Samantha Sims and Heath Boehm of Giving Grace
Samantha Sims, Chief Development Director, and Heath Boehm, Life Skills Director at Giving Grace Denton, attended a recent Kiwanis Club meeting. Samantha enlightened the members about Giving Grace and the programs and activities it provides in Denton County. Samantha shared the work of Giving Grace, which works in Denton neighborhoods to identify the homeless and provide a wide array of support and services to assist individuals and families.
Heath Boehm gave a presentation of the training he provides as part of the Life Skills program. He covered The Life Skills Program, which provides faith-driven content and a healthy community that prepares students to engage and contribute in family, work, and worship.
Samantha updated the progress on Love First, a transformative community campus that will offer housing and comprehensive supportive services to 60 to 70 families at a time. This campus will be a place of healing, growth, and new beginnings for families in Denton County striving to overcome homelessness and housing instability.
Giving Grace is a 501(c)(3) organization that serves individuals and families with children in Denton County who are currently homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless. By offering a continuum of care, they empower individuals and families with the consistent support and community they need. Giving Grace typically supports over 400 individuals and families each month.
In 2016, Giving Grace collaborated with Denton’s Police Department to connect with the Street Outreach team and broaden accessibility. The team travels into encampments, abandoned buildings, under bridges, parking lots, and streets regularly to build relationships with clients living in these areas. They work to break the cycle of homelessness by addressing barriers and connecting clients to the resources needed. Therefore, clients do not have to come to Giving Grace, but they can reach out to them and consistently work on building the relationship needed to transition from homelessness to housing, one life at a time. Samantha reported that the case workers frequently follow up with the people they support to help with daily needs and care.
The signature housing program was developed to assist families experiencing homelessness with at least one member living with a disability to obtain safe, stable, and affordable housing. This program offers: housing stability, support services, life skills classes, and intensive case management. Giving Grace also assists in stabilizing housing for individuals in jeopardy due to job loss, medical emergency, or family conflict.
For more information about Giving Grace, see their website at www.givinggrace.org.