Artic Mission Transitional Housing is designed to transition homeless men into independent, productive members of the local community.
The men in our transitional housing program are those who were rendered homeless due either to extended unemployment or due to addictions that resulted in their treatment in a detox program. In order to be considered for the program, they must be recommended by a mentor at the Artic Mission or by a trusted addiction treatment program.
There is no cost for the program and the program provides housing, food, clothing, counseling and job training.
We also operate a lawn care company that men at the mission are allowed to work at. When not working in the lawn care business the men will be required to perform volunteer work at the Artic Mission.
The house will be run by a Live-In Director. The Director is a mature Christian man who keeps the men on a tight schedule, conducts regular Bible studies in the house and oversees each lawn care job. He is also responsible for the condition and cleanliness of the house.
There is a four step process for moving the men in the program from a position of homelessness/joblessness, to a position of being employed and living independently. At the core of this process is Biblical Counseling. Each man in the program will receive one-on-one counseling from an IABC certified counselor. The four steps are defined as follows:
STEP ONE: A man entering the house is assumed to be at step one until otherwise determined by a counselor. A man at step one is spiritually lost, and is unable to either secure or hold a steady job with benefits. This step requires counseling in basic Christianity to assure that he understands that God himself created him and did so for a purpose. Without a direct relationship with God, he cannot fulfill the purpose for which he was created. That purpose includes fruitful labor. It is an important part of the human experience to work steadily in a job that brings both income to sustain a healthy physical environment and fulfillment to sustain a healthy mental attitude. When these basic principles are demonstrably understood and applied through regular church attendance and volunteer work at the mission and elsewhere, the client is prepared to move to step two.
STEP TWO: At step two the man is prepared to work for Artic Community Lawn Care. While working, the man continues to receive counseling and focuses in particular on the gifting he has received from God and how those gifts can be applied to a paying job. We expect to see growing relationships with other Christian men both in the house and in the local church that he is attending. We expect more active participation in the group Bible studies conducted at the house. We expect that old habits such as smoking, swearing and prideful behavior will substantially diminish in the man’s life. As we see this redemptive work, the counselor will determine the appropriate time to move the client to step three.
STEP THREE: At step three the man has gained the respect of the Live-In Director, the counselor and the other clients because of his spiritual growth and his humility as demonstrated by his willing to place the needs of others above his own. He has gained confidence in the practical application of the gifts that God created him with, either charitably through volunteer work or through his work for Artic Community Lawn Care. His speech is free of profanity or pride. He has shed any bad habits that pollute his body or his mind. In short, he has become a mature man of faith and a true disciple of Jesus Christ, purposefully taking on the character of Christ and repenting when he fails to live up to the high calling of Christ in his life. Once he has met these requirements he is ready to move to step four.
STEP FOUR: At step four the man begins to live on his own, while continuing to volunteer at the mission and work for the lawn care company. He will continue to receive regular counseling and to attend Bible studies at the home, as well as regular services in the local church. He may be called upon to lead others in Bible study and to advise others just coming into step one. He may also be called upon to speak on behalf of the mission and the home at various churches or functions associated with the mission. He will be paid directly for any work he performs for the lawn care company. If he so desires, he may secure a job apart from the program, in which case he is not required to continue with the activities of step four and will successfully graduate from the program as a productive member of society.
Each man in the program will be regularly evaluated at each step in the program. He may come into the program and be immediately placed at a higher step or he may have achieved a higher step in the program and then be moved back to a lower step for any reason the counselor deems appropriate. Our highest goal is full spiritual maturity in alignment with our vision to transform the Arctic area of West Warwick into a vibrant, spirit-filled community of hopeful, hardworking people who take pride in their faith, their work, their families and their community.