Good Neighbor Center

The Good Neighbor Center (GNC) has been supporting unsheltered families since 1999. With nine bedroom units, a dining room, day room, fenced outside yard and commercial kitchen, GNC can house between 70-95 families annually. We provide housing for six weeks or more, meals, hygiene items, clothing, linens, case management, life skills and Rent Well classes, resume and job seeking services. We are the largest of the three family homeless shelter programs in Washington County. Our mission is to provide safe emergency housing with supportive empowering services for families. GNC SUPPORT AND RESOURCES Although GNC's first priority is to provide safe shelter and food, case management is the main structural component in our programming that offers a pathway to permanent housing for every family we serve. Our staff makes use of all possible resources to help families overcome barriers to housing, including participation in our two housing programs, referral to other transitional and permanent housing programs, referral to employment and training programs, weekly mandatory Life Skills classes, the Rent Well curriculum, and access to public benefits. Another of our key initiatives is to stabilize all children in school, with liaison services to local school districts, interaction with each child's school counselors and teachers as appropriate, a daily Homework Club during the school year, individualized tutoring, and a ten week full day Summer School. We also work with adults on completing GED requirements and accessing other educational and job training resources. For clients who have moved out of our shelter into housing, our staff continues providing support to families in their effort to maintain stable housing, increase household income and reduce the need for public assistance. For instance, our Housing Stabilization Program leverages rent subsidies in partnership with Washington County Department of Housing. We also place families into the federal Shelter Plus Care housing program. Some clients receive weekly or monthly case management and many receive food boxes, clothing, school supplies, and money for the occasional prescription or utility bill to help families move toward independence. COMMUNITY SUPPORT We rely on the continued support of the community in order to help assist the homeless families as efficiently as we do. We maintain a regular needs list on our website (goodneighborcenter.org/current-needs-list) that has specific items we need at the time. Financial and gift card donations are always welcome and appreciated. The Good Neighbor Center relies on many volunteers to do different tasks here at the shelter. Everyone plays their own part so that we can better serve the families staying at the Good Neighbor Center. Volunteers are needed for hosting dinner, keeping up the grounds, adopting rooms, staying the night (overnight host), teaching classes, helping with childcare and many other special projects.