By Nathan Thompson
Whether you call it a spirit of generosity, a belief in the value of charity, or a philanthropic disposition, something remarkable motivates this community to step up to meet the needs of the less fortunate. One example of this is its collective support for a local transitional housing ministry called Warwick Homes of Hope.
Warwick Homes of Hope provides safe temporary housing for families facing homelessness or who are vulnerable to becoming homeless. It has served 11 families since 2013. While the program's emphasis in the initial years was on helping struggling families to “transition in place” -- avoid homelessness and gain solid footing financially while staying in a rent-subsidized apartment or in a housing arrangement with relatives -- a single-family home was made available in 2016.
As part of the Homes of Hope program, client families agree to accept mentorship and financial counseling to help them set goals, make a plan to meet their financial responsibilities and live independently upon conclusion of the program. Volunteers help client families with household management and lifestyle questions like arranging childcare, securing transportation, getting a doctor's appointment, and more.
The typical stay is four to six months, but the time a client's family spends in the program depends on their employment stability, financial circumstances, and their ability to save enough for, say, the security deposit and a few months’ rent at their next home. “We try to be humanistic in determining what is a reasonable amount of time for the family to stay in the program,” said Rick Thompson, a member of the Warwick Homes of Hope Steering Committee, adding that a longer stay supports some families' chance of success on their own after the program.
Warwick is one of ten communities in the county with a Homes of Hope program, which is a ministry of Love INC of Lancaster County. Love INC (Love In the Name of Christ) is a national nonprofit social welfare organization whose mission is to mobilize churches to transform lives and communities, and in many ways, Warwick Homes of Hope is organized and delivered by the cooperation of area churches.
The Warwick Homes of Hope Steering Committee is composed of representatives from St. James Catholic Church, St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church, Grace Church of Lititz, Lititz Mennonite Church, Speedwell Heights Brethren in Christ Church, Lititz United Methodist Church, and LEFC (Lancaster Evangelical Free Church). The Warwick Compassion Network, a subset of the Lititz Ministerium, was instrumental in establishing a Homes of Hope program in this community and brought together Love INC and the Lititz-Warwick area.
Affiliated churches have historically contributed about half the funds required to operate the program, while the remainder is assembled through private donations and a small monthly program fee in lieu of rent that the client's family pays to be in the program. This fee is generally meant to offset the homeowners' property tax obligation on the house. The couple who donated the use of the house five years ago to Warwick Homes of Hope has graciously remained as generous benefactors of the program. The program costs include administration and professional services from Love INC and routine maintenance of the house and yard.
The Steering Committee marshals additional resources and volunteers to make larger renovations or repairs and take action on special projects based on the specific needs of the current client's family. “We’re really fortunate to be able to provide these services,” said Thompson, who highlighted that collaboration across different congregations is a key part of what makes Homes of Hope work. For example, members of six churches came together to put 11 new energy-efficient windows in the home. Dave Savakinas of St. James Catholic Church led the effort, which included raising approximately $4,000 from churches, individual donors, and an anonymous community organization, and organizing a team of volunteers to install, seal, and frame the windows.
For other projects, Warwick Homes of Hope reaches out to the business community. When the home needed a new HVAC system, Douglas DeAngelis of St. James Church led an initiative to secure and marry systems from two companies, LAARS Corporation, and Goodman Manufacturing. Jon Balson, who represents LEFC on the Steering Committee, arranged for Triangle Refrigeration to in-kind the labor and connecting parts to install the systems donated by LAARS and Goodman. In addition to keeping the climate in the house comfortable, the innovative effort was chronicled in two industry journals.
In-kind contributions from the community have also gone to benefit Love INC of Lancaster County. A logo for the Homes of Hope ministry and an infographic to raise public awareness and education about Love INC’s work were generously created by Lititz-based graphic artist Bill Dussinger.
Yet other special projects directly benefit the client families occupying the home. Warwick Homes of Hope homed a mother of five who had previously been mainly responsible for raising the children and had never before had to earn an income for her and her children to live on. She expressed that although she had a vehicle, it was going to soon be inadequate to transport her family, so members of LEFC and Speedwell Heights Church sought out a vehicle, subsidized its purchase, and brought it to a mechanic to inspect it and make it ready for the road.
The level of attention and care that Warwick Homes of Hope is able to offer is due, in part, to its model of serving one family at a time. However, Thompson reported that there is high demand for the program. The Warwick School District maintains statistics on the number of households that fall beneath the poverty line and, to their knowledge, are homeless. The school district identifies and refers families to a social worker with Love INC of Lancaster County who performs the vetting process. Families apply to participate, submit references, and abide by the program’s policy to be alcohol- and abuse-free. In some cases, families can move in within about a month of being referred to the program. But there have been stretches of time when there isn’t a good fit to make a placement from within the Lititz-Warwick area. “Homelessness in this area looks different than it may in the city” because vulnerable families often make arrangements to live with other family members, said Thompson, adding that the home has been opened to client families from less well-off parts of the county.
Expanding its program to meet this wider need for housing is not something the Steering Committee is taking on just yet, but if the right moment presents itself, the committee may look to add a second property. Or it may revisit the “transition in place” model to assist additional families who have a roof over their heads, even if it’s not their own, to improve their circumstances and live independently.
In the meantime, Warwick Homes of Hope is grateful to the community members who have engaged with this transitional housing program and is eager to support more churches or individuals who are interested in combating homelessness and aiding families in our area to achieve a more secure future. Readers may contact Love INC of Lancaster County (717-735- 7540, https://loveinclancaster.org/) to learn more about the Homes of Hope ministry and ways to get involved or donate.
Nathan Thompson is a resident of Queens, New York, and works in the field of education in emergencies. He holds degrees from American University (B.A.) and New York University (M.A.). He escapes the busy city to visit Mom, Dad, and Ollie in Lititz.
