The homeless services nonprofit Haven for Hope in San Antonio kicked off the summer by holding an ice cream social on Friday for the children staying on its campus.
“Congrats to the Haven kiddos for completing another year of school,” the organization posted on its Facebook page.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Haven for Hope has seen an increase in the number of homeless families with children in need of its services. At its transformational campus, Haven for Hope served 1,085 children in 2023, according to the group’s latest impact report.
“Haven operates a 92-bed family residential dorm (FRC) in addition to a Family Emergency Services (FES) program designed for 25 ‘overflow’ families. In FY 2023, we served an average of 60 FES families a day. Contributing factors leading to the sharp increase in families include inflation, rising rent prices, and the discontinuation of the eviction moratorium,” Haven for Hope said in the report.
At Friday’s ice cream social, Haven for Hope and its partners provided children with treats, water activities, and a piñata to enjoy the end of the school year and the beginning of summer.
“Special thanks to CPS Energy for volunteering and providing fun activities for the kids,” Haven for Hope wrote on Facebook.
The nonprofit also welcomed a special guest to the event, Rosemary Kowalski, chair emeritus and founder of The RK Group, to celebrate her 100th birthday:
“A living icon in San Antonio, Rosemary’s contributions as a trailblazing entrepreneur and philanthropist have inspired many in our city and around the globe. She was presented with a box of 100 handmade birthday cards crafted by all the Haven children living on campus … happy birthday Rosemary!”
Haven for Hope operates a “one-stop-shop” model of homeless services, providing drug counseling, job training, and mental health services on the same campus where it maintains transitional housing. The model has been credited with a 77% reduction in unsheltered homelessness in San Antonio’s downtown area.
Some local stakeholders in Dallas want to launch the “one-stop-shop” model, but it is unclear if City officials are willing to experiment with the project.
Polling indicates that Dallas residents think homelessness and vagrancy continue to be “major” problems throughout their city. Residents also seem to look upon Haven for Hope’s “one-stop-shop” model favorably.
