WHO
SHIP’s SAFE HARBOR AND PORT OF REFUGE serves as a portal of entry and conduit for change providing the needy with basic needs such as emergency meals, food items, showers, clothing, personal hygiene items, counseling services, emergency housing placement (as donations permit) and much more.
Over the years the client profile has remained basically the same. SHIP's - Safe Harbor and Port of Refuge services are designed to meet the immediate need of historically identified yet underserved populations. These diverse population mainly includes members of the following communities:
*People who have been suspended, sanctioned or deemed ineligible for other programs services.
*Those that are too emotionally, spiritually, physically or mentally fragile to successfully negotiate the often non client friendly access systems.
*The homeless, near homeless, working poor, discarded, tormented and disenfranchised persons
*Alcohol and/or chemical dependent and co-occurring disorder persons and those in recovery.
*Those deemed highly dysfunctional and unable or reluctant to comply with other programs regulations.
*The needy in body, mind, soul and spirit
*Persons living outside an in need of connection to Mental Health services providers.
*HIV/AIDS infected and affected persons in our communities.
*Those who need time to adjust to being homelessness or life off the streets.
*Those that are sick and unable comply with the many programs demands.
*Those that are usually only a paycheck from being evicted.
*Those that lack the financial ability to meet their daily needs.
*Those that need a real advocate on behalf of their needs.
They come to us because others have refused them service for one reason or another or they are on a waiting list, often weeks to a month or longer in length, for services. They often are without housing, food, and other emergency subsistence commodities. They may or may not be working with an agency or the agency may not be able to meet their emergency subsistence needs.