The nonprofit recommended to take over operations of Little Rock's day resource center for homeless people wants to use volunteers, interns and community partnerships to leverage funds to improve the center and add more services.
If approved by the Little Rock Board of Directors next week, Depaul USA Inc. would be paid up to $270,000 for a 10-month contract this year with the possibility of renewing the contract for four additional years at an annual cost of $323,400.
The agency, a subsidiary of Depaul International, has projects in Philadelphia, St. Louis and New Orleans and operates a day resource center in Macon, Ga., that is similar to the one in Little Rock.
Little Rock and North Little Rock share in funding the Jericho Way Homeless Day Resource Center, which opened at 3000 Confederate Blvd. in 2013. North Little Rock contributes one-third of the funding. The center offers showers, laundry and mail facilities, afternoon meals, job services, health screenings and other services during the day.
It will be cheaper contracting with an outside entity to run the center, Little Rock Assistant City Manager James Jones said.
On Tuesday, city officials couldn't provide the total amount spent in 2014 to operate the center without a nonprofit. Both cities have budgeted together to spend $441,021 in 2015, including the contract, utilities, shuttle service and building maintenance.
Depaul plans to use a network of volunteers to staff the shower and laundry facilities and help with meals. In addition to addressing the immediate issue of homelessness, Depaul also wants to improve visitors' health and economic standing and assist them in finding housing.
The nonprofit also has plans to rearrange and add lobby furniture and cafeteria seating that is more welcoming and less institutional. Its proposal says the TV will be turned off and replaced with educational and recreational programs such as games and arts and crafts "that can help re-socialize people who have been living on the margins of the community."
The agency will work to expand programs and services by 2017, including possibly adding health programming, educational components and a housing program.
"We want to make this the third place -- a place other than home or work where people gather," said Chuck Levesque, Depaul USA's executive director. "We have art galleries in some of our facilities and have done concerts ... so that the community comes in and people in the day center see there is a larger community. The goal is to build ties between people who are housed and their unhoused neighbors."
Similar to its operation in Macon, Depaul would develop a Local Advisory Council of businesses, community groups, faith-based organizations and others that contribute at least $500 per month to Jericho Way and provide guidance, oversight, volunteers and fundraising help.
Depaul also wants to work with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock's School of Social Work to develop an internship program.
The current five city employees at the center will be laid off but are promised an interview with Depaul for the seven new positions. The city board hasn't approved contracting with Depaul yet, but the agency is already advertising for a full-time program director, receptionist, cook, volunteer coordinator, two case managers and a part-time custodian.
Although Depaul has ties to Catholicism, it doesn't require employees or clients be of a certain faith.
"We hire people of any and no faith and service anyone that comes to our doors. No one is required to do any faith-based activity to get services," Levesque said.
Metro on 01/28/2015