2017-2018 Signature Mission
Community LINC
The Village Church Mission Committee has selected the Community LINC’s new Trauma Informed Care Program Operation for the 2017-2018 Signature Mission. With $15,000 from Village Church Mission Operating Funds, $25,300 from several Village donors and $8,257 from Village Endowment along with donations from Kansas City foundations, companies and individual donors, the mental wellness program will become a reality during 2017.
In 1986, a group of citizens from local churches created Community LINC to address ways to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness. Today, it is one of the largest single-site providers of interim housing for homeless families in Kansas City. The goal of the program is to stabilize families for sustained independence. LINC owns six buildings with 36 units and has an annual budget of $2.2 million. They serve 150 families a year.
Community LINC does more than rehouse families. Adults participate in employment services, budgeting, healthy lifestyles and life skills classes, mental wellness services and intensive and individualized case management. Services for children include bi-weekly classes on nutrition, resilience skills, academic advocacy and support and mental wellness services.
The Transforming Generations/Trauma Informed Care project aims to expand LINC’s trauma informed care services in order to impact the next generation and reduce the likelihood of teens and children ever becoming homeless adults. This program will work hand in hand with mental wellness services that Community LINC already provides.
After 28 years of service delivery, Community LINC has discovered that most program participants have experienced some sort of trauma that contributed to their homelessness. Studies show that over 92 percent of homeless mothers have experienced severe physical and/or sexual abuse. Compared to low-income housed mothers, they have three times the rate of PTSD (36%), twice the rate of drug and alcohol dependence (41%) and half have experienced major depression since becoming homeless.Incorporating a trauma informed program is critical to heal and break the cycle of homelessness. By increasing resilience and educating parents and children on the effect of trauma, Community LINC will increase the protective factors in a child’s life.
With the new program, Community LINC anticipates serving 300 children during 2017. The funding for the program will cover the following expenses:
Program success will be measured with pre and post testing, monitoring of debt satisfaction, employment and meeting attendance and through case management reports and reviews. Community LINC’s goal aims to have 80 percent of families who exit from transitional to permanent housing remain stable for five years. In addition, they want 70 percent of participating children to average 80 percent or higher on resiliency cognition.
Community LINC offers a number of volunteer opportunities. Find out more about how you can get involved.
In 1986, a group of citizens from local churches created Community LINC to address ways to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness. Today, it is one of the largest single-site providers of interim housing for homeless families in Kansas City. The goal of the program is to stabilize families for sustained independence. LINC owns six buildings with 36 units and has an annual budget of $2.2 million. They serve 150 families a year.
Community LINC does more than rehouse families. Adults participate in employment services, budgeting, healthy lifestyles and life skills classes, mental wellness services and intensive and individualized case management. Services for children include bi-weekly classes on nutrition, resilience skills, academic advocacy and support and mental wellness services.
The Transforming Generations/Trauma Informed Care project aims to expand LINC’s trauma informed care services in order to impact the next generation and reduce the likelihood of teens and children ever becoming homeless adults. This program will work hand in hand with mental wellness services that Community LINC already provides.
After 28 years of service delivery, Community LINC has discovered that most program participants have experienced some sort of trauma that contributed to their homelessness. Studies show that over 92 percent of homeless mothers have experienced severe physical and/or sexual abuse. Compared to low-income housed mothers, they have three times the rate of PTSD (36%), twice the rate of drug and alcohol dependence (41%) and half have experienced major depression since becoming homeless.Incorporating a trauma informed program is critical to heal and break the cycle of homelessness. By increasing resilience and educating parents and children on the effect of trauma, Community LINC will increase the protective factors in a child’s life.
With the new program, Community LINC anticipates serving 300 children during 2017. The funding for the program will cover the following expenses:
- Youth and Children Coordinator to manage the project
- Presentations with experts on trauma
- Trauma trainings for community partners with landlords, school personnel, etc.
- Curriculum on protective factors for children and youth
- Lobby upgrade to make it more child friendly and warm and calming
- Resilient/Protective Factor baskets
- Integration of two generation art programming for healing and family bonding through Kansas City Young Audiences
Program success will be measured with pre and post testing, monitoring of debt satisfaction, employment and meeting attendance and through case management reports and reviews. Community LINC’s goal aims to have 80 percent of families who exit from transitional to permanent housing remain stable for five years. In addition, they want 70 percent of participating children to average 80 percent or higher on resiliency cognition.
Community LINC offers a number of volunteer opportunities. Find out more about how you can get involved.