For those who face poverty and homelessness, assistance without support is no solution. At Take the Next Step in Monroe, people can find services they need as well as figure out their next move.
“Our clients often don’t know where to turn, or what their next step in life is,” said Janos Kendall, program director.
Run out of a small house owned by Monroe Covenant Church, Take the Next Step offers frontline, immediate assistance to people, while also helping them connect with services offered through other organizations.
Getting help at Take the Next Step is easy.
“We are not an agency. We do not have criteria that have to be met to receive services,” Kendall said. “We get to know the people that come here, we build trust with them, and we try to help their specific needs.”
This helps people feel more comfortable to come and seek assistance in a home environment.
“When you come here, you are never judged,” said Matt Wright, a homeless veteran. “People have their demons, their vices. That is all overlooked.”
Drug use, abuse, violence, and alcohol are not allowed on the premises, but at Take the Next Step, only people’s needs are seen, Wright said.
In 2004 Everett Community College GED instructor Donna Olsen asked her students to compile a resource notebook for impoverished families. What they found were a lot of dead ends. A lot of resources didn’t exist any more or had no money to provide services.
From her class’s work, she took the idea to her church, Monroe Covenant, which supported her and donated the house used for most of the program’s operations.
That first year, Take the Next Step helped 438 people. Today, it provides services to more than 8,000 men, women and children. The non-profit has a budget of about $120,000 through grants and donations.
This year, Take the Next Step received a $20,000 grant from the Greater Everett Community Foundation specifically earmarked to fund services for homeless teens.
That funds Kidz Club, an after-school program for at-risk youth. Kidz Club helps kids stay in school, assists in getting identification cards for dropouts who want to return to school, and helps older teens find after-school jobs.
“Many might say they are just runaways, out looking for a good time. The truth is they come from troubled homes. They are runaways, but they are trying to get away from trouble,” said Laron Olson, a board member.
For adults, the focus is on mentorship to get people to lift themselves out of poverty, Wright said. His story is an example.
Wright had the chance to be a role model for someone else, which in turn helped him in his life.
“After years of receiving services, Janos approached me with the opportunity to watch out for this kid,” Wright said.
Last year, Wright was paired with an autistic homeless youth, Jake, 19, and they moved into housing together. With help from Take the Next Step, Jake was able to go back to school, and Wright became responsible for getting him there. Jake graduated high school and reconnected with his family.
Before then, Wright had turned down other housing options because of the restrictions that come with low-income housing. As a veteran, Wright qualified for disability housing, which he declined because accepting disability housing meant he would not be allowed to work. This was an opportunity to get him into housing and give his own life purpose.
“I consider it an honor to be able to give back to a community that has given so much to me,” Wright said.
Kendall has a similar story. She knows the value of having people believe in you.
“Sometimes support is better than a handout,” she said.
Growing up, she became a survivor of violent crime and family trauma. She dropped out of school after ninth grade, and cared for a nephew after her brother was killed in a car crash. She came to Take the Next Step and was able to complete her GED, and went on to earn her A.A. from Everett Community College and her B.A. in human services from Western Washington University.
During her time at Western, she interned with Take the Next Step. After she graduated, she was granted a continuing internship, and was later hired on as the director after her predecessor retired.
“I have been able to succeed with support, because there was suddenly someone there, where there was never anyone before,” Kendall said. “People can come here to the drop-in center and talk with volunteers to work through some of their barriers, and figure out what’s next and how to meet that goal.”
Andrew Gobin: 425-339-3000 ext. 5461; agobin@heraldnet.com
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