Causes: Emergency Assistance, Food, Food Programs, Human Service Organizations, Human Services

Mission: SERVE, Inc., a non-profit community organization, together, with volunteers, donors, and public/private partners is dedicated to strengthening the Prince William County, Manassas and Manassas Park community through comprehensive programs and partnerships that provide basic needs and promote economic independence for homeless and underprivileged individuals and families.

Results: Family Emergency Shelter: Provides temporary emergency shelter for 60 homeless men, women and children nightly and includes a comprehensive case management and child services program.  In FY 2008, almost 20,000 nights of shelter were provided for over 543 individuals.  Approximately 7,500 of those nights were provided to children.  Community Transitional Housing: Operates 11 transitional housing units in the Prince William/Manassas area. Eligible families and individuals receive subsidized housing and intensive support services for up to 24 months. Food Distribution Center: Provides emergency food assistance that effectively prevents hunger in the local community. SERVE receives food donations from individuals, local grocery stores, area farmers and markets, and through food drives run by dozens of churches and community groups. We distributed over $1.2 million worth of donated food to over 700 households monthly.  Life Skills Training Program: Promotes independence by providing clients with basic skills for living. Training includes classes in word processing, employment development, household maintenance, budgeting, parenting, and other important skills that give individuals the ability to achieve independence.  Emergency Assistance: Provides financial counseling and assistance for rent, utilities, medical prescriptions, and transportation. Almost 400 households received an average of $225 in financial aid. More than $73,000 in cash assistance was provided for our community’s most vulnerable citizens. EA also processes vouchers for free supplemental food, school supplies and provides information and referral about resources throughout the county. In total, the Emergency Assistance office provided 8,343 individuals with a variety of aid throughout the year.  Holiday Signature Programs: Signature programs such as Operation Turkey, Adopt-a-Family, and Secret Santa Shop provided special assistance during the holidays.  In 2007, Operation Turkey provided Thanksgiving baskets to 3,894 individuals representing 1382 households.  Secret Santa Shop provided 22 shelter children with unwrapped gifts to give their family members. Because of the generosity of the community, parents were able to shop also.  Fifty families were adopted for the holidays in SERVE’s Shelter, Transitional Housing and Emergency Assistance programs.

Target demographics: Each year, the SERVE Family Care Shelter assists over 600 people.  In an average month, SERVE provides food to 750 families and financial assistance to 300 people.  We serve those in our community who are low-income or vulnerable due to a n unexpected crisis in their lives.

Direct beneficiaries per year: We provided direct services to over 8,300 people this year, helping them with shelter, food and housing.

Geographic areas served: Prince William County, Manassas, Manassas Park