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By Penny Fletcher
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Laurie Kepler, executive director of the Mary & Martha House shelter for homeless and abused women and their children, says she sees more older women needing help because of losing jobs since the economic downturn. Penny Fletcher photo
But that also means there have been more women and children on the street, or in crisis, this year. And with the economic downturn, the type of situations shelter staff sees is rapidly changing.
“The population is shifting,” said Executive Director Laurie Kepler. “Instead of just young women with children, we’re seeing more older women in their 40s and 50s who have lost jobs and have nowhere to go.”
Where once the women who stayed at the shelter were mostly escaping from an abusive home life, now that isn’t so much the case.
“A lot of us are living from paycheck to paycheck now and becoming homeless is a real possibility for more people than ever before,” Laurie said.
The Mary & Martha House ends its year with both its emergency shelter and transitional housing units filled as they have been all year. But the 501-© 3 organization has had a very good success rate helping these families get a new start. Of the 35 families seeking emergency shelter this year, numbering more than 100 women and children, staff was able to move 18 families directly into permanent housing and 11 more to transitional housing units.
Of the 14 families who entered the transitional housing program- where they’re out of emergency situation but not ready to take on a rental at going market prices- 9 went into permanent housing and 3 were able to gain certification in a trade (such as health care ) or schooling that will later lead to higher incomes.
These numbers may not seem very high to most people but remembering that the Mary & Martha House is a small-town, volunteer-run organization supported by charitable donations that takes in women and children who often do not qualify for large Tampa-based shelters like The Spring, makes its success rate not only good, but phenomenal.
Large public domestic abuse shelters don’t take in people who may be staying with a family friend, or have any type of roof over their head, only those who are being physically hurt at the time they call in.
The Mary & Martha House recognizes these families are in crisis that will last months, if not years and need all the help they can get so they can become self-sufficient again.
The same is true for the homeless who will need lots of different kinds of help before they are ready to rent a place of their own.
Case Manager Jean Gaylord follows families who have been in Mary & Martha House programs (emergency or transitional housing) for 6 months after they go on their own into a permanent housing situation, Laurie said. That way they can continue to receive help and support during the long trek toward self-sufficiency.
Even after that, many programs remain open to them and to others in the community who may need help with specific issues.
Some of the community-based programs sponsored by the Mary & Martha House include anger management; parenting classes; referral services to county programs and/or state assistance; education and job training and assistance with child care needs.
So many private donations of clothing, toys and food came in from individuals, businesses, chambers of commerce and the like that a path had to be carved out in the middle of the main room at the shelter’s Ruskin office even after two cars full of deliveries had been made.
Things that are not appropriate for shelter giving (like personal televisions, bikes and toys that could be considered dangerous) are passed on to other groups like Deputies Darlins’ and Metropolitan Ministries.
Laurie said she has a close relationship with the South Bay Church on U.S. 301 in Riverview which worked closely with her on holiday give-aways this year.
The Mary & Martha House operates Second Hand Rose, a boutique used clothing store with outfits suitable for office and other jobs located just east of U.S. 41 on Shell Point Road and a Thrift Store adjacent to its office on Woodland Estates Ave. (turn north at the southernmost traffic light in Ruskin and its two blocks on your left). To find out more about volunteering or receiving help call (813) 645-7874.
*Perhaps you have something you’d like to share. Or maybe you’d rather tell the community about your favorite charity or cause: or sound off about something you think needs change. That’s what “Over Coffee” is about. It really doesn’t matter whether we actually drink any coffee or not (although I probably will). It’s what you have to say that’s important. E-mail me any time at
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and suggest a meeting place. No matter what’s going on, I’m usually available to share just one more cup.
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