New Horizons

New Horizons – Homeless Shelter/Soup Kitchen/Food Pantry, Manchester NH

Mission Statement: Our mission is to provide food and shelter to people in need
and offer supportive services to achieve self-sufficiency.

From New Horizons’ website:

For Shelter clients, many more services are available than simply a safe place to stay and meals. On site, clients have access to case management services, referral services, medical services, mental health services, substance abuse counseling, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and Narcotics Anonymous meetings.

New Horizons is a "wet" emergency shelter, located at 199 Manchester Street. It can accommodate 63 men and 13 women in dormitory style sleeping areas. The shelter is available to homeless individuals 18-years-old and older.

Shelter residents are required to sign in daily between 5:45 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Although alcohol or illegal substances may not be used on, or brought onto, New Horizons property, adults with active addictions are admitted. While not a treatment facility, we recognize that many of the chronically homeless who use our shelter are addicted to alcohol or other substances, and we work with them to seek treatment when they are ready.

Dinner is available at 3:00 pm for seniors and again at 4:30 for others including adults who do not reside at the shelter. Breakfast is available for shelter residents. There are also shower and laundry facilities on-site as well as health related services.

Angie's Shelter for Women was opened in recognition of the unique needs of homeless women - especially those with addictions - and who may be facing homelessness as they leave, or await openings in, treatment centers or IOP (Intensive Outpatient Programs). Up to 16 women can stay at Angie's Shelter. It is a small, homelike environment where women can access the support and services they need while working to rebuild their lives. Angie's Shelter clients are required to regularly meet with their case manager to create a goal plan to achieve independent living.

The Soup Kitchen serves breakfast for Shelter guests daily. It also serves a complete dinner to seniors (over 50) at 3:00 p.m. (weekdays) and for those over the age of 18 beginning at 4:30 daily. The Soup Kitchen typically serves 200 meals a day. [2009, they are serving 225-250 meals a day.]

The Food Pantry provides pre-packed food items to impoverished families and individuals in Manchester. The pantry provides food to over 700 households each month. [in conversation, the number of households being served in 2009, is 850 families a month.] Between 700-800 children reside in these households.

From Paula's visit and conversation with Mary Silva, volunteer coordinator 9/29/09:

Services are available to Manchester residents only. I asked Kevin (staff: statistics etc) (sorry, didn’t get his last name) how many homeless there actually are in Manchester. “Whew” was the answer, which is also basically unanswerable as so many are “hidden” (couch jumping, etc) He guessed there are generally roughly 1500 people, but this number also includes people in transient housing. At the January “point-in-time” survey, 560 people were found to be sleeping by the river. He couldn't even guess how many live below the poverty line.... says we have to await the census.

They have 100s of volunteers, and 26 paid staff between the 199 Manchester street shelter and Angie’s Shelter.

The residents of the shelters must leave the shelter early and for the day, from May 1 – October 1, weather non-withstanding. They must leave the dorms, but may stay in dayroom from October 1 to April 30.

I have been given verbal permission to include their logo on our info sheets on the donation boxes.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR FOR NEW HORIZONS;
200-300 coats for adults, men and women. Also they are begging for even USED BOOTS, which for the recipient will be so very much more welcomed over the canvass shoes they are wearing, or better than the shoes or boots they currently have that have huge holes in the soles, at the heels and toes.