WOMEN'S DIVISION
CLIENT SERVICES CENTER
Providing safe shelter has always been a key part of Haven of Rest’s efforts to help. In 2007, 64,884 nights of safe, clean lodging were provided to men, women and children who would otherwise have spent the night on the street
Haven of Rest’s 37,000 square foot Client Services Center was built in response to a need for additional facilities that would make possible a more effective ministry to the steadily growing number of homeless and disadvantaged people in greater Akron and the surrounding seven-county area. The Center contains a men’s day room, women’s day room, 100-bed men’s dormitory, and a clothing receiving and distribution area.
Women's Day Room Ministry:
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The women’s day room is the entry point for homeless women to begin the rehabilitation process that will lead to the stabilization and re-establishment of their lives.
As the homeless come in off the streets, they find a variety of essential services available to them, including laundry, showers, telephones, and mail pick-up. In addition, there are counseling rooms where they can meet privately with Haven of Rest staff or other social service agency workers to discuss problems and needs. Classroom space is also provided for life skills training, Bible studies, and group meetings. The women’s day room includes a special quiet room where those who are pregnant or ill can rest.
Lodging Ministry:
The Harvest Home’s 15-bed women’s dormitory provides safe, clean lodging for homeless single women.
Clothing Receiving And Distribution:
Each month, Haven of Rest is the recipient of thousands of pounds of donated new and used clothing which is processed, stored, and dispensed at the Client Services Center’s receiving and distribution area. A donation drive-through is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It is closed on Sunday.
In the clothing display area, hundreds of apparel items women, and children are available at no cost to needy families and individuals. Except for emergencies, “shopping” is by voucher only. Each voucher is good for one visit, and one visit is permitted each month.
RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM
Haven of Rest Ministries opened Harvest Home in 1979 in response to the growing need for an emergency shelter for women and children in crisis situations.
When the doorbell rings at Harvest Home, staff members never know who to expect, but they can be reasonably sure it’s someone very much in need for help. It may be an abused mother and child, an elderly homeless women, or a woman with a drug addiction problem.
Those who come are welcomed into a warm, family-like atmosphere where Christian love prevails. Every effort is made to meet their immediate physical needs and to help them take the steps that will lead to the resumption of meaningful, productive lives. .jpg)
Some will spend only a night. Others, depending on their particular situation, may remain longer. The average stay is two-three months. Whether their time at Harvest Home is long or short, all leave secure in the knowledge that they are loved and important to God.
Because many of its residents are single mothers with young children, Harvest Home, employs a full-time child advocate whose job it is to help youngsters cope with the fear, rejection, abuse, and uncertainty that have been a part of most of their young lives.
Harvest Home can accommodate up to 52 women and children. Referrals come primarily from churches, agencies, hospitals, and the court system.
