Family Goals/Objectives | Life Skills Classes | After School | Volunteer/Family Involvement

OUR MODEL

Each Rainbow Village family must meet several criteria to be accepted. To be eligible for our program, families must meet the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) definition of homelessness. Because we live in an area that is not well-served by public transportation, all adults must have cars. All family members must be alcohol/drug free and all school-aged children must attend school. Adult heads-of-household  must be employed a minimum of 32 hours per week upon acceptance into our program.

Each family that comes to Rainbow Village enters into a covenant based on accountability, initiative, and the achievement of mutually agreed upon goals.

Opportunities are offered for each family to become self-sufficient within one year. By becoming a part of a supportive community families not only stay together but find hope and promise for the future. By forming new habits and lifestyles, acquiring better job skills, and learning to live as healthy members of our community, all are served.

Family Goals and Objectives

Once admitted, a family receives a completely furnished home. Families can remain in the home for a period of up to two years as long as they are in compliance with the signed program agreement. Each family establishes a savings account with Rainbow Village and is required to save $300 per month. Each family is required to pay Rainbow Village 30% of their net income in return for furnished housing and supplied services. To ensure financial accountability, each family is required to report their income and expenses, follow a monthly budget which includes a debt repayment and savings plan, and meet weekly with our case manager who assists each family in setting and achieving realistic goals. The financial goal for each family is that upon completion of the Rainbow Village program their credit score will be improved, they will have sufficient savings to move into a home of their own and a savings balance equal to at least one month of living expenses.

Life Skills Classes

Families attend life skills classes to address behaviors, parenting, nutrition, wellness, home ownership, and financial management among other topics. Job training classes include resume writing, interview skills and computer training. Partnerships with government and area agencies, local schools, corporations, churches, businesses and other community organizations allow Rainbow Village to offer a wide variety of programs to families. "Graduate" residents offer group mentoring sessions to supply encouragement and support. On class evenings, meals are provided by volunteers. Classes are funded by foundations, corporations, and community organizations. While living in the Rainbow Village community, families are required to participate in community service and learn to help and support each other.

On Tuesday evenings, all children participate in fun and games in "the big recess" program while their parents attend life skills classes. Volunteers provide companionship and activities. Everyone has a fabulous time!

After School Program

Rainbow Village provides a comprehensive after school program for all resident and "graduate" school-aged children. Because of their unstable family situation, most of these children have attended many schools in their short lives. Rainbow Village provides a safe place to grow and learn after school. The after school program offers a variety of developmentally appropriate activities and enrichment, including tutoring, arts and crafts, a computer lab and internet use, games, parties, athletics, and monthly field trips. Volunteers from corporations, local schools, and churches help out with the children. The Children and Youth Program Director works closely with each child's teachers and school counselors to monitor the individual child's progress. Children improve academically, socially, and emotionally as a result of our after school program.
During the summer, Rainbow Village offers scholarships for summer camp so that school-aged children are not left at home during the day unattended.

During their stay at Rainbow Village, families are provided with a safe, secure environment to address social, emotional, psychological and spiritual issues. The end result is that families begin to heal and becoming stronger, healthier members of our community.

Volunteer Support and Family Involvement

Volunteer support is critical to Rainbow Village. Volunteers donate clothing and home furnishings, assist with the after school program, job training, and life skills classes, provide meals for evening sessions and assist with the upkeep of homes and grounds, work on fundraising and special event committees, and help with administrative tasks. Schools, churches, corporations, and community organizations provide invaluable assistance to Rainbow Village.

Rainbow Village families are required to participate in at least one community workday monthly and are responsible for the maintenance of their own homes and yards. A graduate resident serves on the Rainbow Village Board of Directors to represent resident concerns and interests. During orientation sessions our staff solicits input from families on topics for life skills classes, community service work, and other issues. Adult residents assist with the after school program as their work schedule allows

Rainbow Village provides necessary assistance to families in crisis to enable them to overcome the devastation of homelessness and return to the mainstream as productive members of society. With the support of Rainbow Village more than 200 families have successfully transitioned back into the mainstream as productive members of our community. Rainbow Village is unique in that families are held accountable and must take initiative to overcome the obstacles of homelessness. Rainbow Village supports families in their efforts to recover from events of the past - the trauma of battering, the loss of homes, jobs, families, and friends. Rainbow Village offers families the necessary tools to support their transition, but each family must do the work for themselves.

Rainbow Village is the outward and visible sign that there is a covenant among people in this world to help one another. The recovery system, not just housing, has turned people who may have been dependent on government subsidies or the community for the rest of their lives into self-sufficient citizens. It has given children hope of a promising future. What is the future of human beings worth? It is priceless. People helping people - that is what a good life is all about and it is the foundation of Rainbow Village.