Editorial Intern
“I’ve heard horrible stories about shelters, but I can’t relate to that,” Lisa said. “Here, all of that gets thrown out the window. I have a great case manager, and I come to her for everything, even stupid little things. She takes care of me. Now I’ve just finished culinary school, and I’m starting two jobs. And in five years, I’d like to have a large bank account.”
And her message to the homeless community? “…stay focused, stay determined, stick to [your] goals and never be too proud to ask for help,” she said.
With programs that stress a low worker-to-client ratio and successful housing placements, nonprofit Calvary Women’s Services has been leasing space at 5th & K St NW for 15 years. But soon, the staff will follow so many of Calvary’s clients into a lasting home. A $3 million renovation project will convert an abandoned building in Ward 8 into a new state-of-the-art facility.
The larger accommodations will allow Calvary to expand its services, creating space for 15 additional beds, private bedrooms, a bigger kitchen and more rooms for life skills classes, which range from mental health counseling to art therapy.
“When you take calls every day from women looking for help and you know you’re maxed out and all you can do is put people on a waitlist, the opportunity to offer more services is amazing,” executive director Kris Thompson said in an interview with Street Sense. “It’s also a fantastic opportunity to go into a new neighborhood where the need is very great and there’s a bunch of service providers over there, like the United Planning Organization and Covenant House and Samaritan Ministry, so we’re excited to join with some of those organizations.”
Several local businesses have come out in support of the project, such as United Bank, which gave Calvary $1 million toward the purchase of the 14,000-square foot building that should be move-in ready by the end of the year. Other donors include Mark G. Anderson Consultants, OTJ Architects, Clark Construction group, Shapiro & Duncan, CS Consulting Engineers Inc., Walter L. Phillips Inc., Goulston & Storrs and the ever-munificent Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, which contributed $175,000.
“The women of Calvary appreciate the tremendous support that this grant from the Cafritz Foundation represents,” said Ann M. Hilpert, President of Calvary’s Board of Directors. “This funding is incredibly important to providing hope and a new home to homeless women in the District.”
Mark G. Anderson, President of Mark G. Anderson Consulting, enunciated the faith the community has in Calvary’s programs based on its glowing reputation.
“MGAC supports Calvary Women’s Services for the vital work it does for the city,” Anderson said. “Why Calvary? Frankly the quality and longevity of its very devoted professional staff, the use of paid mental health counseling on a low counselor to resident ratio, Calvary’s track record of success returning women to productive, independent living, and the knowledge that every dollar we use to support Calvary provides vital benefit. There is no fat on this organization. Dollar for dollar, supporting Calvary is pure muscle.”
And Calvary has the statistics to back up the reputation. Every five days, Calvary residents move into their own homes, a turnover rate so high that Calvary’s waitlist tends to be weeks, not months.
The application process does take some effort though. Prospective residents must come to Calvary between 3 and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and ask if the waitlist is open as it closes after 10 people. Once on the waitlist, women must call within every three days to stay there, or risk losing the chance to turn their lives around.
“We are committed to the client as long as they’re committed to us,” Life Skills coordinator Mary McGregor said in an interview with Street Sense.
Calvary residents receive case management, life skills classes, mental health and addiction recovery services, supported employment and even a savings program, where they learn how to manage their money responsibly.
Any additional help the women need is available through Calvary’s referral system, which gives access to agencies in spheres such as health care and GED training.
“There’s a lot of support, a lot of assistance and a lot of oversight, and I think that makes a difference because you have the opportunity to build relationships and a certain sort of trust that you don’t have in programs with a large number of people,” Thompson said.
In addition to short-term housing, Calvary also offers Pathways, a transitional housing program, and Sister Circle, a permanent housing program for those recovering from substance abuse.
But no matter the program, Calvary changes lives of both staff and clients every day. These changes will extend even farther in a new home with new possibilities.
“It’s opened my eyes to humanity,” McGregor said, “and how we’re all connected. In the end, we all want the same things in life.”
