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Homeless Prevention Programs
Gate House Grapevine (Living Assistance for Families)
Applicants to The Gatehouse will come from a myriad of referral sources: shelters, social service agencies, schools, churches, hospitals, concerned family and friends, self-referral and more.
Upon Referral, an Application and Interview process follows.
The head of household must be 21 years or older; willing and able to work, willing and able to fully engage in The Gatehouse program, have proof of custody of the children with her or provide evidence that she is pursuing custody; have no CPS involvement as the perpetrator; be clean and sober for a year; have no level of mental illness that will impede her ability to progress in the Program.
Once accepted into The Gatehouse, the woman, single or with children, will be enrolled in the Independent Life Program….a 2 ½+ year Program that helps her and her children to heal from their past, and to move forward into healthy, productive lives with a purpose, with mom ultimately becoming self-supportive.
The top 3 barriers to self-supportiveness for women are: housing, transportation, and child care. The Gatehouse is committed to eliminating these barriers for each Gatehouse member … we provide housing, child care, and automobiles or auto repairs, along with food and new clothing, professional counseling, personal Advisors (Case Managers), Life Skills classes, and education funding to every member. As the member becomes more economically healthy, she will begin to contribute to her support… but always at a very low level and only in the amount that she chooses… for rent, food, automotive, counseling and education needs. The “rent” that she pays, the amount of which is determined by the member and her Advisor, is held in Escrow and presented to her at graduation.
The Independent Life Program is highly-structured and requires a great deal of hard work and commitment. It is based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and has tasks and classes and goals assigned to each level of that hierarchy. There is accountability every step along the way, with Advisors guiding and encouraging the families through daily contact and weekly Advisory sessions with the mom….and children, as appropriate.
The Gatehouse strongly promotes further education --- whether it be obtaining a GED, or a Technical Certification, or completing a 4-Year degree. This push for education is one of the reasons the Program does not accept government funding --- government-funded transitional housing programs are mandated to end at either 18 months or 2 years…sometimes even sooner. This generally does not allow a woman the time needed to stabilize emotionally and physically, to make a decision regarding education, and then to complete that education before having to leave the program. As a privately funded community, The Gatehouse has the discretion to allow a woman the time necessary for the completion of her education.
The Student Enrichment program addresses the needs of the children of The Gatehouse. Too often, the children are the overlooked victims of a crisis or chronically unhealthy situation.
The Student Enrichment Program encompasses play therapy and counseling, field trips that provide exposure to the Arts…music, theater, dance, painting, as well as to professional and local sports games, summer camps, and more. The Gatehouse is working with the Young Life organization to help the older students develop a healthy sense of purpose and to build friendships that may last a lifetime.
