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2004 in Review-A Year in Transition

to read about our most recent year (2006) please see our Winter Newsletter!

In the first 6 months of 2004, we provided shelter to over 800 different homeless men at 370 W. State Street. During that time, our Outreach program also worked with 386 persons living “on the streets”.

After the city of Columbus refused to renew our lease, we opened our Day Services and Outreach Center at 125 E. Broad St. In the second half of 2004, our Outreach program worked with 564 persons “living on the streets” As we start 2005, our Outreach program is still actively working with 232 of these persons, and meeting new people virtually every day.

In the second half of 2004, we served almost 20,000 meals-hot dinners, “bag lunches” and “to go” meals.

At 125 E. Broad Street:

Unduplicated count of persons served: 1,892 persons
Now averaging: 98 persons each day
Averaging: 18 New People each day

Our guests gave these addresses:

Living “on the streets”: 412
A CSB Men’s Shelter: 449
A CSB Women’s Shelter: 161
A CSB Family Shelter: 28
The Engagement Center: 28
Supportive Housing Programs: 383
Marginally Housed: 431

As We Begin 2005, our 22nd Year of Service

Our payeeship program provides on-going services to 9 people, all of whom were homeless when they entered the program and are all now housed. Our safety Bank program provides on-going financial planning services to 13 persons, all of whom are currently homeless but working and saving to secure housing.

Working closely with Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA), we have facilitated 40 successful housing applications on behalf of homeless persons, 25 are now housed in CMHA properties, 15 will be housed as soon as the apartment is ready, and 19 more applications are pending.

As a result of the large number of marginally and recently housed persons who are coming to us for assistance, we are expanding our Community Re-integration efforts. This program places emphasis on helping people learn how to access the resources in their neighborhood, providing information an linkage to community based services (food pantries, soup kitchens, settlement houses and community centers, etc.) nearest the person’s home.

Our service and advocacy efforts reflect our great and growing concern for those who “are being left behind” on the streets of this city. These efforts also reflect the compassion and generosity of the people of Central Ohio who participate in and support The Open Shelter.