Stephanie Doss is learning how to love herself again. It’s hard work, after years of off-and-on homelessness and dealing with mental health issues and substance abuse.
Doss, 55, is part of an addiction recovery program at the Wheeler Mission Center for Women & Children, where she’s been for the last five months. She has her own apartment there and hopes to go into servant leadership training when she graduates from the program in a couple months.
“Wheeler Mission saved my life, opening these doors to me,” Doss said. “It gave me hope to get a renewal in life.”
The Center for Women & Children will be able to help more people like Doss after unveiling a $13 million expansion Aug. 11. The expansion includes new emergency shelter beds, transitional apartments for mothers with children and additional staff.
The center will be able to nearly triple its capacity and provide the following:
- 164 new permanent beds, including 30 transitional apartments for mothers with children
- 84 new family shelter beds
- 40 new emergency shelter beds
- 15 full-time and three part-time staff members
- 50% increase in programming, including counseling, job training, addiction recovery and social enterprise
- A day room for women and children to be inside
- A new child care area
- Indoor play space for children
- Expanded on-site medical and mental health clinics
- Redesigned and expanded dining areas
- Appointment visiting rooms for people meeting with community service providers
- Expanded education center
“For someone like me, it means hope and encouragement,” Doss said of the upgrades.
Of the 1,928 people who were homeless during the most recent annual count in January, 621 were women, and 54% were African American. Total homelessness was up 21% from 2020.
Perry Hines, chief development officer at Wheeler Mission, said the expansion will help the organization deal with a likely uptick in homelessness after the eviction moratorium ends in October. Wheeler Mission has also worked with the city to provide hotel rooms for people experiencing homelessness, a program that will end in the next couple weeks, Hines said.
“We needed all of it,” he said of the expansion. “This is a big deal for us.”
Contact staff writer Tyler Fenwick at 317-762-7853. Follow him on Twitter @Ty_Fenwick.
