HOLLY House is helping make a difference one person at a time
With no paid staff, Tate relies heavily on her connection with College of Wooster student volunteers.
HOLLY House Inc. is a local nonprofit dedicated to housing the homeless in Wayne County. It’s the brainchild of Wooster native Holly Tate, the founder and director of the organization.
“I’m also the chief bottle washer and toilet scrubber,” Tate said.
The organization is entirely volunteer run and operates solely on donations from community members.
“You must remain flexible, take constructive criticism objectively, let negativity bounce off of you, never stay stuck in neutral too long when recovering from mistakes or learning curves, and wake up ready to move forward, glad you were given the gift of a new day wherein you can try to make the world a better place,” Tate said.
The mission of HOLLY House is to connect homeless people in Wayne County with safe, affordable housing. The broader mission is to create a community of care and concern.
“Working closely with other area resources and lending out our College of Wooster volunteer corps to other charitable organizations promotes such communal caring,” Tate said.
HOLLY House itself is not a shelter. No one lives on site. “Technically speaking,” Tate said, “we provide what the housing world defines as transitional scattered-site housing options and supportive services.”
Qualified homeless individuals and families are offered financial and mandatory case-management assistance for up to six months as they get settled into a rental home.
“Landlords are paid directly,” Tate said. “No money is given to clients. Much time is spent providing budget counseling and helping homeless persons find and obtain safe, affordable housing options.”
Assistance was provided to HOLLY House’s first client in October 2016, even though the agency was not yet officially open for services.
In 2017, 38 individuals in 16 households were served. “The majority of the aid was provided in the form of security deposits and first month’s rent,” Tate said.
HOLLY House often works in coordination with People to People Ministries and St. Mary’s St. Vincent DePaul Society to provide the dollars needed to secure housing.
“For example,” Tate said, “HOLLY House will provide a partial amount of a security deposit or rent to match or make up a balance provided by one of the other organizations.”
With no paid staff, Tate relies heavily on her connection with College of Wooster student volunteers. “We’ve created a volunteer corps that provides an average of four to 12 hours of volunteer labor weekly,” she said.
Student volunteers help with everything from administrative assistance to creating their own annual fundraiser for the nonprofit. The team also goes out into the community with Tate to assist other organizations.
Recently a group of HOLLY House volunteers helped to serve the YMCA’s community Thanksgiving dinner.
“This whole project is so close to my heart,” Tate said.
Tate explained that when people come into the HOLLY House offices, it’s difficult to tell who are the workers and who are the clients. “I want it to stay that way. Everyone is the same when they come into our space,” she said.
It’s a constant learning experience as the organization continues to evolve. “We are most definitely a grass roots and organic not-for-profit organization,” Tate said. “We learn and change as we grow and develop.”
Tate has been known to meet with people in need wherever they may be. “We will go to where the client is located to get the housing process started or to conduct an assessment/intake,” said Tate, who once interviewed someone in a car in a fast food parking lot.
The assistance offered to those in need goes beyond that of securing housing. Tate has a collection of used clothing as well as a wide assortment of household items. If she doesn’t have what is needed, referrals to other agencies and community resources are made.
Individuals who are given items from the HOLLY House reuse barn are always encouraged to return them down the road if they are able.
“We employ a consistent philosophy of reuse,” Tate said. “All our office furniture, most supplies and materials for the rehab of the house itself were donated, repurposed or recycled items. Leftover cement chunks serve as garden bed walls or edging.”
With a background as a social worker and social service director, Tate is well qualified to take on the HOLLY House mission. “Everybody in a service profession has the people they work with best. Homelessness is kind of my thing,” she said. “It’s this massive problem, and yet it’s so easily fixable on a one-to-one basis. It’s a very tangible service to provide. You can see results very quickly. One person at a time is the way it gets done.”
In 2011, Tate, who had been widowed, was working a job in the private sector that required massive amounts of travel. When she unexpectedly lost her position, Tate knew it was time to dive in and follow her heart.
“Right before my husband passed away, he made me promise,” Tate said. “He knew I hated my job. He made me promise I would get out of there and come back to Wooster and do what I wanted to do, working with the homeless and working in a nonprofit.”
Tate is ready to begin 2018 with a continued sense of hope and determination that we can help reduce local homelessness and remain firmly committed to upholding our broader mission of creating a community demonstrative of care and concern.
HOLLY House has no paid staff and runs solely on donations. To contribute, send checks to HOLLY House Inc., 217 E. Larwill St., Wooster, OH 44691. Tax forms will be sent to all donors.
Basic cleaning supplies, household items, kitchenware, vacuum cleaners, dressers and men’s winter clothing are always in need as well. Email with questions or to arrange a donation at hollyhouseinc@gmail.com.
From December through the end of January, HOLLY House will meet with people on an appointment basis only. Winter hours will be posted by the beginning of February. Those in need can email HOLLY House for an appointment.
Find and follow HOLLY House Inc. on Facebook and at www.hollyhouseinc.com.
Tate said, “Hopefully I live by example. I’ve always lived life with a fair bit of tenacity and endurance, but the HOLLY House project has tested every bit of my never give up mantra/mentality. Courage, hard work and persistence will encourage and allow good things to happen. I do believe we have a social responsibility, that if we are able, we owe it to society to contribute in a positive fashion.”