Students know what Hillcrest is. They have seen the thrift shop just down the street. They volunteer, they donate, and they purchase from it.
What many students are not aware of, however, is the impact that Hillcrest has on the community. It is more than just a thrift shop, but rather an organization that works to transition homeless or at-risk people to a life of self-sufficiency. Executive Director Donice Mahan knows of the common misconception that the thrift shop is a standalone company.
“A lot of people think, ‘Hillcrest is the thrift shop’, and it certainly is,” Mahan said. “But what I explain to them is that it’s really a funding source. It is just the most visible part of our program.”
Behind the thrift shop is a group of hardworking volunteers and employees that give homeless families the support they need to regain control of …show more content…
For the family to “graduate”, or successfully complete the program, they must save up their own money and learn how to keep themselves financially stable.
“People learn best by doing, so we coach our families, but we want them to actually do it,” Mahan said. “Hopefully it gives them the confidence they’ll need when they graduate from Hillcrest.”
While the program does provide stability for the family, it requires hard work and dedication on their part. They must live on a need-based budget in order to complete the program, meaning they must learn to resist impulse buys. But according to Transitional Housing Program Director Stacy Johnson, the results are well worth the effort.
“When they’re halfway through the program and have a thousand dollars saved up, you can see that they’re so excited,” Johnson said. “The light comes back on in their eyes, their confidence is back and they feel like they really can provide for their
What many students are not aware of, however, is the impact that Hillcrest has on the community. It is more than just a thrift shop, but rather an organization that works to transition homeless or at-risk people to a life of self-sufficiency. Executive Director Donice Mahan knows of the common misconception that the thrift shop is a standalone company.
“A lot of people think, ‘Hillcrest is the thrift shop’, and it certainly is,” Mahan said. “But what I explain to them is that it’s really a funding source. It is just the most visible part of our program.”
Behind the thrift shop is a group of hardworking volunteers and employees that give homeless families the support they need to regain control of …show more content…
For the family to “graduate”, or successfully complete the program, they must save up their own money and learn how to keep themselves financially stable.
“People learn best by doing, so we coach our families, but we want them to actually do it,” Mahan said. “Hopefully it gives them the confidence they’ll need when they graduate from Hillcrest.”
While the program does provide stability for the family, it requires hard work and dedication on their part. They must live on a need-based budget in order to complete the program, meaning they must learn to resist impulse buys. But according to Transitional Housing Program Director Stacy Johnson, the results are well worth the effort.
“When they’re halfway through the program and have a thousand dollars saved up, you can see that they’re so excited,” Johnson said. “The light comes back on in their eyes, their confidence is back and they feel like they really can provide for their