COSMB Cares: Helping Homeless Families with Children

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Colorado Springs Moms Blog cares deeply about our community. To that end, we are running monthly series called "COSMB Cares." In these posts, we will highlight a national or international cause and one or more of the local organizations working to improve that situation. March is Single Parent Awareness Month. This third installment of "COSMB Cares" focuses on some resources for single parents, especially the homeless, many of whom happen to be single parents. We also give you some ideas about how you can help locally.

Imagine that you are a single mother with two kids who has lost her job and been evicted from her apartment. You have been staying with friends, but you have been asked to leave. You are homeless. Where do you go with two kids? Furthermore, how are you going to find a job with no address?

What will you do now?

Homeless Families

One category of the homeless population that may not be on your radar is families with children.

Domestic violence, job loss, illness or other crisis may push a family who has been living on the brink of homelessness over the edge. You most likely won’t see these families on a street corner or at a homeless shelter. Instead, they may move from relative to relative or end up with the only option of staying in their car. All of this, while trying to keep their children in school, find or maintain a job, and locate resources for shelter, food and clothing.

A Place to Get Help

Partners in Housing is a transitional housing program in Colorado Springs.

Located on the beautiful campus of the Myron Stratton Consortium, Partners In Housing has been serving homeless families and their children for over 25 years. The organization provides resources to help families become self-sufficient, and offers stable housing, case management as well as life skills education and credit and budget counseling.

The families who enter the program are referred to as Partners because they become a Partner in their own journey to achieve self-sufficiency.

Offering a Hand Up

Families who apply to the program go through an application process. Once accepted to the program, they receive up to one year of transitional housing along with a caseworker to support and encourage them and to help them to understand the purpose and guidelines of the program.

Attendance is required each month at Life Skills Classes. These cover a wide range of topics pertaining to being self-sufficient, from job interviewing skills to stress management skills. And all families receive credit counseling, and continue their financial education during monthly visits with a volunteer money mentor. Partners also have access to a boutique with donated clothes, household items and furniture where they can “shop” for free. 

The goal of the program is to provide the support and tools for families to never have to face homelessness again.

How Can You Help?

Volunteer!

• Partners in Housing needs volunteers year-round in many capacities – being a money mentor,  sorting donations, helping with events and even office help. More information here

Donate!

Families often enter the program with very little.

Donate clothing, household items, and furniture. In addition, they need things you might not think of, like vacuums. Partners in Housing is asking for donations of new or very gently used vacuums to give to each family as part of a special Mother’s Day celebration. The event “Every Mother Matters” will honor mothers in the program.

To donate, click here

Special Events!

  • April 28: Spirits of Spring. This annual spring gala raises funds and awareness for Partners in Housing. It’s a fun evening of wine and food tasting. Information and tickets here
  • June 7: Triple T Party: ‘Tinis, Tiaras and Tampons. Mothers often have to make difficult decisions at the grocery store every week. They choose between buying diapers for their baby or personal hygiene products for themselves, for instance. Hosted by the Women’s Foundation, the purpose of the evening is to gather donations of personal hygiene products for organizations serving women in our community. Information and tickets here

To Learn More:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PIHofCS/
Website: https://partnersinhousing.org/

Partner Success Stories

Know someone who wants to learn more about program eligibility? Please visit this site

Finally, here are some other resources for single parents in Colorado Springs: 

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Rebecca, Senior Writer
Rebecca is a Colorado Native. She graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder and West Chester University in Pennsylvania with a BA and MA in Psychology. Currently, she works for a local nonprofit, where she teaches low-income moms how to repair their credit, and value themselves and their money. Married to her Spartan-racing husband, and mom to a son and a daughter, in her free time you can find her cooking, reading, and working out. She loves her network of sweet friends, and is a podcast addict.