Waynesboro Area Refuge Ministry (WARM)
More than a shelter
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
WARM is a part of the nationally recognized Community Solutions' Built for Zero effort to eliminate homelessness in communities throughout the world. So, in their own words, here is the challenge we work to address... "Roughly 84,000 Americans experience chronic homelessness on any given night, meaning they have been homeless for at least a year and suffer from a disabling health condition. Meanwhile, roughly 40,000 veterans are also homeless in the very country they fought to defend. These individuals face drastically reduced life expectancies and account for huge public costs in emergency service usage. " In our local community, the issues of low wage earning employment, a lack of affordable rentals, and a previously stagnate homeless response system left many at-risk and homeless neighbors without the resource and support to meet their needs. WARM has taken a leadership role and initiated progress and solutions through our experienced staff, partnerships, local and state support.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Ruth's WARM House
WARM’s transitional housing program provides shelter and support services to 7 families at once. On average, the program serves 16-18 families with 30-35 children each year. The program has maintained an average success rate of 75-79% of families transitioning into stability.
Families reside at the shelter at no cost and for up to six months while regaining stability. All consumers participate in a one-on-one intake and ongoing case management to assess barriers, needs, resources, income stability, housing options, goal progress, etc. Residents and the case manager set attainable goals in a Plan of Care and measurements of success are based on obtaining stable housing within 3-6 months of entry, gaining or maintaining employment, & gaining specific skill areas based on each initial evaluation and goals defined by the evidence-based Arizona Self-Sufficiency Matrix Assessment. Families are offered Aftercare/Outreach services for up to 12 months after transitioning at of the residential services.
WARM Cold Weather Shelter
The 2nd program, WARM’s Cold Weather (Thermal) Shelter, began during winter 2011. The program serves the community’s neediest citizens through a low-barrier winter emergency rotating-shelter from November to March of each year. During those months WARM provides shelter, support, meals, showers, transportation, community referrals, linens, and personal care items to homeless adults at no cost. To do so, services are coordinated with local faith communities who participate as shelter sites and volunteers along with representatives from key partners who provide many of the services needed to address chronic homelessness or other harder to serve sub-populations. WARM arranges critical mental health and substance abuse services, healthcare access, spiritual guidance, disability and veteran services, and computer access with job search tools for interested patrons through community partners.
The Thermal Shelter program aims to reduce the occurrence or potential occurrence of cold weather related harm, health, and safety incidences, food deprivation, and traumatic stress for homeless individuals who are typically unsheltered. The low-barrier shelter model was implemented to ensure that all homeless have a place of refuge, a warm bed, 3 daily meals, and available resources to address the life factors and/or choices contributing to their homelessness. The availability of this shelter model enables services to be offered to homeless community members who do not typically seek shelter in neighboring communities’ full-year/moderate and high barrier shelters due to an array of contributing factors and social histories. WARM’s professional and experienced staff coordinate volunteers from the community at-large, partners, and members of 15 churches who serve as winter shelter sites and 10 additional churches who serve as shelter site partners.
Community Outreach
WARM provides outreach, prevention, and referral services to community members who are at risk of homelessness, are recently homeless, or can not be served through its residential serves. The program allows for the benevolence funds of faith organizations to be stewarded by professional and compassionate staff that offer accountability and proven methods to direct the funds to community needs. The program also provides the framework for WARM as a regional leader of the Virginia Balance of State's Valley Local Planning Group to create a homeless response system that aims to make homelessness a brief, rare, and one time occurrence when it can not be prevented. This effort is at the developmental and capacity building stages.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
Valley Homeless Connection-Built for Zero Recognition 2018
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
2021 WARM Organizational Goals
I. Programs
A. Provide services to 200 adults and children experiencing, at risk of, or recently experienced homelessness.
B. Secure/maintain stable housing outcomes for no less than 30% of shelter and outreach clients.
C. Provide or refer to case management, mental health and/or substance use support to 75% of clients reporting related needs.
D. Strengthen Peer-based services via the continuation or completions of Peer Recovery Specialist certifications for eligible team members.
II. Fundraising/Funding
A. Successfully carry out all modified fundraisers evidenced by meeting financial goals with pandemic considerations.
B. Execute Waynesboro Public Schools’ Student Services Reimbursement.
C. Complete federal grantee pre-requisites and planning.
III. Organizational
A. Update admin., programs, and human resources operations manual by staff.
B. Continue key staff & full staff meetings to be conducted at least once monthly.
C. Update staff job descriptions with a focus on equitable workloads and accurate responsibilities.
D. Complete employment contract terms for Executive Director.
IV. Community:
A. Increase community engagement via increased interactions from social media.
B. Update partnerships with at least 5 community agencies evidenced in annual letters of support and/or Memorandums of Agreement.
C. Integrate programs and client information into the Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS)
D. Maintain a lead role and partner support in the regional Valley Homeless Connection (VHC) network
V. Board
A. Add 2 Board Members by Spring 2021.
B. Establish Board Level activities for Major Gifts solicitations.
C. Update Board Orientation and Committee Plans in accordance with Board Policy Manual.
D. Operate and be held accountable to function in a governance manner at the Board level.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
WARM Cold Weather Shelter Annual Goals (November to Mid-April)
1. Provide 2,800 overnight stays for shelter guests. (Average of 20 guests/night)
2. Serve 125 different guests
3. Assist at least 25 (20%) of guests gain permanent/stable housing outcomes.
4. Provide 5,000 volunteer hours for shelter support and other shelter services.
5. Provide 8,400 meals for guests during the winter season
6. Continue increasing partnerships with veteran services, housing, and mental health-related services for participants.
7. Establish formal partnerships with other providers for emergency inclement weather day shelter.
8. Establish the capacity to complete diversion plans and protocols for participants who cannot be served within the program.
9. Establish procedures to track the in-kind value of contributions of program partners.
10. Develop partner faith community and service providers' contact list for support.
Ruth’s WARM House Annual Goals:
1. Provide shelter for 16 families.
2. Have 10 families, or 63%, to move into permanent housing. (total women/children estimate: 35)
3. Provide one on one case management for 16 resident head of households with a focus on the development of individual need assessments and a plan of care.
4. Provide 1-year of aftercare support and tracking for no less than 50% of families after they move out.
5. Increase program outcomes accountability measures for residents and staff.
6. Increase the delivery of services and formalized partnerships to help adult residents with life skills training and gaining long-term employment.
7. Strengthen reading volunteer program for children and tutoring access for school-age students through partnerships.
8. Help residents obtain professional counseling for drug and or alcohol recovery when identified.
9. Establish measurements of success for onsite support groups.
10. Establish Memorandums of Understanding with local service providers and partners to integrate formal partnerships and procedures for transportation, housing, and health-related services for participants.
Community Outreach Goals:
1. Provide homeless prevention, rehousing support, and/or crisis case management to 15 community members who are non-participants in the CWS or Ruth’s WARM House and are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.
2. Help no less than 10, or 67%, obtain or maintain permanent/stable housing outcomes.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
WARM has grown to include winter emergency shelter, transitional housing, and community outreach. While meeting urgent basic needs, WARM also provides critical support services and referrals such as peer support, addiction recovery, counseling, veterans linkage, access to mental and medical healthcare, case management, job search assistance, homeless prevention, and much more. WARM also serves its community's homeless as a leader of the region's homeless response system that has recently begun achieving state and federal benchmarks for establishing collaborative and robust approaches to ending homelessness. WARM directly serves 200-300 local community members each year while also impacting services to an additional 500+ adults and children experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness in our region.
WARM's capabilities also include executing programs within its service area. During 2020, WARM provided direct services to a total of 297 adults and children experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Waynesboro, Staunton, and Augusta County. Our organization continues to provide shelter and services to adults, older adults and seniors, adults with disabilities, and mothers and children experiencing homelessness in our community while facing the pandemic. We have found this to be an opportunity to do more good and show love while providing support in spite of perilous times and to show the significance of faith-based ministries' capacity and capabilities during a national crisis. In our typical winter shelter program, which has temporarily and unexpectedly become a full-year emergency shelter operation, a transitional housing program for women and children, and outreach, we served 297 neighbors experiencing homelessness or recently homeless with nearly 179 (or 60%) of those individuals housed, stabilized, or continuing in the process towards that goal. The individual program outcomes vary with 50% of emergency shelter, 94% of transitional housing, and 94% of outreach clients housed, stabilized, or continuing in the stabilization process.
Additionally, many of the winter emergency shelter clients, over 18 years of age, were provided critical support services while unsheltered or newly housed in the Spring/Summer/Fall. The stabilization portion of these services in the “offseason” has a direct impact on the reunification of these clients with their minor children, under the ages of 18 years, that they have previously been disconnected to or not stable enough to be a positive presence for their children that they have no or limited custody of. This effort is considered a part of our Community Outreach, but the numbers of adults served are not provided to ensure an unduplicated client count across program areas.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
It has been said that the only way to change the world is through a group of committed and concerned citizens. For the greater Waynesboro, VA area that rings true with Waynesboro Area Refuge Ministry (WARM). Founded in 2011 after a tragic murder in a homeless encampment, WARM was and is, focused on providing tangible solutions for the homeless. Before WARM began a winter shelter, it was up to churches to leave their doors unlocked so the most vulnerable citizens could stay warm as temperatures plunged.
WARM now includes winter emergency shelter, transitional housing, and community outreach. In 2014, it incorporated and restructured to transition to community-centered services with a clear non-discrimination policy that ensures all are genuinely welcomed into WARM's work. This collaborative effort directly serves over 200 community members each year and impacts the service delivery to 700+ community members.
WARM’s work impacts several hundred community members each year through its core programs and regional contributions. WARM serves as the regional Vice-Chair agency for regional accountability, performance benchmarks, and solutions to the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. The organization led in the 2018 development of regional homeless response system processes and new collaborative efforts that have enabled the region (Waynesboro, Staunton, Augusta County, Highland County, Rockbridge County, and Lexington) to meet state and federal benchmarks for the first time and, more importantly, collaboratively serve several hundred community members while decreasing the previous revolving doors of homeless services.
The recent progress has also positioned WARM as a regional homeless services lead partner and/or principal advisor for the region’s Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Supportive Services for Veteran Families, Waynesboro Public Schools, Shenandoah Valley Social Services, Valley Community Services Board, Waynesboro City Government, Augusta Health Center, local law enforcement, and more. WARM works to not only help its core programs but to also be a leader and resource to numerous community agencies and efforts to end homelessness.
The transition over the past two years has been intentional to ensure real community impact that changes the landscape of regional homeless services. WARM is currently partnering with the state Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services (DBHDS) to implement and replicate widely successfully community-based peer recovery services in 2020 and with the federal Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a permanent housing program for homeless veterans by 2021. Once implemented, both programs will provide innovative and much needed additional solutions to the region while providing WARM with additional revenue streams through Medicaid funding and federal housing grant funds.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Waynesboro Area Refuge Ministry (WARM)
Board of directorsas of 09/20/2022
Mr. Brian Edwards
Teacher/Retired Law Enforcement
Term: 2017 - 2021
Sharon Wood
Timothy Armentrout
Kanise Kane
J. Thomas Brown
Jill Klippel
John Kappes
Kevin Osborne
Patty Quillen
Pastor Mike Woods
Zanny Bandy
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
No data
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 06/05/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.