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Programs & Services

We offer a structured program with individualized goals.  Although all families are homeless when they come into the program, they each have their own reasons for being in that position.  No case plan is the same to achieve success as each family is different in what they need/require in their case plan to achieve their goals.  Families set their own goals and become accountable for those goals.  They can adjust some, but only within reason.  It is important that families are not allowed to give up.  Although times can be difficult, we learn that hard work pays off.  

We help families by providing a structured residential program in which we focus on the reasons that caused the family to be unhoused and the ways to overcome the issue.

Ways to Overcome Homelessness

  • Education

    When a parent(s) that comes into our program doesn't have either a high school diploma or GED, that becomes one of their first goals to success. This is important in helping to find better employment to achieve long term self-sufficiency. Parents can also look into furthering their education by going to college or receiving a technical certification. We have access to the Adult Basic Education Program, Central Community College and University of Nebraska at Kearney to help families.

  • Employment

    Strong work ethic is an important component in ending homelessness. Parents need to work a minimum of 20 hours a week to start. We look at mixing education and employment goals together in plans for families to have a livable wage once they complete the program. Many families don't know that a livable wage is more than just what you make per hour and what benefits are included. We work with families to educate them on having excellent employment skills and responsibilities. We are fortunate to live in a community with many diverse employment opportunities.

  • Budgeting

    Once employment is found, proper budgeting is the next step. Our budgeting program is a more intense one on one program. This includes utilizing and understanding credit reports, paying off debt (communicating with debt collectors, billing agencies and comprehending billing statements). We start with some very basic skills of using the banking system properly (utilizing the old fashioned check register to know how much money we have). Teaching overall accountability for our spending and making good financial decisions are key components in ending homelessness. Families truly learn how to stretch their dollars and differentiate their needs from their wants. Paying these debts while in the program help them to achieve higher credit scores and less debt overall when they leave the program.

  • Physical and Mental Health

    Physical and mental health are strong contributors in the battle to end homelessness. Our families are fortunate to live in a community with many resources for overcoming mental health issues and strengthening our overall physical health. RAFT has partnerships with many counseling agencies, support groups and the local YMCA. When families feel good mentally and physically, they are able to achieve more. We make sure that families take care of their health while in the program because being being physically and mentally healthy makes a difference in how we perform in our day to day lives.

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