Locations: 1031 N College Ave, Fayetteville, AR 72701
Phone: 479-966-4378
Website: http://www.7hillscenter.org
Mission: Fighting homelessness and poverty with education, opportunities and hope.
About: Seven Hills was the brainchild of a University of Arkansas student, Kimberly Gross who studied the needs of homeless individuals over a two-year period. She assessed the needs of those who visited the Salvation Army in Fayetteville from 1998-2000. She learned there was a clear need for certain services: a center operating during daytime hours to give the homeless a place to shower, use the telephone and e-mail, receive mail, do laundry, and have meals. In the winter of 2000, Seven Hills opened its doors as a place to fill the gap in these services within the community, operating as a day center providing food, shelter, showers, laundry, and telephone services. Over the next several years, the center continued to see an increased number of clients and also expanded to open a small transitional housing program.
In November 2009, Seven Hills launched an innovative program to prevent homelessness in the first place by helping out families who are marginally employed or experiencing a short-term financial crisis. The project, called FICASSO Project (Families in Crisis Accessing Services, Support and Opportunities) also offers a case manager for each family. Services focus on efforts toward housing stability, improved employment or education, debt resolution, financial management, and ensuring a healthy family environment. Kimberly Gross, the student who founded Seven Hills, remains on staff as a case worker for the FICASSO project. All of our work is made possible through a compassionate vision and generosity and support of many individuals, churches, businesses and foundations within Northwest Arkansas.
Services:
The day center offers men, women and children a place to get the resources they need to get jobs, housing, food and clothing. The day center offers showers, internet service, and telephone access and many other things most of us take for granted. Most of the progress toward ending homelessness is accomplished during the day.
The Walker Family Residential Community provides transitional housing for individuals and families to build life skills and save toward permanent housing. In addition, the Walker Family Residential Community provides permanent housing for disabled individuals. Providing increased wellness and meaningfulness of their time in supportive housing.
The FICASSO project is a short-term program aimed at preventing homelessness or re-housing homeless families through financial assistance and case management. The goal of the program is to achieve housing stability, improve employment or educational status, establish financial management skills and to provide a healthy family environment within 18 months.
How you can help: The 7 Hills Homeless Shelter has ongoing needs. These needs include coffee, creamer, sugar, blankets, sleeping bags, backpacks, gym bags, cleaning supplies, laundry supplies, toiletries, razors, paper plates, cups, towels, napkins, single-serving no-cook foods, fresh fruit, good warm clothing, hardy shoes, new socks, and funds for operating expenses.
You can also help by lending a hand as a volunteer, spreading the word of the project to potential volunteers and contributors, becoming a supporting individual or organization member of the project, donating needed items, or by referring those who can benefit from our services.
You can also sign up to volunteer at a variety of events on their website.
