Siloam Springs Community Guide

16 | 2023 Siloam Springs community guide Genesis House is a Siloam Springs nonprofit that few people have heard of. According to James Walls, the interim director and board president of Genesis House, very few people know about the service, and he is seeking to change that. "Genesis House is bigger than one person," he said. "It is a community business or nonprofit because we are serving people in the community." What is Genesis House Genesis House is a multi- functioning, homeless entity, as well as a nonprofit, Walls said. "Within our organization we provide day services for those who are most vulnerable." People can wash their clothes, get a hot meal, take a shower and use the restroom, something that most people take for granted. "A lot of people don't have the ability to even brush their teeth," Walls said. "ose little things, while they seem small to us, are really big to those who don't have them." Depending on the needs and time of year, Genesis House provides sleeping bags, blankets, backpacks and emergency equipment. Genesis House is also a safety avenue for people. "When we talk about the most vulnerable population, it's very easy for them to be in situations that are not safe, and so Genesis House provides kind of a safety environment for them to be able to be there during operating hours," he said. Currently, Genesis House is open Monday through Friday from 9-11:30 a.m. Walls said he hopes to expand its hours to at least 5 p.m., and possibly have an on-call volunteer or staff member available later into the evening. e reason Genesis House is open so few hours is twofold: Part of it involves finances and the other is manpower, Walls said. Genesis House has two full-time employees – a case manager and an office administrator – as well as two volunteers. "If we had more volunteers that could help facilitate people coming in and being present at the Genesis House, we could open up for longer periods of time," Walls said. Genesis House currently provides services in Northwest Arkansas and Northeast Oklahoma. Genesis House receives clients from Bentonville and Fayetteville, as well as Grove, Miami, Tahlequah and Tulsa in Oklahoma, he said. Walls isn't sure how long Genesis House has been in operation, but believes it opened in 1995. Before Genesis House, area churches provided services, mainly offering hot meals and meal vouchers, Walls said. Another program Genesis House runs is called the Family JumpStart Program, also known as the Tiny Homes program, which helps the most vulnerable restart their lives in small homes. "When someone enters into the Tiny Homes program, we buy them dishes and towels," Walls said. "Basically it's kind of like a starter kit. Once they graduate out of that program they can either take it or leave it. If they leave it, we'll donate all of that over to the Manna Center or the Potter's House." Genesis House partners with Kenwood Baptist Church, which owns the small homes, to administer the programs. e timeframe in the homes ranges from a few months to six months, Walls said. He also said the timeframe depends on the client and how they work the program. Many of the program's participants are women and children, he said. A total of 154 people have been served in the Family JumpStart Program, said caseworker Lisa Burch. Of those, 86 were served in the traditional program, where clients are assisted in dealing with eviction notices or obtaining rent assistance to get into a rental property, while 68 have been served in the small homes, Burch said. "We help them with budgeting and teach them skills for work," Walls said. "It helps them get a job and a start." e Need Programs run by Genesis House do require funding and materials, which is where Genesis House needs help. Finances are in short supply, Walls said. "Not only do we have to keep the doors open, pay employees, but we have to support (our) programs," he said. Presently, Genesis House does not receive any funds from the federal government or any other organization, although it did have a United Way grant at one time that Genesis House needs to reapply for, Walls said. Genesis House is also in need of diapers, sleeping bags, emergency blankets and personal hygiene kits. Also, the commercial refrigerator in the house needs to be fixed, Walls said. e other thing Genesis House is in short supply of is volunteers. Volunteers can spend an hour a day, every single day, Walls said. Lastly, Genesis House needs a new executive director and new board members, Walls said. e nonprofit has not had an executive director since June 2022. ere are presently five active board members at Genesis House, and there is room for eight more. Genesis House is constantly needing support and partnerships with community vendors and people. Anyone willing to partner with Genesis House is welcome, Walls said. Board member Abbie Netzel said that along with diapers, sleeping bags and toiletry items, pop-top food items are also needed. "I have two little girls, so the diaper thing breaks my heart," Netzel said. Walls said he had twin boys and understands what it was like to have two children in diapers at one time. Genesis House has also seen an uptick in veterans services, Walls said. If Genesis House is unable to help any veterans, they are referred to American Legion Post 29 or Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1674, both in Siloam Springs. What is Being Done Walls would like to see a gala held for Genesis House. In Genesis House continues to help homeless in the area | By Marc Hayot Reprinted from a previous edition of the Siloam Springs Herald-Leader

• Cover