Latest news with #wraparoundservices
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Providence Park receives $210K grant to fund support services for Pulaski County homeless village
PULASKI COUNTY, Ark. — Providence Park, a nonprofit working to end chronic homelessness in Pulaski County, has received a $210,000 grant from the Blue & You Foundation to support vital wrap-around services for its future residents. The funding will allow the organization to hire a licensed mental health professional, provide addiction recovery services, offer life skills and financial literacy training, and launch workforce development programs ready and available for anyone who moves in. Providence Park breaks ground to help the homeless For founder and CEO Errin Stanger, the project began not with blueprints or policy, but with a conversation. 'It really started with a relationship that I formed with a woman that was chronically homeless,' Stanger said. 'She happened to be resting against the front door of a previous nonprofit I used to run in downtown North Little Rock. I just sat down and started chatting with her, and realized she had been homeless since Katrina—that was 2005.' Moved by the encounter, Stanger began researching long-term solutions to homelessness across Arkansas and beyond. Her search led her to Austin, Texas, where she visited Community First! Village, a 51-acre master-planned neighborhood that houses the chronically homeless. 'I found the Community First! Village in Austin, Texas, which is founded by Alan Graham,' she said. 'We stand here today fully replicating what Austin has.' With support from Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde, Providence Park secured a 50-acre site in Mabelvale, just 20 minutes from downtown Little Rock. Phase one is currently underway and will include 100 fully furnished tiny homes, with the first 10 homes expected to be ready before winter. 'We are under construction and getting ready to build our medical clinic,' Stanger said. 'Thanks to the Blue & You Foundation, we've received a $210,000 grant to help care for our neighbors once they move onto the property and become part of our community.' Providence Park's model emphasizes more than housing—it focuses on dignity, community, and long-term empowerment. 'Within Providence Park, we are really building a neighborhood and focusing on community and really just loving our neighbors,' she said. In addition to housing and health access, the village will include a community center, commercial kitchens, laundry services, a chapel, orchards, gardens, and workforce opportunities within the neighborhood. 'You do need to pay rent to live within Providence Park,' Stanger said. 'It's $325, a flat fee that includes utilities. We know that's dignity—paying rent is dignity.' Residents will have access to the 'Community Works' employment program on site, with opportunities to earn income and build job skills. The village will also be part of Rock Region Metro's Southwest Loop, ensuring transportation access to and from the area for needs, and if someone wants to work off-site. While the scope of the project is large—eventually housing up to 400 people—Stanger said the mission remains deeply personal. Providence Park breaks ground on new homeless housing initiative in North Little Rock 'We realize that we will be starting at ground zero with many of these individuals,' she said. 'Chronically homeless means you've been on the streets for more than 12 months, or you've had four episodes in a three-year period. We just want to meet people where they are.' The Blue & You Foundation grant will help Providence Park do just that—by providing the care, compassion, and services needed to help Arkansans not just survive, but thrive. For more information or to support Providence Park, visit Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
05-08-2025
- General
- CBS News
16 Chicago public schools to receive funding for community partnerships, resources
Sixteen schools across Chicago will be receiving extra funding for family support and education resources as part of the city's Sustainable Community Schools model. A sustainable community school is a school with an emphasis on wraparound services and community partnerships. "Making sure everybody in the community knows what's going on, and not just the people who go to the school," said Ariana Anderson, a sustainable community school student "The difference that SES makes is just like the mental health portion in the classroom," said Alicia Anderson. Ariana and Alicia are sustainable community school students, reporting firsthand the difference they believe the designation made at Fort Dearborn Elementary School, at 9025 S. Throop St. Earlean Briggs is a sustainable community school parent at John B. Drake Elementary School, 2710 S. Dearborn St. She said the parents at the newly designated schools will have the opportunity to be more engaged. "They have the ability to be more involved," Briggs said. "They have the ability for their students to learn how to problem-solve when it comes to conflicts." Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announced Monday that the city is adding 16 schools to 20 it first designated as sustainable community schools back in 2018. He made the announcement at one of the 16 schools — George Washington High School on the city's Southeast Side. "It's also personal because I taught in our public schools," said Mayor Johnson. Chicago's 16 new sustainable community schools are: Samuel Davis, the principal at George Washington High School, said he is thrilled that the school is now a sustainable community school. "We're a neighborhood school, so our school is really important to the community," said Davis. Davis said the new designation means new resources for George Washington High School students, with the model centering community voices and work to address needs inside and outside the classroom. "We are able to offer, you know, like after-school matters programs where more kids can attend," said Davis. Of the 16 new community schools, three are considered overcrowded with too many students, while 10 have lower enrollment rates than they should. The designation means addressing both those issues. With the school district in the midst of a full budget crisis — facing a $734 million deficit — The existing 20 sustainable community schools require a $10 million investment. How will the district pay for this? The answer is unclear. But looking ahead at the new school year, and the resources he said students will provide students who need them, Davis said he hopes the sustainable community schools program remains a priority. "It's all about the children. It really is. Our future depends on them," said Davis. "It depends on how we treat them and how we make sure we support them." CPS issued the following statement about the Sustainable Community Schools program: "Chicago Public Schools (CPS) remains firmly committed to creating sustainable school environments, particularly in communities that have long endured economic disinvestment. The Sustainable Community Schools (SCS) model continues to serve as a foundation for equity, collaboration, and student-centered learning across the District. "The SCS model brings together educators, families, community partners, and students to create schools that are not only centers of academic excellence, but also hubs of support and opportunity. By integrating social services, culturally-relevant instruction, and strong family engagement, Sustainable Community Schools are designed to meet the unique needs of every neighborhood they serve."
