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Located in Kansas City, the typical Sheffield Place mother is a 24-year-old African-American woman with a 10th grade education and little to no employment skills. She was abused as a child and continues that pattern of abuse through her intimate relationships. She has two children in poor health. Drugs and alcohol have prevented her from taking control of her life.
The Sheffield Place programs are designed to address the underlying problems of abused/addicted women so that residents remain housed and employed after graduation. “We provide long-term shelter and comprehensive services to 15 families headed by single mothers,” says Karen Streeter, executive director. “Homelessness affects more than 20,000 people in Kansas, 60 percent of which are mothers and their children.
“The typical homeless children at Sheffield Place are ages four and under. They have chronic health problems including
asthma, diabetes, persistent cough and cold conditions, obesity, and are behind in their immunizations — all of which contribute to poor attendance and performance at school.
“Dependency on welfare, unhealthy relationships, and drugs and alcohol is devastating on women, their children and our community,” says Karen. “It creates doubt and complacency, leads to crime, violence, and abuse, and produces barriers that prevent women from taking
control of their lives.”
To help women gain control of their lives, Sheffield Place offers tutoring, job coaching, budgeting, substance abuse education, support groups, counseling, parenting training, self-esteem training, debt reduction and independent living training.
Part of the WHO’s $10,000 grant will help pay for the lease of a van and driver to transport homeless women so they can better manage their resources, put more money into savings and get closer to their dream of self-sufficiency.
The creation of Sheffield Place was the direct result of frustration from the growing homeless problem of the 1980’s. A group of Kansas City agencies recognized the local need and decided to seek funding to create a long-term program for homeless women and children. Sheffield Place was incorporated in 1989 and since opening its doors has undergone significant growth. Sheffield Place has documented a 95 percent success rate with its graduates and a 68 percent success rate with it non-graduates. Within one year of graduation, 95 percent of graduates had increased their income from $6,000 a year to $15,000 a year
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