Let's Get Our Facts Straight

Unfortunately, someone opposing our move to Mercy posted a story on their website from a client who had a poor experience at the Mission. Some of our clients do have poor experiences. We see hundreds of homeless people each year and some have poor experiences for different reasons. We sometimes exchange difficult clients with other shelters only to find that their client does well with us and vice-versa. More often than not, a different setting with different staff and personalities may result in a fit and a positive outcome. The client in the story reports that she stayed at the Mission for one hour, hardly time to properly evaluate services at the Mission. She also reported that all residents at Wayside were forced out in the morning. This information is incorrect; we have had a day shelter for our clients since 1994. We do not force our clients out during the day like some shelters, instead we require our family and women clients to participate in education, including parenting classes, budgeting classes, computer class, rational emotive therapy training, craft classes, a Friday morning support group, Bible studies, as well as, case management and sober living classes. In fact there is a wide range of support groups, educational opportunities, self help classes, and case management which a client will not experience in a one hour stay.