I have served on this Board for over 30 years. I have watched this program grow from a one person operation to a state of the art program addressing all catagories of Homeless people (familes between jobs, folks sleeping on family couches, Veterans, chronic mentally ill, college students with childern) in this greater Wheeling area.
Staff and Boards Member share a dedication to facilating Homeless peoples into and thru supportive housing to independ housing. We do not just give hand outs but rather we offer a steady hand for people to pull themselves to another level of living.
There but by the grace of God goes I. This how I would like to be treated.
It has been my pleasure to serve on the board for the Homeless Coalition for the past six years, and as the board's president the past several. I have been involved with other organizations, and I have found that few have staff members who are as devoted to their work, as caring about their clients, and as dedicated to providing services to the homeless of our area. The staff's work makes our work as board members easy in one sense, but also challenges us to be more diligent and provide them the tools they need to succeed. Under the Executive Director's leadership, they have grown the organization from being reactive to proactively trying to prevent homelessness. I am happy to continue my involvement with the Coalition and will remain involved even if I leave the board.
I had been seen by the Coalition since 2003. I had a long history or addiction and mental health issues and have been in and out of shelter for years. Each time I went to the Coalition I was treated with respect and encouraged to change. I have been sober and in treatment for 2 years now and I have my own apartment. None of this would have been possible without the positive encouragement of the Coalition's staff.
I volunteered for the Greater Wheeling Coalition for the Homeless in the summer of 2009. I found the services and attention provided for the staff to be far above the norm, and I believe this is an undervalued organization in the Ohio Valley. If more places put the effort into caring for those around them like the GWCH does, the area would be a better place overall.
I have been involved with the Greater Wheeling Homeless Coalition as a Board Member sence the late 1980's. I have allways been impressed with what good people can do for others. This organzation has always been a collection of people both staff and volunteers that have enjoyed contributing other people's finding as better life. We shelter them and their childern as they develope and start their plan for a better Life.
I have served on the board of the Greater Wheeling Coalition for the Homeless for many years. I have rarely seen an organization so focused and passionate about its mission. It's not a "hand-out" type of organization (not that there's anything wrong with that). It's truly a hand-up organization. It works with its clients to not only help them, but teach them how to help themselves - how to become independent, productive and confident. It moves them from homelessness to self-support, from those who have hit rock-bottom to those who are rock-climbers - slowly and deliberately improving their position in life - with a goal, direction and the strength to get there. The accomplishment of this mission has been a humbling feat for me to watch over the years. I can't begin to explain in words the strength of character the staff of the Coalition possess. They have so much more than just caring hearts. Working with the homeless every day is an extremely challenging and stressful career choice - because they aren't just doing a job. People's lives actually depend on the staff and how dedicated and sincere they are about their "job". It's real, it's serious, it can be heartbreaking at times, and at other times it can be the most rewarding experience imaginable. It's worth becoming involved in. The community can help. Contact the Coalition for more information on how you can help the homeless through your contribution of either time, money or goods. The Coalition is making a difference in people's lives, and with your help they can make that difference faster and better.
I heard of the Greater Wheeling Coalition for the Homeless from a few friends. Decided to walk in and see if they could help me. I now have a roof over my head through their transitional housing program.
I have had the privilege of serving on the Executive Board for the GWCH for over ten years. I have witnessed the caring staff truly nurture & care for our clients, daily, in ways that are not in a 'job description', but are from their hearts. They listen, they advise, they put the needs of the clients above all else. In addition to the high quality services provided, the GWCH does so in creative ways, given an ever reduced budget. They are determined to provide the maximum 'hand up' to our clients with minimal resources. I am amazed at the success stories & the lives changed for the people the GWCH serves. It is an organization that makes a difference and does so with the highest level of fiduciary, moral, and personal accountability.
In the fall of 2010, I was lucky enough to be hired by the Greater Wheeling Coalition for the Homeless as Programs Coordinator. Although my employment at the Coalition was far more brief than I would have liked, I cherished the months I spent there and the people I met. Like most people, before I worked there, I thought that the Homeless Coalition was primarily a shelter for the homeless, when in fact, it is not. While the Coalition does work in conjunction with several other agencies, including local shelters, it's primary function and goal, is to end homelessness. When a person who is homeless becomes a client of the Coalition, they avail themselves to, many programs that have the potential to truly change their lives. The Coalition staff works closely with individuals to provide them with immediate shelter, and for those who qualify, help in finding long-term housing and even permanent housing, all while providing education and support in essential life skills, such as securing employment, learning to budget and navigating the often-confusing path to earned government benefits. The staff at the Greater Wheeling Coalition for the Homeless are a rare bunch, always ready with a warm greeting and a cup of the city's best coffee. They truly are the kindest, most compassionate people I have ever worked with, treating each client with respect and dignity. Every employee makes it his/her mission to identify the best, most effective options available to help each client find his/her way to a better life. Clients who ask for, and receive, assistance are required to actively partake in making life changes, in educational opportunities, and to serve their own hours of service to better their living environments or that of those in the community. They are constantly seeking out new programs that may benefit the homless population of the Ohio Valley, or crafting new ways to pay for the continuation of programs that have proven successful in the past. In short, any individual who finds themselves down on their luck and chooses to step inside the doors of the Greater Wheeling Coalition for the Homeless, has already taken the first step to a better life.
