The question is often asked, “what happens at Rainbow Place when the shelter is closed?”

Operating a winter shelter goes beyond the hypothermia season. Behind the scenes includes cleaning and maintenance of the facilities; gathering and restocking supplies for the next season; budgeting and reporting; preparing grants and fundraising for the next fiscal year; processing ongoing in-kind donations and some follow up with former clients.

This is a time focused on relationships within the community, getting to know the resources in the provider network to better serve our clients, getting to know our many friends who help support our service in the community and getting to know how we can better serve the needs of local homeless women.

Despite our small, seasonal operation and simple mission of serving those less fortunate than ourselves with respect and without precondition, Rainbow Place faces the same “business” challenges as other nonprofits. We rely on in-kind donations for food and other supplies to minimize our cash expenses; thanks to many supporters, approximately 35% of our budget is leveraged with in-kind donations such as food, clothing and supplies! The largest cost to Rainbow Place is staffing at 53% of the total budget. These are the primary direct costs associated with meeting the needs of the average 75 women served during a winter season.

With reductions of government funds, Rainbow Place must rely on people like you who are concerned with the well-being and productivity of the vulnerable women Rainbow serves. It is typical for a client to come to Rainbow with a tremendous sense of inadequacy and worthlessness, vying for a safe nook in a building for shelter, unable to obtain much needed medication to help her physical and mental functioning, and full of fear for her own personal safety every day.

To be a part of providing hope to a woman who otherwise would be left to fend for herself in these conditions is an amazing experience, fulfilling our human need to help others and making a difference in our community. You can provide that hope through a monetary or in-kind donation or volunteering during the winter months. For more information and to stay updated on Rainbow’s developments and needs, be sure to explore our website; feel free to contact me directly through email or calling the office Monday through Thursday.

                 Ingrid Manfredo, Director