Enhancing Our Spaces and Expanding Our Activities

We are thrilled that on January 14, 2012, the Staunton Virginia daily newspaper The News Leader published the following article about changes underway at the Mission:

Valley Mission Enhancing Staunton Facility
by Maria Longley    mlongley@newsleader.com

"One of the hardest knocks life can dish out is losing one's home. That's why the Valley Mission's staff and volunteers are working on small but meaningful ways to help residents feel more at home at the West Beverley Street building.

"Over the next few weeks, the nonprofit will start work on its expansive basement, the former site of its thrift store, to accomodate a computer room, meeting space and a lounge area so that residents can come in out of the cold or heat during the day.

"Residents are required to leave their dormitories during the day to search for or go to work. After lunch, parents can return to the dorms with their young children for nap time. The warm/cool space will be a place for residents, including parents with children, to take a break.

" 'We want our residents to feel more welcome and at home,' said Jonathan King, Valley Mission's director of operations. 'We realize people are here out of necessity. But we don't call people here homeless because they have a home. This is their home. It might not be the house they desire, but it is a home.'

The basement already has a play area with toys and equipment for kids and a recreation area with pool and ping-pong tables that were recently donated.

"The Mission is also adding separate laundry rooms with washers and dryers for the men's and women's dormitories. The current laundry, with two washers and two dryers, had to be shared by everyone. It will be retained for shelter staff to launder facility linens.

"Workers are adding offices in the administration area as well.

"In addition to the renovation projects underway, the organization will revive the life-skills training program, which will include parenting, nutrition and computer classes taught by volunteers.

"The weekly computer class will be open to nonresidents who want to learn how to create a resume or search for work online.

"The 120-bed shelter provided 11,592 bed nights, or an average of 32 beds a night, and served 45,209 meals in 2011. In addition to beds for men and women, the Mission has rooms for small and large families.

"The facility also will get a new roof this year, thanks to donations from the public and a state program that will reimburse the contractor, Largent Roofing Inc., 40 percent of the project's cost that the company will donate, King said."