Over the past 30 years, Partners in Housing has been committed to providing the most effective services to support the Partner families in our program. We not only assess outcomes for reporting, but use the measurements for internal evaluation to ensure we continue to evolve in our service delivery. We use many methods of tracking Partners’ hard work and progress and are pleased to share these core outcomes with you! |
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What it all means:
Housing Nights: The number of nights the families in our program who were experiencing homelessness had a place to call home.
Improved Housing: % of families that successfully moved on to their own stable housing after exiting our one-year Family Self-Sufficiency Program. (The national average for transitional housing programs is around 65%)
Improved Self-Sufficiency: % of families that improved their overall self-sufficiency showing increased confidence, accountability, and the application of new life skills.
Improved Job Preparedness: % of adults that are more employable after attending our one-on-one Work-It! sessions. In these sessions, clients work on their resume, participate in mock job
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interviews, take career assessments, and work on building other skills that increase their likelihood of securing that next job opportunity.
Improved Income: % of families that have a higher income exiting our program than when they entered.
Improved Employment: % of families that improved their employment situation. This could be a higher wage, more benefits, and opportunity for advancement.
Improved Education: % of families that improved their formal education. This can range from getting their GED to receiving a college degree. This measure varies based on the families’ needs and ability to start a formal education program
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TWO PARTNERS IN HOUSING FAMILIES RECEIVE CARS! |
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Over the past few months, two families received cars that were generously donated to Partners in Housing! TwoCor, a local nonprofit that provided a trauma-informed work program to teens, donated both cars to Partners in Housing after closing their doors at the end of 2020.
One Partner who received a car is a single mom and Army veteran with an autistic son. She found herself in dire straits after her previous vehicle required expensive repairs. The car she was given allows her to continue attending appointments at the VA and grow her education consulting business.
The second car was given to a single mom of four kids who relies on her car to get to her job at a fast-food restaurant where she works 60 hour weeks. The minivan she received keeps her on the road and allows her to get to work, attend medical appointments for her daughter, and visit her family in Pueblo for a much-needed break. Transportation issues continue to present a significant barrier to many families in reaching their goals to achieve self-reliance.
We are so grateful to TwoCor for these life-changing gifts!
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There’s a quote by Mister Rogers that goes, “when I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”
We didn’t need to look far to find the many wonderful people and organizations that helped Partners in Housing this past year through grants, donations, and gifts of time! This newsletter we’d like to shine a light on the volunteer groups that helped get our properties move-in ready! These groups spent hours (and sometimes days!) painting, landscaping, and beautifying our homes giving families a fresh start on their journey through our one-year self-sufficiency program.
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A special thank you to:
• U.S. Bank
• Schriever Air Force Base
• Colorado College Volleyball Team
• Colorado College Incoming Students
• St. Thomas Episcopal Church of Overland Park, KS
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• Hope Church of Spencer, Iowa
• First Presbyterian Church of Kirkwood, MO
• Homebridge Financial Services
• Optum Health
• Target
• Mile High Youth Corps
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We’ve made it easier to support families in housing crisis AND save on your Colorado state taxes! |
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Did you know your donation(s) to Partners in Housing could make you eligible for a credit of 25% or 50% on your Colorado state taxes? It’s true and we’ve made it even easier to earn these credits! Explanations on each credit below: |
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EL PASO COUNTY ENTERPRISE ZONE – 25% TAX CREDIT |
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Effective September 1st, Partners in Housing is excited to announce that we are now accepting online donations AND cumulative donations for the Enterprise Zone state tax credit program! Previously, a single donation of $250+ made by check was the only way to qualify, but now donors have the option of making multiple donations throughout the year as long as they total $250+ by year-end (minimum of $25 per gift) and have the convenience of donating online! This tax credit was created to encourage Colorado taxpayers to make contributions to non-profits that make improvements to the Pikes Peak Enterprise Zone-like Partners in Housing!
Important Note: For your donation to be processed efficiently and accurately, you must include specific information with your donation. Please reference the chart below to see what information should be included. Also, for those that give by check, please double-check the Payable to: line of your check. It’s different depending on if you give $250+ in a single donation or if you make cumulative donations.
How to Give and Qualify for the Enterprise Zone Tax Credit:
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Donors that make a single donation will receive their tax credit certificate direct from El Paso County about six weeks after the donation is received by Partners in Housing. Donors that make cumulative donations totaling $250+ will receive their tax credit certificate about six weeks after December 31, 2021. |
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CHILDCARE TAX CREDIT – 50% TAX CREDIT
(and no, you don’t need to have children to qualify!)
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The most advantageous tax credit we offer is the Childcare Tax Credit which gives donors a 50% credit on their state tax liability! A popular misconception for this tax credit is that a donor needs to have children to qualify. That isn’t true. This tax credit was created to promote giving to nonprofit organizations that provide quality childcare in Colorado and so the state offers a special 50% income tax credit to taxpayers who donate to qualifying programs. Partners in Housing’s Child Enrichment Center is a qualified program and allows our donors to have this tax credit opportunity!
We accept donations for the Childcare Tax Credit by check and online! The chart below shows how to donate by either method.
How to Give and Qualify for the Childcare Tax Credit:
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Donors will receive form DR 1317 from Partners in Housing about 1-2 weeks after donating. |
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Always consult with your accountant and/or tax advisor for advice concerning your particular circumstances. If you would like additional information regarding either tax credit, please contact Jillian at jbirchmeier@partnersinhousing.org or (719) 325-5830.
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HELP GIVE FAMILIES A
“FRIENDLY FAREWELL”
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Thanks to the generous response to our request for Welcome Basket items in the previous newsletter, since June, we have welcomed 15 new families into the program with a new Crockpot, new pillows, and new cleaning supplies! We are now focusing on collecting items for “Friendly Farewell Baskets”. These baskets will be given to families who have successfully completed the Partners in Housing Family Self-Sufficiency Program and are in the process of moving into a new home. For these baskets, we are requesting donations of new items that you might give someone as a housewarming gift, such as candles, hand towels, planters with seeds, coffee mugs, and more!
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EVENT CANCELLATION UPDATE |
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In our last newsletter, we planned to provide more information on our annual fundraising event, Moving Families Forward, in collaboration with Galiant Homes and the annual Parade of Homes. Due to unforeseen circumstances, which neither Galiant nor Partners in Housing could overcome, we will not be hosting this event this year. |
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CERTIFIED AND READY TO HELP! |
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This spring, two Partners in Housing staff members received certifications that will support families working towards resiliency!
Hannah Blessing, our Individual Services Manager, received her Financial Social Work Certification that will assist families on their path to prosperity. Hannah oversees staff and volunteers at the Colorado House and Resource Center that administer one-on-one services for families in the Self-Sufficiency Program. This certification provides insight as to how we can best work with clients to address their relationship with money, how their behavior defines their circumstances, and how their circumstances ultimately determine their financial stability. Hannah can now share the skills that she learned with Money Mentor volunteers, who administer budget and credit counseling sessions, improving the quality of service to our families.
Sarah Seales, our Housing Navigator, received her Notary Certification in May of this year. Sarah provides assistance to families on their search for housing beyond our one-year transitional housing program, and advocates for our clients. She passed the state-required exam, took her oath into office, and her affirmation was notarized. Sarah is ready to support our families by validating signatures, administering oaths, authenticating documents, and more!
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MOVE FURNITURE & DELIVER HOPE |
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We are in need of several more Furniture Volunteers to assist with moving much-needed furniture and mattresses from our Donation Center to Partner family homes! We provide a box truck or passenger van for this task, unless a personal vehicle is preferred. Volunteers in this role also pick up furniture donated by generous donors so we can keep our free Donation Center full of furniture! This position is available any day, 9am to 8pm, whenever two volunteer schedules align.
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