Gratitude, and a note of encouragement
We are sending you warm wishes and hope you are safe and stable at home. Our team remains in good spirits through regular video check-ins, focusing on the positive, and doing what we can during this crisis.
Our call volume on the housing crisis line has tripled, but because of your support we are now able to provide supportive services coupled with rental assistance to more families than ever before. We brought on two new case managers thanks to your donations, a generous grant from the J.A. & Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation, and a grant from the City of Boise. For at least the next few months, we'll be providing intensive support to around 100 households per month and paying rent for 50-60 of them.
Of course, the need for what we offer right now is unlimited, and at least a couple hundred families who call us each month continue to go unserved. If you have given already, thank you! If you haven't yet or would like to give more, Idaho Gives is running from tomorrow through May 7th. Make sure to follow us on social media as we post updates and attempt to meet our $25,000 goal!
In the meantime, we wanted to share with you a bit of an inside look on the approach we use with our clients. It's important we all prioritize our mental health in the months to come, and you may be able to learn something from our approach. As we discuss our clients' needs and opportunities, we empower them to discover available options and identify their supports, strengths, and resources. Below is a sample of the questions our team members use with clients:
What is going well for you right now?
What have you tried and what has been helpful?
What would your family and friends say you are good at?
How have you been a support to someone lately?
When have you felt like you were making a contribution? How did you make that happen?
It sounds like you are resilient. What do you think helps you bounce back?
What are three things that have helped you overcome obstacles in the past?
Can you think of one small step that would improve X for you?
This is just a small sample of the work we do with our clients when they are in crisis. By focusing on people's strengths and listening and validating their experiences, we can inspire their innate desire to flourish. We wanted to share these with you, our partners, in hopes you can use them for yourselves, loved ones, and neighbors during this difficult time.