Ending Chronic Homelessness One Family at a Time

Dumas Wesley Community Center is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a $10,000 sponsorship from Wind Creek Hospitality in support of its transitional housing program, the Sybil Smith Family Village. As a Job-Readiness Benefactor, Wind Creek Hospitality's donation will help support housing and career development for one local family on their journey from homelessness to independence.   Sybil Smith Family Village provides up to 24 months of transitional housing and critical wrap-around services for families experiencing homelessness. To date, the program has served 2,232 individuals from Mobile and Baldwin Counties, Southwest Alabama, coastal Mississippi, and North Florida. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, click here.

One Resident's Story: Turning Pain Into Purpose!

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, 101 individuals (17 families) have been accepted into Dumas Wesley Community Center’s Transitional Housing Program, Sybil H. Smith Family Village. The program provides transitional housing for up to 24 months and can accommodate up to 17 families. Throughout the pandemic, Sybil Smith has conducted 1,111 case management sessions and provided 64 virtual life skills classes for residents.  "On July 17, 2020, my life changed. I was accepted into Sybil Smith Family Village! I am from Foley, Alabama and I have two children. I am also in recovery. I’ve been clean for three years and two months. I was referred to Sybil Smith Family Village from the Lighthouse, the domestic violence shelter in Robertsdale, Alabama. I remember my first day at Sybil Smith. Knowing my family had a safe place to live for two years and that I had a chance to get my life back in order was huge! I felt a weight was lifted off my shoulders and that I could breathe again. For the past seven months while living at Sybil Smith, I have had the opportunity to reclaim my life. I have taken full advantage of the virtual life skills classes offered to me during the pandemic. From consumer credit counseling, to money management, and counseling, I am happy to report my credit score has improved and with additional counseling, I am working on overcoming a lot of deep-rooted pain. I am also excited to begin working as a Certified Support Recovery Specialist with the Alabama Department of Mental Health. Knowing my experiences could possibly help someone else makes me feel like everything I have gone through was to prepare me for where I am today. I’ve been in survival mode for so long. It feels great to finally have peace. Sybil Smith Family Village has given me hope and the tools I needed to help me regain my self-worth. I want my children to be able to grow up in a happy home. I want to be a good mom and I want to become a productive citizen in my community. I would not be where I am today, without the assistance of all the wonderful services Sybil Smith Family Village offers for families like mine. This program means so much to me. Thank you for helping me turn my pain into purpose!"  --- Resident, Sybil Smith Family Village

Pen Pal Program Combats Loneliness for At-Risk Seniors

UMS-Wright Preparatory School's "Wright Way Character Education Program" has launched a pen pal program connecting students to participants in Dumas Wesley's Senior Activities for Independent Living program.   Eighty fifth graders have been matched with seniors who have been isolating at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Fifth graders take a year long Character Education class that helps reinforce our schools core values," said Michael Schultz, Director of Student Ministries and Service. "My students talk about this project a lot. They ask almost every day if they have gotten a letter back from their Pen Pal. In this day and age when everything is instant and electronic, the magic of a hand written letter that they have to wait for is still so wonderful for them," said Schultz.   Dumas Wesley Community Center has had a long-standing relationship with UMS-Wright Preparatory School. Over the years, UMS students have supported Dumas Wesley through service projects, toy donations, canned goods drives, Thanksgiving meals, tutoring and supporting the agency’s annual Plane Pull fundraiser.   "It is very important for UMS-Wright and our students to support Dumas Wesley because they are our neighbors," said Schultz. "We are teaching our students to serve others, respect our elders and the importance of being connected to others. We want these senior citizens to know we care about them and they matter to us."

Covid-19 Pandemic-Continuing to Meet the Need

Since the pandemic began, Dumas Wesley has delivered 16,328 meals to 57 homebound participants in the Senior Activities for Independent Living Program.

Throughout the pandemic, Dumas Wesley has provided 3,976 meals for 58 school-age children in the After School Achievement Program.

During the pandemic, 73 individuals residing at Sybil Smith Family Village successfully moved into permanent housing. In 2020, Sybil Smith's success rate was 88% among residents moving into permanent housing - 13% higher than the national average.

Thank You for Supporting the Dumas Wesley Community Center! 126 Mobile Street Mobile, Alabama 36607 Phone: 251.479.0649 www.dumaswesley.org ‌ ‌ ‌