Brother Francis' Homelessness Crusade

When we think of the Brother Francis Shelter here in Anchorage we think of a place where homeless people can spend the night and be kept warm and safe. It is that, but the shelter does a lot more to try and break the cycle of homelessness.

Susan Brewer is a client at the shelter. Brewer says she never imagined that she would wind up at the shelter when she quit her job in a doctor's office two years ago.

“It never

dawned on me that I'd end up here but I'm finding that there are all kinds of people from different backgrounds like myself who through one circumstance or another ended up here. And I'm finding it's a lot easier to get here than get out,” says Brewer.

Brewer's slide started when she quit her job as a billing specialist to take care of her dying mother full time. When her mother passed away Brewer got sick herself.

With no job and no insurance to pay the bills, she eventually became one of the 3000 people who use the Brother Francis Shelter every year.

Shelter Director Dewayne Harris says right away Brewer was assigned a case manager to help her with a plan.

“ Our case workers meet with individuals one

on one and conduct a needs assessment and then they start to develop a housing plan with that individual and when that person walks out of there they actually have what we call our weekly goals and objectives,” says Harris.

Brewer says her objective is to get a job and save up enough money for a place of her own. Towards that end the shelter has a computer center to update her resume and can provide bus tokens to take her to interviews. There's also a clothes closet that Brewer helps

manage that can provide appropriate clothing.

Because Brewer volunteers at the clothes closet, she's also earned privileges like a locker and more private sleeping area.

Brewer says they are all steps towards reaching her goal of breaking the cycle of homelessness and she says that she's grateful that the shelter is helping to keep her moving in that direction.

“They make it as easy as they can. They can't hand you everything on a silver platter but if you want the help they are willing to help you, but you have to be willing to help yourself,” says Brewer.

Brother Francis case managers can not only help clients find affordable housing they can visit them for up to a year after they leave the shelter to make sure they are adjusting well.

Shelter workers say not all of their clients are as motivated as Brewer but for those who do want to take advantage of their services the success rate is quite high.

To contact the Newsroom, call 907-274-1111.