Exposing Homelessness: How Rainbow Village is Bringing “Hidden Homelessness” Out of the Shadows
Exposing Homelessness: How Rainbow Village is Bringing “Hidden Homelessness” Out of the Shadows
What images does the word homelessness bring to mind?
Someone standing at the bottom of an interstate exit ramp with a cardboard sign asking for money? A parent who isn’t working hard enough to support herself and her children? An individual addicted to drugs or alcohol? A young adult struggling with mental health but refusing to take medication or see a medical professional?
These could be accurate pictures of homelessness, but in Melanie Conner’s experience, there’s more to homelessness than many of us believe.
“People don’t understand the concept of hidden homelessness because what they might see are the people who live in tents or on the street,” Melanie explained.
“What they don’t see is the mom living in her car or the family living in their storage shelter because that’s the only place they have to stay with their things. [Families] live in somebody’s garage, sleep on somebody’s floor or move from place to place. They’re living in extended stay hotels for years because they can’t get anything else.”
Meeting these needs is the mission of Rainbow Village. Melanie joined the organization as its executive director in 2017.
“Rainbow Village provides help, hope, housing and healing for families experiencing homelessness,” she explained.
Currently, the nonprofit offers 30 apartments on its campus where families can live for two years while staff and volunteers help them shape a better future.
“Our goal is to not put a band-aid on what’s going on with families but to actually dig deeper so there is noticeable change in their lives.”
Many families who come to Rainbow Village aren’t facing homelessness because they are unemployed or are currently living on the street. Instead, these families are facing critical choices: feed their children or pay rent; fix the car or put food on the table.
“Almost 40% of individuals don’t have $400 to cover an emergency,” Melanie explained. “If you get a flat tire or your car breaks down or your hours get cut or you’re sick and don’t get paid, you are already behind the eight ball because you don’t have money in the bank to make up for it.
“You have to get your car fixed to go to work and keep paying bills, but in the meantime, the money you took to pay for your car was for your rent. Then you get evicted, have evictions on your record and can’t find anywhere to live. You end up in a hotel paying $400 a week.”
But at Rainbow Village, families can find respite. After providing shelter and basic needs, Rainbow Village guides families as they improve their mental and physical health, save money, secure a better job, prepare for a career, pursue higher education and find stability.
Even the children are learning skills to break cycles of homelessness.
“We have an academy to ensure the children are learning what their parents may not have learned,” Melanie shared. “We’re teaching them about budgeting, credit, running a business, being a good employee, cooking, sewing.”
Just as families need provision for a better future, Melanie recognizes how Rainbow Village needs provision and support to continue serving families fighting homelessness. As she leads Rainbow Village, Melanie’s hope rests in Jehovah Jireh.
“Faith is believing those things you don’t see, the things that haven’t happened yet. I believe God to be Jehovah Jireh. I believe God to be a provider,” she said.
She’s seen this provision time and time again while at Rainbow Village.
She recalls one email she received from another organization asking if Rainbow Village could help a young woman fighting homelessness. Melanie was already scheduled to speak at an upcoming event and share this story with the guests.
“I talked about the level of desperation that could be heard in the woman’s voice, even through the email,” Melanie said. “She was trying and doing everything she was supposed to be doing, and she still wasn’t able to succeed.”
At the end of Melanie’s presentation, a gentleman from the audience approached her. The email had touched his heart, and he wanted to donate a car to the woman.
Before this woman even stepped foot in Rainbow Village, she had someone in her corner. It’s stories of provision like these that remind Melanie how a community coming together will make a difference.
She hopes that people of faith in the community will join her in covering Rainbow Village in prayer for provision this year.
“We are in the midst of a capital campaign where we’re building 36 additional apartments on our campus, so we’re about to more than double the number of families we serve,” she explained.
“Join us in praying for a successful campaign which allows us to continue doing the work we’re doing.”
You can be the answer to Melanie’s prayers for provision! Click here to give to Rainbow Village’s fund.
Exposing Homelessness: How Rainbow Village is Bringing “Hidden Homelessness” Out of the Shadows
Exposing Homelessness: How Rainbow Village is Bringing “Hidden Homelessness” Out of the Shadows
What images does the word homelessness bring to mind?
Someone standing at the bottom of an interstate exit ramp with a cardboard sign asking for money? A parent who isn’t working hard enough to support herself and her children? An individual addicted to drugs or alcohol? A young adult struggling with mental health but refusing to take medication or see a medical professional?
These could be accurate pictures of homelessness, but in Melanie Conner’s experience, there’s more to homelessness than many of us believe.
“People don’t understand the concept of hidden homelessness because what they might see are the people who live in tents or on the street,” Melanie explained.
“What they don’t see is the mom living in her car or the family living in their storage shelter because that’s the only place they have to stay with their things. [Families] live in somebody’s garage, sleep on somebody’s floor or move from place to place. They’re living in extended stay hotels for years because they can’t get anything else.”
Meeting these needs is the mission of Rainbow Village. Melanie joined the organization as its executive director in 2017.
“Rainbow Village provides help, hope, housing and healing for families experiencing homelessness,” she explained.
Currently, the nonprofit offers 30 apartments on its campus where families can live for two years while staff and volunteers help them shape a better future.
“Our goal is to not put a band-aid on what’s going on with families but to actually dig deeper so there is noticeable change in their lives.”
Many families who come to Rainbow Village aren’t facing homelessness because they are unemployed or are currently living on the street. Instead, these families are facing critical choices: feed their children or pay rent; fix the car or put food on the table.
“Almost 40% of individuals don’t have $400 to cover an emergency,” Melanie explained. “If you get a flat tire or your car breaks down or your hours get cut or you’re sick and don’t get paid, you are already behind the eight ball because you don’t have money in the bank to make up for it.
“You have to get your car fixed to go to work and keep paying bills, but in the meantime, the money you took to pay for your car was for your rent. Then you get evicted, have evictions on your record and can’t find anywhere to live. You end up in a hotel paying $400 a week.”
But at Rainbow Village, families can find respite. After providing shelter and basic needs, Rainbow Village guides families as they improve their mental and physical health, save money, secure a better job, prepare for a career, pursue higher education and find stability.
Even the children are learning skills to break cycles of homelessness.
“We have an academy to ensure the children are learning what their parents may not have learned,” Melanie shared. “We’re teaching them about budgeting, credit, running a business, being a good employee, cooking, sewing.”
Just as families need provision for a better future, Melanie recognizes how Rainbow Village needs provision and support to continue serving families fighting homelessness. As she leads Rainbow Village, Melanie’s hope rests in Jehovah Jireh.
“Faith is believing those things you don’t see, the things that haven’t happened yet. I believe God to be Jehovah Jireh. I believe God to be a provider,” she said.
She’s seen this provision time and time again while at Rainbow Village.
She recalls one email she received from another organization asking if Rainbow Village could help a young woman fighting homelessness. Melanie was already scheduled to speak at an upcoming event and share this story with the guests.
“I talked about the level of desperation that could be heard in the woman’s voice, even through the email,” Melanie said. “She was trying and doing everything she was supposed to be doing, and she still wasn’t able to succeed.”
At the end of Melanie’s presentation, a gentleman from the audience approached her. The email had touched his heart, and he wanted to donate a car to the woman.
Before this woman even stepped foot in Rainbow Village, she had someone in her corner. It’s stories of provision like these that remind Melanie how a community coming together will make a difference.
She hopes that people of faith in the community will join her in covering Rainbow Village in prayer for provision this year.
“We are in the midst of a capital campaign where we’re building 36 additional apartments on our campus, so we’re about to more than double the number of families we serve,” she explained.
“Join us in praying for a successful campaign which allows us to continue doing the work we’re doing.”
You can be the answer to Melanie’s prayers for provision! Click here to give to Rainbow Village’s fund.
