It’s arguably the coolest ticket for an event this July.
That’s because it will afford you the opportunity to check out Manteca’s newest community center while at the same time help HOPE Family Shelters work with struggling homeless families to get them off the streets.
The HOPE Hoedown is being staged Saturday, July 13, at the Thomas Toy Community Center, 802 E. Yosemite Ave.
*$35 is for a Texas Roadhouse dinner and bingo pack.
*$50 is for a Texas Roadhouse dinner and Texas Hold ‘Em buy in to compete for prizes.
*$25 for a Texas Roadhouse dinner only.
Doors open at 5 p.m. Dinner is at 6 p.m. Bingo and Texas Hold’Em start at 7 p.m.
Tickets are available at hopefamilyshelters.org or by calling 209-665-7640.
The HOPE Hoedown will be the first event to christen the Thomas Toy Community Center.
The building on the southeast corner of Yosemite and Fremont avenues that started out in the 1970s as the Manteca News and then served as the first home church for Calvary Community, has been completely remodeled.
It’s primary function will be as an after school and weekday evening teen center.
The Toy family also wanted to make sure it could service the community as a whole when not in use as a teen center.
HOPE Family Shelters’ administrative offices are part of the complex.
The goal is for the Thomas Toy Community Center to have as much of an impact on Manteca’s teens as HOPE Family Shelters has had over the past 31 years in helping struggling families get back on their feet,
Last year, 89 families were housed in HOPE Ministries’ three shelters for three months at a time.
That represents 227 individuals of which 60 percent or 136 were children.
And when 52 percent of those families left the guidance and care of HOPE Family Shelters they went directly into rental housing they were able to secure financially on their own.
That success rate is almost triple of what most shelters experience when people they assist temporarily move on.
One reason for the high success rate is the fact HOPE Ministries operates what is considered a high barrier shelter. That means those they help must be drug and alcohol free when they enter the program and stay that way.
If they stumble, they are out on the street. That said, people are given a second chance to return to the program if they stop using.
The bottom line is it forces most to realize that they are putting drugs and/or alcohol, ahead of their children.
Robust case management that includes working with clients to help them to make better financial decisions, working on behavioral factors that contributed to them ending up being homeless, along with mentoring for life skills make a major difference.
Many often have jobs when they become homeless but due to money managing skills or other issues, end up not being able to cover all costs including rent.
Overall, HOPE Ministries has helped more than 5,700 people since they first opened their doors.
If you can help donate supplies that run the gamut from cleaning supplies to linens, call Ballungay at (209) 824-0658 or go to hopefamilyshelters.org.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
