Residential Assistance to Families in Transition, Inc. (RAFT)
308-865-1355 ext. 133
raftnebraska.org
16 West 11th
Kearney
Nebraska
68847
13,000.00
To provide services to those in distress through a structured residential program while empowering working families to overcome poverty and homelessness.
Financial Stability
RAFT is a transitional housing program/facility that works with homeless families to achieve long term financial stability and residential permanency. RAFT works with homeless families that need more than rent or utility payments to stay afloat. We serve families that maybe living in their car, fleeing domestic violence or living in a shelter. RAFT is a 24 month program that guides families through education, health and employment. Education includes a basic GED, continued education or certifications to achieve a living wage, and budgeting help. Health includes mental, physical, dental and support for a family to be stabile. Employment is mandatory with a family working towards a full time livable wage employment to be able to achieve self sufficiency once they leave RAFT. By providing a safe place to live and strong staff support, families are able to make achievements beyond what they would be able to do on their own. RAFT also provides 6 months of support to families once they move to permanent housing. This support includes case management and budgeting. To also make this transition to permanency successful, throughout the 24 month program, when paying rent, RAFT puts a portion into an escrow account for the residents. Upon completion of the 24 months, residents are eligible to use this escrow money for rent, utilities and deposits. This takes away the financial burden of having to pay a lot of money out of pocket and it keeps families from requesting this support from other agencies.
Page 2
- Buffalo
- Custer
- Franklin
- Harlan
- Kearney
- Phelps
28
15
34
8
RAFT families each have required goals and their choice goals. The required goals are budgeting, education (if they don't have their high school diploma/GED), health and community involvement. Their choice goals may include higher education, better employment, family issues, sobriety, etc. Goals can vary depending on the reason for homelessness.
Within the past year, we have served 10 adults and 19 children, Of the adults, 3 of them have been in the program for less than six months and 1 was dismissed from the program.
With the 6 adults, 83% (5 of 6) have successfully achieved and maintained the same employment for over 90 days.
Of the 6 adults, 100% have developed a budget and maintained it for a minimum of 90 days. They have paid off a combined debt of $20,000.
Of these adults, 66% (4 out of 6) are no longer in the program, are not receiving any sort of assistance and have found permanent non-subsidized housing.
Of the 6 adults, 100% are participating in community activities, which include; religious affiliations, YMCA, Kearney Children's Museum, sports/alternative activities for their children and volunteering.
With the 6 adults, 83% (5 of 6) have successfully achieved and maintained the same employment for over 90 days.
Of the 6 adults, 100% have developed a budget and maintained it for a minimum of 90 days. They have paid off a combined debt of $20,000.
Of these adults, 66% (4 out of 6) are no longer in the program, are not receiving any sort of assistance and have found permanent non-subsidized housing.
Of the 6 adults, 100% are participating in community activities, which include; religious affiliations, YMCA, Kearney Children's Museum, sports/alternative activities for their children and volunteering.
Of the 3 adults that have been in the program less than 6 months, 1 of them has achieved full time employment for 60 days, 1 is back in school to get a high school diploma (also has a newborn of 3 months) and the other has a 4 month old (+3 children) and just started back to work part time and is attending GED classes.
Max and Brooke came into the RAFT program with 3 kids. They just had a newborn baby within a week of moving into RAFT. They had been evicted from their home due to past due rent and were not eligible for public housing because of previous rental debt owed. Neither parent had jobs and minimal education. Spending habits were obviously unhealthy as they had so much past due rental debt. Max was able to get a job fairly quickly with a local fast food restaurant. Brooke stayed at home on maternity leave. She also worked on getting child support established for one of the 3 children. After the maternity leave was over, Brooke got employed. They had kids all 3 kids in daycare and they all got sick. Mom had to miss work; she lost her job. They were struggling to make ends meet, but it was also difficult with only one vehicle. Brooke applied at the same job as Max. They got opposite shifts in order to have a parent available to take care of the kids as needed. Max worked every shift possible and slowly moved up to management. They were getting steady paychecks. Tax time came. They paid off $6,000 in old school debt, $1,800 in past due rental debt and was able to fix their car. We worked on spending habits which was difficult for Brooke. With help of a counselor and regular budgeting meetings, she found out that it wasn’t necessary to buy thing for her kids all the time. Max and Brooke came to agreements on personal spending and what their savings plan looked like. They started an emergency fund and were able to use it several time for tires, car battery and things that had come up. They made sure to replenish it and eventually got up to $1,000. Then came a letter in the mail. They owed $2,700 still on more college debt that Max had (college that was never completed). We were able to make contact with the school and set up payments before it made it to collections. Again, when tax time came, they paid it off entirely and also bought another reliable vehicle. Max is now a manager and Brooke a shift manager at the same job. They have each been employed for over a year. They have moved into their own apartment and receive no assistance. They also have no debt. Max hopes to continue his education to be able to get an even better job. They aren’t where they want to be 100%, but they are far from where they were when they came to RAFT.
Page 3
At RAFT, we only have 2 full time staff. United Way is a big part of helping us to “get the word out” about our program. We try hard to make it to community events and tell about what we do and what RAFT is all about, but sometimes the needs of the families come first. Along with the great work our own board does, the United Way board is an additional group that is involved in helping the community learn about our program.
United Way also is a hub for getting volunteers, finding program information and for helping our families with some of their needs. United Way has done a great job at helping us smaller non-profits to have access to further education about running our organization.
Also, the programs that United Way provides, such as the backpacks and the shoes has a major impact on our families. Parents often cant afford all the school supplies required, so without United Way, parents often have to choose whether to pay their bills or get kids ready for school.
United Way also helps us to be able to provide the 25% match that is required for our federal HUD grant. Without the match, we would not be able to get the major program funding.
United Way also is a hub for getting volunteers, finding program information and for helping our families with some of their needs. United Way has done a great job at helping us smaller non-profits to have access to further education about running our organization.
Also, the programs that United Way provides, such as the backpacks and the shoes has a major impact on our families. Parents often cant afford all the school supplies required, so without United Way, parents often have to choose whether to pay their bills or get kids ready for school.
United Way also helps us to be able to provide the 25% match that is required for our federal HUD grant. Without the match, we would not be able to get the major program funding.
Often times when our families get started in the program they may not be receiving mainstream benefits (EBT, daycare assistance, Medicaid, etc.) They do apply for this upon entering the program, but it can take up to 45 days to process. RAFT is often times able to help families get started with minimal groceries and things like that. We often times work with the Jubilee Center to help our families with other needs that may include clothing, household items, extra food and toiletries. This can also sometimes include baby items such as diapers, wipes and Desitin. We have also utilized the services at Salvation Army or the Mid-Nebraska Food bank for similar reasons. This is extremely helpful as an agency to be able to just call and say that we are sending one of our families down there for help.
RAFT works closely with the SAFE Center to take referrals of families that are fleeing domestic violence. As part of HUD’s regulations on families that we can house, those fleeing domestic violence qualifies as homeless. When SAFE Center refers these families, we work together to make sure the families have a long term plan and can utilize unduplicated services from both agencies to help with recovery from the situation they were fleeing from. SAFE Center is often utilized for continued counseling and abuse treatment, where at RAFT we work on housing, budgeting and employment.
Supplies emergency grocery needs for 2 families.
Pays for 2 adults to take GED classes and get their certification.
Pays for 2 adults to take certification classes to achieve a livable wage. (CNA, MA, welding, etc)
Pays for gas voucher assistance for 5 families for an entire year. This helps families get to appointments, work and kids to school.
RAFT staff participated in filling the backpacks, the kickoff event (had a table and soccer goal), we participated in a couple of dine out events. Also, we were on Talk of the Town, consistently share United Way events on our Facebook page and we did a short part with the Radio-a-thon.
Again, with only 2 staff it can be difficult to make it to all the events, but we do our best to show the importance of United Way.
Again, with only 2 staff it can be difficult to make it to all the events, but we do our best to show the importance of United Way.
- Our Board of Directors were solicited for the United Way Kearney Area campaign
- We held an United Way employee campaign in our agency
- Our employees contributed any amount to the United Way Kearney Area Campaign (more than $0)
- Our Agency clearly identifies itself as a United Way partner agency, using the United Way logo
Page 4
Copy of Latest Financial Audit, review or detailed financial statement or online link: