Hope Rescue Mission
Title: Beyond the Shelter: Building Community and Hope
Student Interns:
Milan Ferguson
Drexel University College of Medicine at Tower Health
Academic Preceptor:
Daniel Schidlow, MD
Drexel University College of Medicine
Community Preceptor:
April McNally
Hope Rescue Mission
Robert Turchi
Hope Rescue Mission
Community Site:
Hope Rescue Mission is a shelter that provides both emergency and transitional housing to men experiencing homelessness in Berks County, Pennsylvania. Hope Rescue Mission connects each resident with a case manager who collaborates with community partners to coordinate support for mental health conditions, substance use disorders, legal issues, financial instability, and other challenges that may impact long-term stability and recovery. Additionally, the Mission provides residents with three meals every day, daily opportunities for spiritual enrichment, and a range of weekly educational, informational, and vocational programs designed to support personal growth and long-term independence.
Team’s Experience:
The Bridging the Gaps intern assisted the Welcome Center of Hope Rescue Mission by helping to distribute medication, organize mail, answer phone calls, and work with street medicine to collect vital signs. In addition, the intern prepared a workshop centered on hygiene, including the health benefits of proper hygiene, oral hygiene, accessible dental offices, and related topics. Finally, the intern created and administered a guest satisfaction survey to understand the guests’ experiences, including the facility’s strengths and areas for improvement. The intern shared the survey results with the community preceptor so that changes can be made to improve residents’ experiences.
Reflections
My experience at HRM has changed my view on transitional housing shelters where communities are being built by the work of various community partners. From my time at HRM, I have learned so much about the work to make housing more accessible to the Berks County community and the barriers that they face to get stable housing and job opportunities. In addition, my familiarity with the residents has further developed my understanding of social services, how best they can serve the community, and the difficulties people deal with navigating various systems. In my future career as a physician, I will keep these barriers in mind and hope to share similar resources with my patients. Finally, the Wednesday conferences have raised my awareness of various social issues affecting other groups of people, such as reproductive justice, gun violence, and trauma.
Milan Ferguson
