The house was built in 1966. There have been several remodels over
the years; the last two being the kitchen remodel in 1998 and the administrative
and program addition in 2000.
What did we pay for the house and is it paid
for?
The original house was purchased for $137,000 and was totally paid for. In
2000, we received a zero interest, deferred loan in the amount of $140,000
from the City of Bellingham to add our new addition. Although that means there
is a lien against the property, it does not have to be repaid as long as we
continue to serve homeless families in our community. Back to top How many clients can we serve at
a time?
We have the potential of housing up to eight families; however, we cannot exceed
18 people. This results in housing five to seven families at a time (depending
on the number of children in each family). What are the requirements
for entering the program? The initial screening criteria - woman is homeless and has children with her.
Once this is established, the staff member who takes the call will do a telephone
intake to determine whether the client is appropriate for the program. A face-to-face
interview and intake will follow. Back to top How long can a family stay at Lydia Place? Our program is designed for a six-month stay. However, if a woman has a housing
voucher or is finalizing housing arrangements, we will extend her stay to accommodate
her plans.
Does Lydia Place provide any other
programs?
Lydia Place provides two additional programs - Follow-up Program and the Outreach/Prevention
Program. Once she moves to her permanent home, the client will continue in the Follow-up
Program receiving case management, support groups, and advocacy for a full
year. This will assist her in continuing her work toward her goals and give
her the support she needs to be successful. The Outreach/Prevention Program is currently provided to three HUD housing
projects. Case management is provided to the residents of their three transitional
units at Heather Commons. In addition, Life Skills workshops will be made available
to any of the residents of the three apartment complexes. These workshops are
designed to assist the families to prevent homelessness. Back to top What is unique about Lydia Place? Lydia Place is committed to do more than just provide a roof over their heads
-- we are able to provide support, advocacy, resources, and life-skills training
to help break the cycle of homelessness. The resources of social service agencies
and the organizational support of community volunteers are used in the program
and are important to its success. How are we funded? Lydia Place receives the following funding: - City of Bellingham $ 29,500
- Whatcom County $7,500
- United Way allocation $15,000
- United Way designations $15,000
- FEMA $3,500
- THOR $9,000
- Wise Buys $12,000
- Program Service Fees $6,000
- Donations and Fundraising $65,500
Lydia Place received funding from the following foundations in 2003 Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation
Lochland Foundation
Allstate Foundation
Whatcom Community Foundation
United Way Venture Grant
Wal-Mart Foundation
Windermere Foundation
Each year we have to reapply for existing funding and look for additional
sources of revenue. Government contracts are always subject to change. |