Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services

Emergency services:the organization provides short-term financial assistance, support Services, and referrals to low-income, homeless individuals and families in crisis.funding comes from a variety of public and private grants, as well as other general contributions. Services include short-term case management, assistance in obtaining identification cards and birth certificates, and additional homeless supportive Services. In addition, the organization also operates a food pantry. During fy2022, lars' case managers serviced 544 unique households (1,697 individuals) during 3,002 total visits to lars' crisis center. 46% of these households were seeking Services from lars for the first time. Case managers and volunteers distributed 6,980 bags of food from lars' food pantry. Lars assisted 98 households with rental stipends to prevent eviction or secure permanent housing. Lars case managers distributed 22,551 diapers for 126 babies.

Self-sufficiency program:lars helps to stabilize and motivate participants to work closely with a lars case manager on a longer-term basis (18 to 24 months) to maintain permanent housing, improve financial habits, gain employment, and remove other barriers to self-sufficiency. The evidence-based program uses a highly successful "mobility mentoring" framework designed by empath of boston, ma. Mobility mentoring-inspired programs are described by empath as "metric-based, mentor-led, incentivized programs that lead families across the economic divide." The primary focus of mobility mentoring is coaching the participant in personal problem-solving, skill-building, and persistence to attain the long-term goals that support economic independence. The mentor's role is to help participants carve enough time out of their days to begin to take the steps necessary to change their lives. 7 individuals participated in lars' self-sufficiency program during fy2022.

Permanent supportive housing:lars receives a continuum of care (coc) grant through u.s. department of housing and urban development (hud) to operate a permanent supportive housing program that provides subsidized housing and supportive Services to 22 chronically homeless, disabled individuals and families. This program is not time-limited. Two lars case managers conduct weekly home visits with all participants, who reside in apartments leased by lars throughout the Laurel community. Participants live independently with support as needed from lars, including life skills classes, individual savings accounts, and assistance with obtaining treatment for substance abuse, health or mental health problems. Lars works closely with the prince george's county department of social Services to prioritize placement of homeless individuals/families into our program according to their level of vulnerability. Lars' permanent supportive housing program housed 32 adults and 16 children during fy2022.