NSPIRE Atlanta is working with homeless men and women to support them in cultivating the skills and tools necessary to leave the streets behind for good. This innovative program addresses the whole person – mind, body and spirit – to examine and eliminate the situations and perceptions that led to living on the streets. The program focuses on these ten areas: 

1. Employment

Each program participant is hired as a telemarketer for a charitable clothing pick up company. They receive job training, a competitive hourly wage, a clothing allowance, and the funds they help to secure go back into the program.

2. Counseling

The program participants meet weekly with a clinical psychologist with specific experience in addiction, abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder. They meet in groups as well as individually. The group sessions focus on survival skills, living and working in community and addressing fears and life changes during this transition.

3. Clothing

With NSPIRE’s employment partner, Clothing Pick Up Services, each participant gets a new wardrobe of gently used clothing of their choosing that is work appropriate. Each participant is also given athletic apparel and shoes.

4. Food and Nutrition

Because of the work schedule, lunch is provided each day for the program participants through the church and other donations. NSPIRE also provides through an in-kind contribution vitamins and nutritional substitutes. The program’s primary outreach and screening opportunity occurs in a weekly faith-based service and meal provided at SafeHouse, a well established homeless services center in Atlanta. Each week, NSPIRE provides a nutritious meal and bottled water to 250-300 of Atlanta’s homeless.

5. Physical fitness and health

This is a holistic effort and physical health and well being are very important. Many of the participants have lived on high fat, high carbohydrate fast food diets. Others have diabetes, high blood pressure, HIV/AIDS and still more are dealing with the physical impacts of drug and alcohol use. NSPIRE provides each participant a gym membership and participates in a physical training program where they train together three times a week as part of their program commitment.

6. Transportation

The participants in this program are from Atlanta and the job site and faith community are located 25 miles north of the city in Gwinnett County. Through a generous donation, NSPIRE secured a 14 passenger van that provides transportation to and from the job site, alleviating an ongoing concern about transportation costs to and from work.

7. A spiritual community and spiritual growth

The cornerstone of this program is the faith-based mentoring program. Led by Pastor Gregg Kennard, the program emphasizes living a God-led life, valuing oneself and making choices and decisions through goal setting and prayer. Each week, the group meets to discuss concerns and issues, celebrate achievements, pray, meditate and support each other.

8. Personal coaching

For three hours each week, the group meets to address a variety of issues around personal responsibility, legal issues, financial planning and budgeting, education and personal development. In addition to these classroom sessions, Mr. Kennard spends time with each individual to work on their specific concerns and obstacles that are roadblocks to leaving homelessness.

9. Hygiene

Physical appearance and taking pride in the way one looks is reflected in how one presents oneself to the world personally and professionally. For many who have lived on the streets, personal hygiene became a luxury. Through a partnership with Great Clips, each program participant is provided with haircuts at any time. In addition, through donations NSPIRE has assembled hundreds of hygiene kits for men, women and children that include basic hygiene items (soap, razor, washcloth, hair care products, skin lotion, diapers and wipes, feminine hygiene products, etc.) that are distributed to the program participants and others at SafeHouse.

10. Housing

NSPIRE can work with the homeless men and women in this program by providing jobs, meals, clothing, outreach, and opportunities for spiritual growth but without a roof over their head, what change can possibly survive? In an ambitious effort, NSPIRE is renting a home and six apartments for members of the program. NSPIRE provides the security deposit and thereafter the tenants pay rent and a portion of the utilities. The homes are furnished through donations.

In the first four months, 20 people were moved off the streets of Atlanta and into apartments. With a 50% success rate, this innovative and provocative program is changing lives.