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Arlington Life Shelter’s employment program pays dividends
ARLINGTON, Texas – Although the Arlington Life Shelter is perhaps best known for providing housing for those experiencing homelessness, the agency’s employment program is helping its residents leave the shelter with stable jobs.
The Arlington Life Shelter, located at 325 W. Division St., has been making an impact on North Texans affected by homelessness since 1987. But in 1994, the shelter started up its employment program for residents. Partnering with numerous companies and organizations, ALS is credited with helping 79% of its residents leave the shelter with stable employment.
Stephanie R. Melchert, president and CEO of Arlington Life Shelter, said residents can start receiving employment help within their first week at the shelter. As soon as residents agree to the program, they are assigned a case manager who helps them with every step toward success.
“The whole main purpose is to get them back on their feet,” Melchert said. “We want to be able to make sure they’re getting what they need and we’re putting them on a path to self sufficiency.”
In June 2020, the shelter ended its overnight program to take on some remodeling and open up its new building. After the expansion, the shelter was able to serve families.
In 2021, the shelter helped a total of 805 people. Men represented 45% of residents, with females representing 45%. Ten percent registered as unknown. Being a temporary home to an average of 115 residents on a regular basis, the shelter has served individual men, women and now families.
“People are calling every single day to see if they can get into our shelter from a family standpoint,” Melchert said. “Which is very sad. Our families are the ones that are probably hurting the most from a homeless standpoint.”
On average, residents tend to stay at Arlington Life Shelter for 3.7 months. Although this varies from case to case, they are never left alone to wonder what their next move will be.
As of now, there are six case workers on staff at ALS. Shalandra Talley has been a case manager at the shelter for 10 months. Talley has a wide range of responsibilities aimed at helping clients achieve self sufficiency. These go far beyond employment help.
The first order of business is to figure out why clients are in this situation and identify barriers that could prevent them from securing a stable income. In order to help clients in the most efficient way, case workers have to gain an understanding of the client’s physical and mental health background.
Next, she determines transportation for clients, looks at health concerns and at family considerations. If a client comes to the shelter with children, she helps them get connected with primary care physicians.
From there, Talley can then assist with creating a budget so the client can start saving and helping them apply to local housing authorities or apartment complexes. Providing clients with resources to classes and assisting with necessary documentation for housing authorities are typically some of the last steps.
“The opportunity to advocate for and empower individuals who are facing systemic barriers and inequality can be incredibly gratifying,” Talley said. “By being a voice for those who may not have one, I am contributing to a more just and equitable society.”
This article was originally published on Lone Star Sentinel. To read it there, click the link. https://arlingtonsentinel.org/992/life-arts/arlington-life-shelters-employment-program-pays-dividends/
Arlington Parks and Recreation Department celebrates its centennial in 2024
ARLINGTON, Texas—It’s no secret The Dream City is home to several parks—99 to be exact.
Chances are, if you’ve been around Arlington for at least a little while, you’ve probably heard of a few.
Phillip Rogers, Arlington’s marketing and enterprise development manager, said Arlington’s 99 parks cover almost 5,000 acres of land.
River Legacy is the largest of these parks. Spanning more than 1,000 acres, River Legacy follows the curves of the Trinity River. Rogers said there are more than 20 miles of trails in River Legacy, including at least eight miles of paved hiking and biking trails, a maintained 10-mile mountain bike trail, custom playgrounds and tons of wildlife.
“Our parks system is an important habitat of a wide array of birds, reptiles, animals and insects that call Arlington home,” Rogers said.
The Arlington Parks & Recreation Department works closely with the River Legacy Nature Center, Texas Parks and Wildlife and animal services on its wildlife conservation and management.
Randol Mill is another popular park in town. Sitting on nearly 150 acres, the park has a paved trail that loops around a pond and through the rest of the park. Visitors can enjoy basketball courts, rent pavilions and even fish in the pond.
The Arlington Park and Recreation Department maintains all 99 parks, although the maintenance varies based on the park. For example, those with ballfields and playgrounds might need more regular upkeep than the nature preserves. In 2022, the department conducted up to 42,467 hours of park maintenance.
Meadowbrook Park was the first park to open, debuting in 1924. Spanning 52 acres, the park is home to the Meadowbrook golf course and the Eunice Activity Center. The park has amenities such as hiking and bike trials, cooking grills and a Monarch butterfly waystation. a resource for monarchs to help sustain their annual two-way migration.
The Parks and Recreation Department will be celebrating its 100 year anniversary at Meadowbrook Park, only fitting because this was the park that started it all. To keep an eye out for details regarding the celebration, check out NaturallyFun.org. You can also check out the map to see more than 20 different Arlington park locations.
This article was originally published on Lone Star Sentinel. To read it there, click the link. https://arlingtonsentinel.org/1159/life-arts/arlington-parks-and-recreation-department-celebrates-its-centennial-in-2024/
Blondies Good Bad and Ugly 
