About the Van Buren Center

OUR MISSION:

PROVIDE SAFE AND TEMPORARY EMERGENCY SHELTER TO OUR COMMUNITY’S MOST VULNERABLE POPULATION AND TO SERVE OUR GUESTS WITH DIGNITY, COMPASSION, AND RESPECT.

VAN BUREN CENTER HISTORY:

Van Buren Center provides shelter to Single Adult Women and Families 365 days a year. We operate a Winter Overflow Program 6 months out of the year that provides emergency shelter to Single Adult Men, as well as additional women and families seeking shelter for the night.

2013: Community Shelter Board purchased an old box-factory located on the south side with plans to convert it into a homeless shelter.

2014: Van Buren Center opened its doors to Single Adult Men and Women. The year of our opening, Columbus experienced a significant increase in the number of women and families seeking emergency shelter. Plans for the shelter changed and in the summer of 2014, the YMCA began providing overnight staffing for families and the Single Adult Women program was expanded.

2015: The 2^nd Floor of Van Buren was converted into a permanent emergency shelter for families and the YMCA took over operations for both the Single Adults and Family side.

VAN BUREN CENTER SERVICES:

Case Managers- Every guest in our shelter is assigned a case manager. They assist Guests with designing an individualized housing plan to serve the needs and goals of the individual.

Employment Coordinator- Our employment coordinator helps guests seeking employment build a resume and find work.

Meal Service- We serve 3 meals a day to our Guests, provide pregnancy snacks for women and diabetic snacks for those with health conditions.

Transportation- Our guests receive bus passes or cab fare to get to job interviews, doctor appointments, moving into housing, or outside caseworkers. We partner with Columbus City School’s Project Connect to provide busing to different school districts for the children staying in our shelter.

Volunteer Engagement- Our Volunteer Coordinator works to help individuals and agencies in Central Ohio connect with our shelter and find ways to partner and support the Van Buren Center.

Social Enterprise- Our Workforce Development Program, The Caring Kitchen, will launch in late 2020. Women in our shelter will develop in demand skills including preparing meals and proper food packaging; providing job placement opportunities, to ultimately give them a career path and stable housing.

HOUSING FIRST MODEL:

Homelessness is a housing crisis that needs to be addressed through the provision of safe and affordable housing. Van Buren Center believes in structuring our operations and services under the Housing First Model.

The Housing First model recognizes homelessness as a type of trauma and prioritizes providing permanent housing to people. Everyone is “housing ready” because HOUSING IS A HUMAN RIGHT. People experiencing homelessness have the right to self-determination and should be treated with dignity and respect. Before an individual can address their mental health, substance abuse, affordable housing is the first step.