How we make a difference

We make a difference across the Missouri Valley by:

Working with and through members and communities on long-term programs to eradicate homelessness.

Advising and assisting decision-makers to change policies and practices that underpin poverty and homelessness.

Speaking with authority as a result of thorough research, analysis, and the real experience of our members in raising awareness of the plight of homelessness.

Providing funding assistance for necessary personal identification credentials, or related items, for members’ clientele.

Offering resources to members to best support their roles and practices in working with dispossessed populations, such as the homeless.

How we make a difference: In order to best tackle the issues of homelessness, efforts must come from multiple perspectives. The Missouri Valley Coalition for Homeless People, Inc. is interdependent with its members, communities and clients-served.

"Too many people don't understand why people are homeless. They think they are just lazy. That's not the case the majority of the time.

People are mentally ill and emotionally unstable. They suffer from substance abuse. They can't handle life. They walk out on reality. That was what happened to me when I lost my mom. I built my own world where no one knows or cares. It was easier than dealing with the harshness of the real world."

-- Ruth Meiers Hospitality House Resident (2008)

The Ruth Meiers Hospitality House is a member of the MVCHP

"I came from a good family, but in high school, I started partying a lot. ... My name is Laura, and I was living the life of most “normal” teenagers. But once I started to get into the wrong crowd, I continued a downward path until one day, I found myself sitting in jail awaiting transport to prison."

-- North Dakota Teen Challenge Graduate (2009)

North Dakota Teen Challenge is a member of the MVCHP