VINCENNES — During the bimonthly meeting, the Vincennes City Council heard from First City Sunrise and the work the nonprofit organization has been doing in Knox County.
First City Sunrise president Caroline Steinman and vice president and house manager Troy Pickel address the council about the success the organization has had since it became officially one year of operation this October.
Steinman said that by creating the emergency temporary shelter for the homeless residents of Knox County, they have been able to temporarily house 207 of 269 applicants for the shelter.
Steinman also highlighted that 113 of those residents now have permanent housing. She said that she is impressed with the people who have acknowledged their current situations and want to get into housing, get a job, and improve their lives.
By creating this nonprofit organization, Steinman said that they’ve made multiple connections with organizations across the county, such as KCARC and the Family Health Center, to provide services for those in need.
Being nonprofit, Steinman said the majority of their operational budget comes from donations, and they will host some fundraisers throughout the year to help with costs.
Even with a grant through the Indiana Housing Authority, Steinman said, “we started going into the red just a little bit” in the last few months, and asked the council for consideration to be put on the budget to be able to continue helping Knox County residents in the future.
Pickel added that First City Sunrise solely focuses on helping individuals within the county; however, he has met with surrounding counties to offer guidance to those expressing interest in starting their own program.
Ryan Lough, council member, shared that he has visited the house where residents stay temporarily on multiple occasions throughout the year to see how they are doing.
“It’s very worthwhile. They’re doing a terrific job in an area that was really — we were lacking in,” Lough said. “I appreciate you stepping up and taking care of something that just needed to happen.”
Pickel said that there is a screening process individuals must go through to get approval for temporary housing, and from there, they offer aid in finding jobs, mental health help and more.
“What we’ve seen is, if we offer a stretch of hope, we’re assisting and engaging in our folks’ lives, we start to see things come together very quickly,” Pickel said.
Marc McNeece, council member, said in moving forward, he would like to have First City Sunrise come before the council every three months or so to hear updates on the organization.
After hearing updates and the request to be included in the budget, council president Brian Grove said while they couldn’t approve a set amount that night, the council has money left over that hasn’t been utilized this year, and that help is coming.
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