A local group of volunteers addressing the issues of homelessness is doing more than just providing a place to sleep for the night.

The Audrain County Shelter Resource Coalition (ACSRC) after years of planning and fundraising was able to open a transitional housing shelter to help people who are on the verge of homelessness. The shelter opened in January and has been at near capacity since.

Board Treasurer for ACSRC Janelle Williams told the Ledger that people who come to them for help are entering into a comprehensive program designed to get them to a place where they can live on their means.

“It’s a more intensive program where we’re working with individuals who are ready to move into permanent housing and they just need a hand-up to help get them there,” Williams said. “We kind of wrap around them with resources, referrals, and support that help them move into permanent housing.”

Not everyone who seeks help ends up in the transitional program. Some folks are close to being homeless and there are things the ACSRC has done to keep that from happening like helping someone with their rent for a month or two while they find a job.

“We’re trying to keep them out of the system,” Williams said. “It also gives us that connection to work on them and say, ‘Okay, what got us here and how can we avoid getting here again.’”

ACSRC works with other local organizations like the Arthur Center, Central Missouri Community Action Network, and Uplift Missouri for referrals. The ACSRC also operates a shelter that is mostly open during the coldest winter months and encounters many folks who are what’s termed “chronic homelessness.” Williams said to go beyond just offering a shelter in the winter to those people the ACSRC would have to hire medical staff and counselors.

“We do the best that we can when we do see them here,” Williams said. “They can network out and get help from someone in the area who can help them. We still provide them assistance even though our program might not be the right one for them.”

Thanks to some fundraising efforts the ACSRC has been able to hire some staff. The group has two fundraisers each year and they’ve been able to raise funds through business tax credits. Businesses can buy the credits and save up to 70 percent on their taxes. Williams said the funding is vital for what they are doing.

“Without that, we can’t provide that case management piece,” Williams said. “We can open the doors and say, ‘Come on in you can sleep here,’ but that’s not going to solve the problem.”

Melissa Stewart has been hired by the group as the Community Coordinator and she spends a lot of time helping the client through the program. Stewart said most folks don’t think about things they take for granted like having an ID or the necessary documents needed to rent an apartment.

“I think the thing we were most surprised about by doing the prevention part was how much documentation that we’re required to get,” Stewart said. “A lot of people don’t have any of that stuff and we’re starting from scratch and that stuff takes a lot of time.”

Volunteer Board Member Linda Ahmann said fundraisers for the group are not just about money. It’s also about awareness and networking.

“Our fundraisers are not 100 percent totally because of funds,” Ahmann said. “It’s awareness to get out and get new people seeing us and asking us what we’re doing.”

Williams said volunteers can assist in many different ways such as providing transportation, sharing a skill set they have or just answering the phones. Williams said if someone is looking to add to the board’s ventures there are opportunities there as well.

“We’re always looking for additional support through the board too,” Williams said.