2007 Organizational Highlights

Advocacy

·        Coordinating all the local religious food distribution programs to reduce duplication of services.

·        Family Homeless forum to sound the alarm in this community about the harm coming to families because of our dysfunctional family shelter system.

·        Organized the first Homeless Stand Down at the Cleveland Convention Center in cooperation with the City of Cleveland and InterAct Cleveland with nearly 1,000 people attending.

AmeriCorps*VISTA – provides a link to the community on homeless and poverty issues

·        Collaborated with coalitions across Ohio to organize a Statewide conference on “Housing Ex Offenders”

·        Staffed the residence councils and the Homeless Congress is meetings improving conditions within the shelter.

·        Documented many instances of hate crimes and civil rights violations against homeless people across the nation for inclusion in the National Coalition for the Homeless report.

Bridging the Gap - provides a link to affordable housing and local resources

·        The program housed 67 individuals and provided welcome home baskets to each household.

·        The program distributed 50 additional welcome home baskets specially designed for children.

·        The program opened a housing resource center in the May Dugan Center building in collaboration with the Homeless Legal Assistance Program.

Cleveland Homeless Legal Assistance – provides a link to legal assistance

·        Although the program suspended intake for one month, over 500 clients were served

·        The program secured a location for the new self help center that is scheduled to open in 2008.

·        The program maintained 10 intake sites and staff coordinated attorneys who donated 192 hours of service.

Cleveland Community Voice Mail - provides a link to reliable communication     

·        The program served over 2,000 clients, an increase of approximately 300 people from 2006.  

·        NEOCH staff completed a two - year term on the National Community Voice Mail Board of Directors

·        The program engaged in six new partnerships with local agencies and received an Appreciation award from Veteran's Administration for the ongoing services provided to veterans.

Grapevine - provides a link to the public regarding homeless and poverty issues

·        The paper published four issues despite organization’s financial situation.

·        NEOCH staff trained 15 vendors to sell the paper and earn income.

·        NEOCH staff partnered with professional photographer Steve Cagan to train four homeless individuals the art of photography and displayed their work at a local coffee shop.