St. Columba Ecumenical Ministries, Inc

Mission of St. Columba To operate an ecumenical ministry in response to the Biblical mandate to minister to persons in need, whether these needs are economic, social or spiritual.

Brief History of St. Columba Started as St. Columba Presbyterian Church in St. Columba was chosen because of his reputation as a great healer and teacher. The church initially focused on helping the low- income residents of nearby neighborhoods, then began helping the homeless and needy, thus being the start of the ministry. When the church folded in the 1970’s the ministries continued.

Brief History of St. Columba St. Columba was incorporated as a 501(c)3 in 1987 and the name was changed to St. Columba Ecumenical Ministries, Inc. St. Columba has been instrumental in forming the Dwelling Place, the Samaritan House and the Virginia Beach Winter Shelter. St. Columba operated a drop in center in Virginia Beach in 1991 and from that came the idea for the St. Columba Day Center in Norfolk. Moved to current location in 1995.

Staff and Volunteers Director of Ministries – Alicia Mathews – Assistant Director/Bookkeeper – Helmi Ortiz – Homeless Advocate – Krystle Pomory Day Center Assistant – Kurt Armstrong Next Step Case Managers - Ike Bingham – Governed by a Board of 8 members About a dozen volunteers Day Center volunteers Newsletter volunteers Special Events – School Supplies, Thanksgiving and Christmas volunteers

Next Step 6-month transitional housing for homeless single adults. Provides clients with the opportunity to become self- sufficient. All clients must be referred through the Service Coordination Committee (SCC) and have the ability to live fairly independently. Case manager and intern assist clients in overcoming issues that perpetuate homelessness, including substance abuse, employment, education, criminal history, physical and mental health, life skills and basic needs. Interested individuals should call the housing crisis hotline at to be connected with the SCC. Last year 14 clients moved into permanent housing.

Next Step House Next Step has 4 houses in Norfolk that serve as home for 16 formerly homeless individuals. Two houses are for women and two are for men. This is one of the men’s houses.

Day Center Monday - Thursday, 9-2 Homeless and extremely low- income clients can meet basic needs such as showers, coffee, sandwiches, laundry Average of 35 clients each day. Last calendar year we: Served 630 clients Provided 1,827 showers Gave out 18,932 sandwiches Did 312 loads of client laundry

Homeless Advocate Available for more individualized needs of Day Center clients. Last calendar year the Homeless Advocate: Met with 155 clients. Gave work boots to 10 homeless individuals. Assisted 45 persons with bus passes. Allowed clients to make 352 phone calls. Provided temporary mailing address for 5 clients.

Clothing Closet Clothing Closet is open Mondays, Mostly men’s clothes as there is a greater demand. Average of 24 clients each Monday. Last year we had 975 visits to the clothing closet. Women’s and children’s clothing is available on a rack in the Day Center and is first come first serve.

Clothing Closet All clothing is obtained through donations and special collections.

Food Pantry Open Monday through Thursday 9 am to 1:30 pm. Families and individuals are provided with enough food for three days. All clients must live within our service area, have proof of residency and have a written referral from the FoodBank or Social Services in order to receive food. We make special purchases when we have specific needs. We serve approximately 70 households each month.

Food Pantry Our food pantry is stocked through donations of nonperishable items from churches and individuals to help feed hungry families.

Rental Assistance St. Columba Ecumenical Ministries, Inc. applies for grant funding each year to provide rental assistance to households in Norfolk. We are waiting for release of the 2016 grant application. Initial contact must be via phone; we do not take any applications in our office. Last year 12 households were assisted.

Health Assistance Specifically for homeless persons in Norfolk. Must be referred by a shelter or case manager. Prescription: Intended to fill a gap while other resources are obtained. Last year we filled 2,392 prescriptions for 467 clients. Vision Vouchers: We provide payment for eye exams and refer clients to the appropriate Lions Club for glasses Last year we issued 138 vision vouchers. Dental Vouchers: We work with Park Place Health and Dental Clinic and provide payment for dental services. Last year we issued 158 dental vouchers.

Special Programs Easter – St. Columba receives prepared Easter Baskets donated from churches each year. We helped approximately 90 children this Easter. School Supplies – School supplies are collected by churches and individuals during the summer. Volunteers pack backpacks based on grade and parents can stop by the week before school for a pre-packed backpack. We helped 574 students last year.

School Supplies School supplies are provided to hundreds of kids through donations and hours of volunteer work each year.

Special Programs Thanksgiving – We provide families with all the staple items for a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Items are received through donations and special purchases. Volunteers and staff work out of Lafayette Presbyterian Church the week of Thanksgiving to sort, pack and distribute approximately 150 baskets. Christmas – Christmas food baskets are similar to Thanksgiving and we provide gifts received through an angel tree program with local churches. Last year we provided 67 families with food and gifts to make the holidays a little warmer.

Thanksgiving St. Columba’s Thanksgiving ministry is not possible without the support of volunteers from our community.

Funding St. Columba is funded through federal, local and foundation grants and donations from churches, businesses and individuals. Supportive Housing Program – Next Step Community Development Block Grant – Next Step match and Homeless Advocate/Day Center Assistant Emergency Shelter Grant – Day Center Human Services Grant, Sentara Foundation, private foundation – Prescription Program Emergency Food and Shelter Program – Rental Assistance

Match Funds Our grants require anywhere from a 1:5 match (for every 5 dollars of government money, we have to come up with 1 dollar) to a 1:1 match (for every dollar of grant money we have to match with 1 dollar). While a majority of the match can be done through actual dollars, we are also permitted by some funding sources to use in-kind donations. Volunteer hours also count as match for some grants.

In-Kind Donations Sandwiches that are donated for our Day Center are valued at a dollar each and these count towards our match requirement. Things such as food, clothes, and household items are assigned a value and also counted towards our match for our Next Step program. When in-kind donations are received, they are not only going directly to help those in need, they are also helping us meet our match and satisfy our grant agreement.

We need you! St. Columba is a small ministry, but we reach many people. The idea is to welcome all persons, in whatever state they find themselves, and to help when permitted. We depend on the support of our community to continue to provide to those who come to us in need.

How Can You Help? Our ongoing needs include: razors travel size hygiene products washcloths bottled water ponchos bug spray cleaners (Lysol, Pine-sol, bathroom cleaners) coffee gently used clothing men’s jeans toilet paper paper towels brown and plastic grocery bags

How Can You Help? Become a Board member. Meetings are the third Monday of each month. Contact any Board member or Alicia for more information. Volunteer either in the Day Center or for a special event (information about volunteer opportunities can be found on our website or by calling Alicia). Make a financial contribution – all of our grants require match funds and are becoming more competitive requiring us to seek financial support outside the regular funding streams.

Questions Questions??? Thank You!!!

Contact Information St. Columba Ecumenical Ministries, Inc Lafayette Blvd., Norfolk, VA office: fax: On the web: