WALK-IN SERVICES

Walk-In Services continued:

Food Pantry

Contact Ministries help people access food each and every day by directing our clients through food pantries in our community. When available, we have non-perishables for emergency situations. We also provide resource guides to local resources for a variety of services available.

Seasonal Programs 

Back to School: Contact Ministries fills backpacks with some school supplies and partners with The Shoe Clozet Foundation to provide a new pair of tennis shoes to approximately 250 children at the beginning of each school year. This is a pre-registration event. Watch our website for more information on when you can begin signing up for this event.

Cold Weather Assistance: Contact Ministries receives new and lightly used winter coats, hats and gloves from community donors which are then handed out for free to anyone in need while supplies last. Many organizations also do “socktober” drives for us and so we are able to bless our clients with warm socks throughout the winter months.

Holiday Assistance: Contact Ministries enjoys the gift of giving all year long, but especially during the holidays. Over the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, Contact Ministries helps over 500 families in the Springfield area with the help of our donors, our community, and countless volunteers. All pre-registered families receive food, gifts, and hope to help enhance their holiday. Families qualifying for our Holiday Assistance programs must complete an in-person screening before the scheduled event. 

Medical Assistance

Funding for prescription medication assistance comes from many different grants, organizations and churches in the Springfield community that help support Contact Ministries in providing individuals with emergency prescriptions. Medical attention is available to our residents through the help of Capitol Community Health Care. A grant from the Kings Daughters Organization offers financial assistance for prescriptions for individuals over the age of 55 years.

Clothing & Household Items 

Clothing, bedding and household items are available to anyone in need.  There is an assortment of clothes, shoes, bedding and a variety of household items that are available to help our clients and residents through the Basement Boutique. Shopping for these items are done on Wednesdays but special situations are evaluated, as the need arises, by a case manager.

Walk-In Services continued:

Food Pantry

Hunger is an ever-growing issue in our community. At Contact Ministries, we help people access food each and every day. Through formal agreements, we make referrals with other food pantries in our community. When available, we have non-perishables for emergency situations. We not only provide listings of pantries, but we also offer information about local food banks, soup kitchens, accessing food vouchers, and more.

Seasonal Programs 

Back to School: include school supplies both at the beginning and throughout the school year.

Cold Weather Assistance: Contact Ministries receives new and lightly used winter coats, hats as well as gloves from community donors. When possible, persons of need may be eligible to receive free winter clothing items, including coats, boots, hats, blankets, and more. Our organization also provides vouchers for use in our own Basement Boutique.

Holiday Assistance: Contact Ministries enjoys the gift of giving all year long, but especially during the holidays. Over the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, Contact Ministries helps over 500 in the Springfield area with the help of our donors, our community, and countless volunteers. All eligible and pre-registered families receive food, gifts, and hope to help enhance their holiday. Families qualifying for our Holiday Assistance programs must complete an in-person screening before the scheduled event. 

Medical Assistance

Funding for medical assistance from small grants and the churches in the Springfield community help support Contact Ministries in providing individuals with emergency prescriptions. Medical attention is available to our residents through the help of Capitol Community Health Care. A grant from the Kings Daughters Organization offers financial assistance for prescriptions for individuals over the age of 55 years.

Clothing & Household Items 

Clothing and household items are available to those in need.  Although space is limited, we do have an assortment of clothes, shoes, and a variety of household items that are available to help our shelter residents –and many other individuals in need. In addition, our organization works to find furniture donations used to aid our shelter families when we are setting up them up at their new homes.

Basement Boutique 

The Basement Boutique, our on-site clothing store, is operated by shelter residents and volunteers on Tuesdays and Wednesdays of each week. Eligibility is offered to men and women on separate days, and for both, on a first-come and signed-up, first-served basis.  Access to Boutique items is available to a total of 10 men each Tuesday* and up to 20 women each Wednesday.  

TUESDAYS: Men’s Day
Boutique hours are 9am-12pm  – Volunteers gather items requested by the first 10 men signed up to “shop” on that day.

WEDNESDAYS: Women’s Day
Boutique hours are 9am-12pm and open only to the first 20 women signed up to shop on that day. 

Although space is limited, we do have an assortment of clothes, shoes, and a variety of household items that are available to help our shelter residents –and many other individuals in need. In addition, our organization works to find furniture donations used to aid our shelter families when we are setting up them up at their new homes.

Case Management 

All clients seeking assistance from Contact Ministries must meet with one of our Case Managers for an assessment. Information gathered from this assessment, along with the clients’ input and future goals are used to develop a restoration plan for the client’s future. Referrals are provided to help the client’s overcome the challenges of homelessness and unemployment. Plans of service are created based on the clients’ level of need, their strengths, and their personal goals. Ongoing interaction with the client and the service provider is offered to coordinate the plan. The Case Manager oversees services provided to ensure that the client and the service providers are engaged in activities related to the original intention of action. 

Advocacy

Our case managers provide Client Assessment and Advocacy. We work to assess and personalize the response to all client needs. The case managers provide direct service and access available resources for the client. Our clients receive follow-up management services as needed.

Transportation

Transportation is provided to our shelter residents and their children to attend off-site training classes and events, interviews with potential employers, and appointments of many kinds. Participation in such events is essential to assist women and children in their move from homelessness to independence.  

Additional transportation is available to non-resident clients also served by our organization, as funding allows.