OUR HISTORY
1988 Beginning with the name The Other Place (and the acronym TOP), the organization was founded to provide homeless people with an other place to go after the night shelter in town closed each morning. Twenty people sought shelter the first day. The basement of Christ Episcopal Church was TOP’s first home, and limited services were provided by volunteers. Within a year, TOP began transforming from a drop-in shelter to a service center, adding substance abuse counseling, children’s programs, literacy training and limited case management.
1990 TOP received its first public funding from the City of Dayton, allowing it to be open seven days per week. That year also saw the inauguration of the concept of “membership,” which required those who wished to stay in the shelter to participate in programs.
1992 The Samaritan Clinic for the Homeless began operating at TOP, and the two agencies moved together to 660 North Main Street in Dayton.
1996 TOP and The Samaritan Clinic moved into a new 14,000-square-foot facility purchased by TOP through loans with KeyBank and Citywide Development. The momentum for providing programs had grown to include funding from many private and public sources, both local and national.
2000 In July, Operation Charlie––a street outreach program that also included major philosophical changes regarding the way in which services were provided to the homeless––was implemented. This project changed the complexion of the shelter, and an explosion of people accessing services resulted. The manner in which services were provided to clients differed greatly from other providers, resulting in TOP being considered the advocate for the homeless and the issues surrounding their circumstances. The finances, programs, staff and board of TOP had evolved into strong elements of a successful operation. TOP created and introduced a Homeless Awareness Curriculum to area schools, teachers and students.
2001 TOP’s board and staff adopted a new vision and mission statement. Technology was now a vital part of TOP’s operations, including a comprehensive Member Database to track all client data and report outcomes. A new website, www.theotherplace.org, was successfully launched as another method of communicating the vision and mission of The Other Place. Also in 2001, TOP developed a working relationship with the University of Dayton Law Clinic to provide legal services to clients and to collaborate on “big picture” issues surrounding homeless civil rights.
2002 TOP served record numbers of people experiencing homelessness. With dramatically increased numbers but stagnant funding, TOP began to look at alternative sources of funding and staffing. Two AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers began a year of service working on special projects including the creation of an affordable housing database and the development of a volunteer program. TOP and Miami Valley Housing Opportunities (MVHO) collaborated to allow TOP to provide supportive case management at the Iowa Avenue project, a 34-unit single-room-occupancy (SRO) facility on the Veterans Administration grounds for formerly homeless men.
2003 TOP began and completed an extensive renovation project designed to better meet existing capacity at our daytime shelter. The project included enlarging the shelter space; increased locker, laundry, restroom and meal areas; and a separate and secure family area.
2004 Montgomery County and the City of Dayton committed to developing a 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness and Reduce Overall Homelessness. A Homeless Solutions Leadership Team was appointed and co-chaired by the County Administrator and City Manager. TOP worked internally on the same effort with staff and clients. TOP strategically enhanced its shelter case management services to address the many diverse needs of its shelter client base. Emergency, Stabilization, Transitional and Chronic homeless phases and services were implemented. TOP implemented regional initiatives toward meeting its vision and mission. Through networking and grass-roots community organizing, TOP began working with surrounding counties to provide technical assistance in capacity building, Continuum of Care organization, and program development. By the end of 2004, TOP was actively working with Clark, Champaign, Logan and Shelby counties.
2005 TOP was awarded two HUD Permanent Supportive Housing grants to provide housing for 16 severely mentally ill homeless adults in Champaign and Logan Counties. Throughout the year, TOP staff members participated on various Homeless Solutions Leadership Team workgroups. By the end of 2005 and the beginning of 2006, TOP’s board and staff had completed an extensive evaluation of all programs and services that would lead to a new strategic plan.
2006 TOP Mental Health Services received Ohio Department of Mental Health (ODMH) certification as well as accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). TOP’s new strategic plan proposed within a five-year period to redirect more of the focus and resources of TOP toward providing housing and supportive services. No longer was it acceptable to service the condition of homelessness; we began to direct our resources, programs and services toward ending it. A new mission statement, “to work to end homelessness by providing housing, services, advocacy and education,” was adopted by the board and staff in 2006.
2007 TOP was selected to participate in an exclusive statewide supportive housing institute presented by the Corporation for Supportive Housing. Later that year, TOP was selected as the supportive-service provider for the newly renovated River Commons apartments, a DMHA property designated as permanent supportive housing for persons moving out of the shelter system. In December, TOP began working in partnership with St. Vincent de Paul to provide case management services to homeless families and individuals staying at the St. Vincent Hotel.
2008 In partnership with CountyCorp, TOP moved 10 homeless veterans into “Opportunity Housing,” a new transitional supportive housing program utilizing single-family homes at scattered sites, funded through a federal VA grant. In August of 2008, TOP partnered with St. Vincent DePaul Society of Dayton in opening the first Permanent Supportive Housing Project for families in Dayton. This is a 14-unit site located in Kettering. The Other Place is the supportive services provider for these hard-to-serve families, while St. Vincent provides operations and property management. Late summer, TOP began providing services to the community’s first Permanent Supportive Housing project for chronic homeless females, specifically homeless women veterans. This project is a partnership with MVHO and is located in a historic 27 unit building on the VA grounds. In October TOP closed its shelter facility and moved its day shelter operations into the St. Vincent Hotel.
2009 TOP developed a national reputation for innovation and positive outcomes. Executive Director Tina Patterson was invited to speak at the 2009 National Conference on Ending Family Homelessness in San Diego. TOP and a core group of partners received a HUD Continuum of Care grant designed to provide permanent supportive housing to difficult-to-serve populations. TOP and partners also received a three-year pilot project demonstration grant from HUD to implement a Rapid Re-Housing program in Montgomery County. The application to HUD was one of only 23 selected nationally from more than 300 submitted, providing an exclusive opportunity for our community. On top of all that, our community also opened a new 24-hour shelter for single men. Now Dayton has two 24-hour emergency shelters: Gettysburg Gateway for Men and St. Vincent Gateway for Women and Families. These two facilities represent our philosophy that shelters should be viewed as “gateways” into housing which people quickly move through instead of places where people must expect to stay for a long period of time before they can move on.
2010 TOP was selected as the FORGE Your Dot Org recipient, which invited local nonprofits to apply for pro bono professional marketing and creative services for a full year from Dayton creative firm FORGE. This opportunity made it possible for a brand refresh and renaming. On July 1st, we started using our new name: Homefull. We still have the same services and mission, but the new name better reflects the organization’s direction. The Homefull MicroFarm was established on the grounds of the Men’s Gateway Shelter, providing temporary work for our clients and availability of produce to lower income neighborhoods.
2011 Homefull’s name change was the perfect fit for our housing-focused approach to case management. A new model of case management, CTI (Critical Time Intervention) was implemented in the Gateway Shelters with plans to expand to all programs in 2012. Homefull received the 2011 Dayton Business Journal Best Places to Work award. We were also honored to receive the Corporation for Supportive Housing Award for Supportive Services Design and Delivery. The Promises of Homefull exhibit debuted at the State House in Columbus. In the fall, River Commons II, an $11 million new supportive housing project opened its doors to 83 residents. The Homefull MicroFarm continues to grow with over 160 raised beds and plans to expand.