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Vision

To assist all Ministry Center marginalized guests in achieving independence and an optimum quality of life... whether employable or not.

Structure

The Free Hand Ministry Center is comprised of two constituent groups:

1. A collection of eight self-directed/self-funded ministries (each with its own mission) located in the St. Clair/Superior neighborhood of Cleveland. These ministries are:

• Project H.O.P.E. - - medical assessments and referrals

• Joseph House - - a home for refugees and immigrants

• Catholic Charities Emergency Services - - food, clothing and various emergency services and referrals

• Ursuline Learning Institute - - GED preparation, and tutoring of school-aged children

• Partnership Employment Program - - job preparation and placement

• Catholic Charities Project Head Start - - educational services for children ages 3-5

• Crime Victim Assistance Program - - legal assistance to victims of crime

• St. Vincent de Paul - - clothing and overall care for the needy 

2. A core administrative staff - - The Center Support Team. The Support Team provides the following forms of guest assistance: need assessments, resource coordination, consultation opportunities, and the tracking of guest progress toward desired independence goals. The Center Support Staff consists of the Center Coordinator, a Resource Coordinator and an Information/Data Specialist. 

Purpose

The Center promotes a culture of support, dignity, hope, trust and direction for all guests coming to the Center for help. The ministries located at the Free Hand Ministry Center offer an environment of open/energetic communication, ministry synergy, resource coordination, support services and strategic planning - - all aimed at helping "guests" obtain an optimum quality of life via the Center's "Road to Independence" program.

Primary Goals

The fundamental actions of the Free Hand Ministry Center are to provide fundamental life quality and long-term life quality solutions for all Center guests.

• Fundamental life quality care

1. The ministries that comprise the Center will minister to and stabilize all that enter the Center as guests-in-need. This will be accomplished by providing fundamental life-sustaining needs.

• This would include providing hot meals, food bags, clothing, basic medical assessments and referrals, socialization opportunities, housing referrals, GED training / after school tutoring, Head Start programs, crime victim advocacy, and so on.

2. The Center staff has also develop a process for providing immediate care for those assessed as being "at risk" (i.e. having "critical/potentially life-threatening" situations

• This would include the ability of various ministries to respond to guests with critical needs in an expedient and coordinated fashion, such via the Center's Crisis Team.

• Long-term solutions

1. Through ministry facilitation, the Free Hand Ministry Center offers the "Roads to Independence" program, which helps each guest entering the Center to identify and attain an "optimum quality of life."

• This is based on the supposition that, for everyone entering Center as a guest, there is an "optimum quality of life." Employment is by far NOT the only answer for every guest. This is due to the fact that many guests with who seek assistance through the Center may not desire a job or may face barriers to their entering the workforce.

• The "Roads to Independence" program is a guide for promoting long-term guest care and more permanent lifestyle solutions. The Center offers more than 10 step-by-step "Roads to Independence." We refer to each "road" as a TRACK. Each TRACK is focused entirely on the process of helping marginalized individuals entering the program attain his/her ultimate quality of life. 

2. The Center has also established a methodology for continually improving existing TRACKS and identifying opportunities for identifying new Roads to Independence as needed.

• This refers to the process of (1) evaluating and re-creating an effective Roads to Independence model (complete with "TRACK action items") and (2) providing one-on-one assessments and input from professionals in the field necessary to place guests in the most appropriate TRACK. 

3. The Free Hand Ministry Center is also committed to the development and maintenance of an effective network of resource personnel to play an active role in the Roads to Independence program.

• This network is comprised of local agency professionals, private business personnel, volunteers and others who possess (and are willing to share) resources with guests who enter the Free Hand Ministry Center.