Finding Home
One80 Place and its effort to help the local homeless community
BY CHRIS BERTIAUX
Looking at Daryl Smith today, few would guess that this athletic individual dressed like a competitor in the Tour De France experienced homelessness and substance abuse for many years earlier in his life.
When Smith, who asked not to use his real name, experienced homelessness, he never thought that years later he would become a vital part of One80 Place's mission to improve homelessness in Charleston.
One80 Place designed its programs around three key areas that have been identified as common themes in the homeless population: legal needs, job readiness and mental and physical health needs. It is through these programs that Smith and others like him have found stability and hope for a brighter future.
Legal Needs
The Homeless Justice Project, run by the legal department at One80 Place, assists clients with disability claims, family court issues, custody, alimony and other civil cases. The legal clinic is open to anyone in the community who is homeless, and it provides three to four-hour free consults with lawyers and paralegals who can assess clients’ cases.
Job Readiness
Raising Individual Skills for Employment (RISE) is a job-readiness program at One80 Place. RISE is a six-week class with three to five people in each class, and it provides them with knife-handling skills, basic cooking skills and the opportunity to learn kitchen equipment. This program allows clients to build their resumes and provides them with skills to get an entry-level restaurant or catering job. One80 Place's fourth RISE class graduated this spring.
Mental and Physical Health Needs
It is no secret that a significant portion of the homeless population suffers from substance abuse. “Many guests of the shelter struggle with substance abuse, which many times is the catalyst that causes a loss in housing,” says Tremaine Sumter, case manager for One80 Place. Guests who share a history of substance abuse are recommended to attend an abuse treatment group by a case manager.
It is an eight-week program in which a new topic is discussed each week that focuses on education of addictive behaviors and learning new coping skills that will assist guests as they prepare to transition out of the shelter, Sumter explains.
“The substance abuse program and [alcoholics anonymous] meetings gave me an outlet, because I could connect with people,” Smith says.
One80 Place
During his years living with substance abuse and homelessness, Smith eventually realized it was time to make a change. “I remember one morning, this was a long time ago, I was getting ready in the morning and I realized how integral and pivotal substance abuse had become in my life,” Smith explains. “It kind of shocked me because I asked myself, if I let that go what else am I gonna do?”
After following his heart and his faith to Charleston, Smith decided to make his life about giving back to others. “My life was gonna be about giving, and since this was place was readily available to do that, I said, 'Why not?' ” Smith says, explaining how he started working at One80 Place.
It was this decision that brought Smith to where he is today. He currently helps manage One80 Place's food truck, which brings in about 20,000 to 25,000 pounds of food a month, allowing One80 Place to serve approximately 170,000 meals annually.
“It is a labor of love for me because you are doing something that is not about self, and it takes a lot more than just me to make this go,” Smith says.