Sunflower harbor work program spotlight

 My name is Aaron Feldkamp. I am a homeless non combative Vet currently enrolled in Sunflower Harbor work program. Today is Decemeber 17th 2020. I have lived with two of the most kindest people I've met since I came to Texas. I've been here since Novemeber 30th. I got a job last week at KFC. The things we do around the house is clean learn how to budget and adequately handle our finances. If a person comes here and doesn't have thier identification card or license the program director Mrs. Darlene will help them figure it out. She is very nice and gentle and extremely supportive and understanding for someone like me coming from a different lifestyle and background not many have. She is the nurturer of the Sunflower Harbor part of Mr. And Mrs. Anton Rogers ever evolving and developing management. Mr. Roger's brings an entirely different aspect to this program. Where as Darlene harbors us homless men and women Mr. Anton is all about giving a hand up not a hand out. If you dont know how to work or never hold down a job it doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is your consistency in trying your best always. The rest is if you dont know something Anton or Darleene will teach you. I've learned many things from Mr. Anton such as to not be so hard on myself. Not to rely in others and to make everything happen and manifest in my life by my own hands and with faith and confidence in myself. Also, I've learned consideration for others is a kept component of working together in a household setting. Since I began my program at Sunflower Harbor I have got a job and also work for Anton and Darlene when im not working my 9 to 5 job. We do things like clean the property up and deliver fast food and grocery products to people who can't or dont have the immune system to go out shopping in this pandemic.

Visit our website www.sunflowerharbor.org 

Monthly Update December 1, 2020

Www.sunflowerharbor.org Monthly update December 1, 2020

Working with the homeless in Abilene is a blessing. The city and people are dedicated to making homelessness in Abilene a rare and temporary thing. 

We are currently actively helping one person in our work program. He is currently occupying multiple positions. Workers do not have to live in the dorm to work for us, but our current helper is. We have a fundraiser set up in our registry to help our helper get on his feet. https://www.myregistry.com/giftlist/sunflowerharbor

Capacity with Corona limitations is 3. When corona passes, we will have 6 beds. 

Still fundraising for bunkhouse building materials. bunkhouse will more than double our capacity for the work program. Check out our registry for our needs for the next building phase. https://www.myregistry.com/giftlist/sunflowerharbor

Reminders:

Blessings bags. We are currently out of bags and everything that goes into them except toothbrushes. We rarely make a new contact now that we've been active in abilene a while. The way we've been handling it is asking what's needed and having one of our Abilene sunflower ladies deliver it. We're doing a lot of follow up. Checking on people we've placed and those we couldn't.  Followup is sometimes the difference between someone being able to stay in stable housing or homelessness reoccurring.  We use the blessings bags to break the ice and find out what their real needs are. We've given out 12 since last blog, all adjusted for the individual's need.

Placements. We do most placements using direct help from locals. Our Abilene Sunflower Ladies are great at networking. They find placement for the individuals we come in contact with. We can not place everyone, but Abilene has an excellent network designed to help the homeless, so those we can help are easier to help and we've been able to help many more than I ever imagined this year! 3 placements have been made since last blog. One of our biggest hurdles for placements is down-payment + first month's rent which not everyone qualifies for help with. Once we have other projects handled financially, We'll be setting up a fund for this. Look for it sometime in 2021. 

Job search fund. Our job search fund helps with clothes, and identification needed to land a job.  Job search fund can always use help. Many times, we can get locals to directly pay for these things, but not always. The fund is set up as a loan, but not everyone who uses it pays back, so it does need a boost from time to time. https://www.myregistry.com/giftlist/sunflowerharbor

Www.antonrogers.com is still running fundraisers for blessings packs for us. Bookmarks, t-shirts, bags and more are on sale there and all procedes from the Sunflower Harbor tab go to buying supplies for blessings packs! 

Cash App: $Sunflowerharbor

Registry https://www.myregistry.com/giftlist/sunflowerharbor

SUNFLOWER HARBOR HOMELESS OUTREACH 

www.sunflowerharbor.org