From the homeless shelter to the food pantry, Anchor House Family Assistance Center and Pantry in Seymour has seen increased needs and requests for services.
In February, the nonprofit organization addressed the increased need by opening the Anchor House East Overnight Shelter at 326 Dupont Drive.
The overnight shelter is staffed from 6 p.m. to 10 a.m. seven days a week and offers overnight shelter and meals to individuals and families in need of emergency shelter.
It’s currently operating with a capacity of 15 individuals and three families to accommodate COVID-19 safety guidelines and social distancing, but if fully open, it could accommodate up to 36 individuals and three families.
Fortunately, the shelter will continue to be open after Anchor House received notice it has been awarded funding from ESG-CV Rapid Rehousing, Emergency Shelter and Street Outreach funding.
Awarded and managed through the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, the funding will assist Anchor House since it’s experiencing an increased need for services due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Executive Director Megan Cherry said.
“Anchor House is proud to be providing services to individuals and families in Jackson County,” she said. “The agency is grateful for the opportunity to secure funding that enables these critical programs to continue to operate for the most vulnerable of our community members.”
Originally, the funds were awarded to IHCDA as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act passed by Congress in 2020 and designated to Anchor House as a recipient organization, Cherry said.
Anchor House met the guidelines as an eligible organization that is a current subrecipient and in good standing with IHCDA and/or Housing and Urban Development.
“IHCDA made a substantial amendment that requested funding be allocated to current Emergency Solutions Grants subrecipients who currently receive funding for rapid rehousing, shelter operations and/or street outreach,” Cherry said.
With the new funding, Anchor House received approximately $140,000 for shelter operations expenses, which will be used to address services provided from the time the grant funding cycle began in 2020 through January 2022. That will cover increased staffing hours, the opening of the East Overnight Shelter and ongoing costs for maintaining those services to clients, Cherry said.
Additional outreach and case management funds for approximately $50,000 must be utilized by September 2022. Cherry said that is aimed at reaching underserviced populations and providing longer-term case management services that increase self-sufficiency and success rates of clients experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless.
The shelter opening was made possible with a $50,000 COVID-19 Economic Relief Initiative Grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. and Indiana United Ways and financial support from the Community Foundation of Jackson County, Royalty Companies and private donors.
The new ESG-CV grant will allow Anchor House to keep the facility open after that money has been expended.
Anchor House also has a family shelter and food pantry at 250 S. Vine St., Seymour.
In 2020, the organization provided 284,805 meals and 2,427 nights of housing to Jackson County families, Cherry said.
At both locations, Anchor House has the same mission: “Fostering families’ independence while feeding our community.”
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For information about Anchor House Family Assistance Center and Pantry, call 812-522-9308, email [email protected] or visit anchorhouseshelter.org or facebook.com/ahfamilyassistancecenter.
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