Haven for Hope (Dec 17)

KBev: How do San Antonio Food Bank and Haven for Hope work together?



SAFB: San Antonio Food Bank and Haven for Hope have a great partnership. Haven for Hope serves the community in many important ways, and we provide the support to prepare meals for the people in their programs. It is a great partnership that helps us get food to the people that need it most. We operate the kitchen on their campus and at three other locations in the area. We receive over a million pounds of food each week, and these 4 locations and over 1,000 great volunteers help us get that food to the people that need it.

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KBev: How did Haven for Hope get started?



H4H (website): In 2006, business and civic leader Bill Greehey along with City leaders, began the effort to create Haven for Hope.The Haven for Hope “one stop” design was born after 18 months of research of over 200 homeless shelters across the country. Haven for Hope is a 22-acre campus for people who are experiencing homelessness. Our one of a kind approach brings multiple service providers to a single location thus increasing accessibility and efficiency of resources. The Haven for Hope campus has been in full operation since June 2010.

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KBev: Why is the San Antonio Food Bank’s mission so important for the community?



SAFB: The SA Food Bank is part of The Feeding America Network. Locally we support over 500 nonprofits that serve the poor and the needy. 70% of our food inventory goes to support these agencies. Food Donations also go to support unique programs we have for seniors, nutritional programs, seasonal programs, etc. We support a part of our food inventory by growing our own food. We now have 75 acres. The SA Food Bank serves a 16 county area, not just Bexar County. More than 300,000 individuals are ‘food insecure”; meaning either they don’t know where their next meal is coming from or they don’t have enough food to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Any given week the SA Food Bank services reach 58,000 in need.
The SA Food Bank serves a 16 county area, not just Bexar County. In our region 1 in 4 children are at risk for food insecurity, 1 in 5 adults. Of the 58,000 people the SA Food Bank serves each week 1 of 6 are in a household with a current or former military member.

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KBev: What are the underlying core values of Haven for Hope?



H4H (website): There are four:
1. Radical Compassion - We have heart - We show respect, kindness and patience in how we speak, see and serve
2. Servant Leadership - We before me - We model our mission by putting others first
3. Driven by Hope - We are people of possibility! - We act as pioneers and embrace innovation
4. Pursuit of Excellence - We don't settle - We seek the very best in our work and relationships

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KBev: How is Haven for Hope approach different or unique?



H4H (website): The individual is at the center of all our services. We meet them where they are.
1. We are Trauma Informed. We recognize and understand the role trauma plays in the lives of those we serve.
2. We are Recovery Oriented. We work with our clients to help them recover from conditions associated with mental health, substance abuse and trauma.
3. We are Peer Supported. We recognize the importance of lived experience in those we serve
4. We Collaborate. We work with 140 partner organizations to provide over 300 comprehensive services.

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KBev: How big is the scope of your operation to support some of the most vulnerable members of society?


H4h (website): Approximately 1,700 people are served daily on our campus. Haven for Hope serves over 700 people daily through our low barrier, emergency shelter program, The Courtyard. The Courtyard offers guests a safe place to sleep, hot meals, a place to shower, laundry services, and outreach services such as mental health care and housing services. Our Transformational Campus provides more intensive services for single men, women and families with children.
Services on our Transformational Campus include:
* Short-term residential housing on-campus
* Substance abuse and mental health treatment
* Employment Services
* Education Services
* Life-skills training
* Legal Services
* Childcare
* HealthCare
* Animal Kennel
* Housing
* And much more!

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KBev: Tell me about this location in particular.



SAFB: These pictures are actually SA Food Bank workers supporting the Haven For Hope location. Here we serve individuals and families that have moved in to Haven For Hope to get their lives back on track. They had nowhere to go. The goal is for them to eventually move out and be self-sustaining. We serve breakfast, lunch and dinner here 365 days a year. Only close overnight. We also deliver to 4 different sites. On any given month we do between 56,000 to 60,000 meals a month. We also have a Culinary Training Program that is open to the residents for anyone that is interested in the culinary field.

There are 8 SA Food Bank staff that work at this location. Led by Executive Chef Martha Solis there are 6 other chefs and 1 volunteer coordinator. We all feel very blessed to be part of this important mission.

Our mission is urgent, food is limited. There never seems to be enough food or funds to fully meet the needs of all who struggle.

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KBev: What options are there for people that want to get involved in supporting Haven for Hope and the San Antonio Food bank (aside from clicking the links in the summary)?

1 GIVE - Help Haven for Hope provide life-saving programs and services with a monetary donation. No donation is too small to make a lasting impact!

2 DONATE - Help us provide for the basic needs of individuals and families being served by Haven for Hope by donating in-kind items such as clothing, bedding, hygiene and other needed items.

Visit: http://www.Havenforhope.org/donate for a complete list of current needs.

3 VOLUNTEER - Haven for Hope relies on volunteers to help us provide programs and services to individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness. Volunteers assist with a variety of projects and can be on-going or one-time service opportunities.

The SAFB donation link is here: https://safoodbank.org/ways-to-help/

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KBev: So how did you hear about the San Antonio Food Bank and Haven for Hope?



Bobby: John is a sous chef here. Here offered me a position, if I wanted it. He told me about this place, and how it served people that were homeless and going through some things. His boss asked him if he knew anybody that could cook and was dependable. He thought of me right away because I taught him. I was his boss when he was young. He told me to try it out, and volunteer. I did. I loved it, because I was giving back to the people that are homeless. People that are going through things come back and help us. There’s a lot of guys that go through things, and I give them a little guidance because I’ve been through what they’ve been through. There is hope. If you have it in your heart, you can do it, no matter how hard things get. If I can do it, they can do the same thing. They just gotta put their heart into it. I’ve been through the same path, but not in a program like this. I did it a harder way where I had to do it on my own. As I started working here, it got easier. It’s like a family. I always tell people “This is my family.” Everybody knows me. I’m a good chef. I don’t take the compliments. I give a lot of compliments to the volunteers that come and help. I let them know it’s a good thing that they come and do this. When you see the people that are here, a lot of them need a lot of help.You sympathize with them because I know I can help. I’ve been through the same thing.

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KBev: How did you become a chef?



Bobby: I started cooking when my grandmother started showing me when I was little. I didn’t really have a mom. I started off on the Riverwalk as a dishwasher, but then I started helping chefs in the kitchen because I knew they needed a lot of help. I’m the type that likes to do a lot of work. I love to work. So I threw myself in the kitchen as a cook. They asked: “Do you wanna cook?” I told them, “Yes. I don’t mind. It’s more money.” Plus, I get to learn a lot of things as I’m growing up. As I learned in the kitchen, I moved up. Then they offered me a position as a head cook. That’s where I learned a lot more beyond just cooking. I learned how to take orders and place food orders for the restaurant for produce and stuff like that. It’s gets easier as you do it more. Mixing stuff together as you’re cooking is a passion. I just love cooking. That’s all I’ve even known. They always told me: You never know if you’re going to get married. So you better learn how to cook and clean!

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KBev: What about some of the residents? What friends have you made here? Who’s really helped you?



Bobby: I met a lot of guys here that are residents and have gone through some things. Some lose their mothers. A few of them have lost their parents or grandparents. You can tell the difference in their work habits when they come back here to help and talk with them. As I talk to them, I’ll ask about what’s going on with them, because they don’t seem like themselves. They tell me their problems and what they’re going through. So I give them some advice, because I’ve been through the same things. They say that they appreciate the talks that we have, and the next day, they’ll come back and say that. I always tell them, that when they’re going through something, “I’m here.” Whenever they see me on duty, if I’m in the kitchen, they’re welcome to come back and talk with me. I’m there. I’m there to give them an ear and hear them out if they need to talk with somebody. If they’re going through problems with a girlfriend, I’ll tell them, “You’re recovery comes first. You get through this program. Then your girlfriend comes later.” It’s as simple as that. I’ve met a lot of guys (and some women), and they come and tell you that they got a house, or apartment, a job, and it’s good. They’ve been struggling, and when they get it, they want to tell somebody. I tell them to keep doing what they’re doing and they’ll be out of here before they know it.

When my sous chef asked me about working here, I had to go to his boss first. She was really great. She interviewed me and told me how things work here. I told her that I was one of those people that “if you give me a chance, I won’t let you down.” She gave me a chance. Since that day that we interviewed each other (she interviewed me, but I also interviewed her), I’ve been here two years. I told her she’ll never go wrong with me. Ms. Martha is the one that really gave me an opportunity to be here.

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Kbev: So how did you hear about Haven for Hope?



Todd: When I got out of the hospital for my relapse, they sent me to Josephine Recovery. Then Josephine Recovery sent me here. Beforehand, I was at the [other program]. I went through their program, but then I got out and I relapsed again. I like this program a lot better. It’s a little more recovery oriented, more than a business, like the [other program]. You’re [working hard]. Here, at least, I’m working on myself. It’s helping me to understand why I have these thinking patterns. You know, how I go back to where I’m in the same boat again. I think this time it’s going to stick.

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Kbev: Tell me about the work you do here?



Todd: I help out working in the kitchen. It’s a blessing for me, because it keeps me out of my head. I enjoy working in the kitchen, so it’s kind of a God-send thing. I’m in my element right now, so I like it. I really enjoy it.

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Kbev: Tell me a little about how you came to work for the San Antonio Food Bank at the Haven for Hope.

Tony: Well, I actually came here because I was working for the food bank temporarily. I was with Catalyst Catering. That’s the social enterprise for the food bank. It funds the culinary program that food bank offers. That’s the first time I heard about Haven for Hope. That seemed like a really cool place, that I’d really want to work. It’s for people that really want to make a change. I’m all about making change for the better. So I looked into it, and somebody left Haven. So I applied and got lucky 4 months ago.

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Kbev: Can you tell me about what you like about working here?

Tony: I like that I’m part of the food bank. I enjoy feeding people. It’s all people that want to make change for the better. I specifically do deliveries to different sites that are detoxing and crisis units. That’s my main job. I normally don’t work in the kitchen. I really enjoy that because I get to see everybody and these are programs where you see change in people. You see change for the better. You see them come in. Then you see them leave, and it’s a good change. It’s never anything bad. It’s always good. That’s just nice - to see the good in people come out even more.

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KBev: How did you first hear about the San Antonio Food Bank’s work at Haven for Hope?



Monica: I heard about it years ago when San Antonio didn’t have a program for the homeless. We decided to start volunteering with the San Antonio food bank because my daughter does pageants and she wanted her platform to be helping with homelessness and hunger. So we decided to start working with the food bank and we chose Haven for Hope as our primary location to do most of our community service.

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KBev: Why did you choose homelessness and hunger as your area of primary focus?



Breanna: I chose it because I’ve gone through it before. So I’ve been on both sides of spectrum. I’ve been helping them serve food, but I’ve also had to go to a food bank at one point. So this is just what I wanted to do because I love it.

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KBev: What do you like about working together at Haven for Hope? 
[Note: Monica and her daughter, Breanna, have come to volunteer every weekend since they started a few months ago, we saw them here on Christmas Day preparing and serving dinner for residents]



Monica: I like doing it because it’s a good way to spend quality time with my daughter and it’s giving back to the community. It teaches her a lot
Breeanna: I feel the same way.

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Kbev: So how did you find Haven for Hope?



Anthony: I had just gotten out of jail, and I was really sick with this infection in my chest. The medicine wasn’t working because I was doing drugs and alcohol. So, I ended up in the emergency room and the doctors were noticing something was wrong. So I told them it was probably just the medicine from the asthma treatments and stuff. They noticed I was shaking really bad and going through severe withdrawal. I finally told them the truth and ended up going through detox and the next hospital. They asked me if I wanted to quit and I said “Yeah”. So they gave me a list of different places and I ended up picking this place out of the blue. I went through the in-house recovery programs. I’m still in it now.

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Kbev: What are some of the things you do around the facility?



Anthony: Right now, I’m in recovery. I’m focusing on my sobriety. I had been in here once before. I had 8 months clean and sober, which is the longest I’ve had since I was 11 years old. I fell off, but they welcomed me back with open arms. I’m going through the program again. This is my little way of saying “Thank you” for the things that they do. They actually have a culinary program I went through, and I got my culinary license through the food bank. I come back here and cook stuff for the guys that donate their time here.

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