As part of the launch of our new blog, we will be talking with some of our favorite people and partners, leaders that PCI is proud to collaborate with across a range of projects and initiatives.
For our inaugural conversation, we recently sat down with John Yazwinski, the President and CEO of Father Bill’s & MainSpring (FMBS). FMBS is a remarkable nonprofit social service organization that is dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness by providing emergency shelter, housing support, and stabilization services to individuals and families in need across Southern Massachusetts.
We thoroughly enjoyed our conversation with John, and we think you will too!
Recently Father Bill’s has been increasingly focused on prevention and housing-first solutions, why is intervening earlier so critical?
A housing crisis can be a traumatic experience that impacts other areas of a person’s life, including their health, relationships, career, and overall quality of life. By preventing someone from losing their home, we’re helping an individual or family avoid a cycle of extreme stress and over-utilization of emergency services. Many studies have shown that housing is the most compassionate and cost-effective approach.
In recent years, Father Bill’s & MainSpring (FBMS) has introduced a new service-delivery model at our Housing Resource Centers in Quincy and Brockton. Beyond providing basic care, such as overnight shelter and meals, we operate innovative day centers that provide comprehensive and proactive supports for individual adults at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness. Our day center staff specialize in homelessness prevention and diversion, trying to help individuals retain their existing housing or avoid entering a shelter. For those who need shelter, we try to rehouse them as quickly as possible.
Those utilizing day services can access health care, technology, showers, laundry, day lockers, workforce development programs, and connections to partner resources, including behavioral health, addiction, and recovery support. By rapidly getting people connected to the resources needed for stable housing, we increase the possibility of sustained success.
What types of support have the greatest impact for seniors and people with disabilities experiencing homelessness?
Supportive housing is the best way to support seniors and people with disabilities experiencing homelessness. These are populations most likely to be on fixed incomes and to face other barriers that lead to higher rates of chronic, or long-term, homelessness. More than a third (36%) of our supportive housing tenants are seniors, which is the fastest growing population in our shelters and housing.
Among those entering individual shelter, 28% have a physical disability, 34% have a chronic health condition, and 16% have a developmental disability. The supportive housing we operate is designed to help these individuals achieve stability and more independence. And it works – 99% of our housing tenants stay housed for at least one year, while more than 93% stay housed for at least three years. Our housing case managers help tenants in a range of areas, such as accessing reliable transportation, managing a budget, connecting them to medical care, and securing positive connections in the community.
What are the big and small gestures that each of us can do to contribute during this challenging time?
First, we are grateful to The Property & Casualty Initiative (PCI) for being a great partner as a key project lender and for believing in our mission to end homelessness. PCI’s support is helping turn our bold vision into a reality.
There are many ways to support our work. The most efficient way is to make a monetary donation, which allows us to be flexible in how we dedicate resources. Whether it’s a major emergency, like a pandemic or weather event, or an immediate, unexpected need, like a family running out of baby formula, cash donations help us respond as quickly and effectively as possible.
There are other ways to donate such as in-kind or planned giving and we’re always in need of volunteers to help with preparing and serving meals at our shelters, facility maintenance projects, and offsite opportunities such as making bagged lunches or running a drive. To learn more, please visit helpfbms.org/support.
