Speaker 1: Good morning, Welcome, welcome, welcome idiots at time now for
Speaker 1: our community connection right here on K one. The one
Speaker 1: you trust and which is today is Mike Shornson. He's
Speaker 1: the program director for n and Mayah Community Development. And Mike,
Speaker 1: my goodness sake, what a great story you have about
Speaker 1: helping people trying to get ready to help themselves. Tell
Speaker 1: us a little bit about me and Mayah Community Development.
Speaker 2: Yeah, we've been working since twenty ten. Our goal, we say,
Speaker 2: we want to provide hope, health and housing to the
Speaker 2: people in Washington County.
Speaker 1: Huh.
Speaker 3: We start in twenty ten.
Speaker 2: It started with Orlando Parker who began it just wanting
Speaker 2: to help. He saw people coming out of jail that
Speaker 2: had no idea how to function. They didn't have a job,
Speaker 2: they didn't have a car, they didn't have any way
Speaker 2: to just function in society, and they're trying to rebuild
Speaker 2: their lives. So that was his goal, was just to
Speaker 2: jump in and just get in the mess with people
Speaker 2: and try to figure out what they need to help them,
Speaker 2: you know, learn how to be a good father, or
Speaker 2: learn how to you know, get a good job and
Speaker 2: have a good work ethic.
Speaker 3: Things like that.
Speaker 2: It led into really a focus on housing is kind
Speaker 2: of our core.
Speaker 4: We've had men's and women's houses in.
Speaker 2: Town, group homes where we allow people to we provide
Speaker 2: the housing, but then we get into all those messes
Speaker 2: of life with trying to help them with just functioning independently.
Speaker 2: Independent living is kind of our goal with people.
Speaker 1: Well, this is a massive undertaking, and we're familiar with
Speaker 1: the tiny houses and a few of the projects that
Speaker 1: you have here in Death. Yeah, but you got a great,
Speaker 1: big wing. It's been in the work for a while.
Speaker 1: We do.
Speaker 4: Yeah, we did the cottages on sixth Street on West.
Speaker 2: If anybody goes west on Adams, they see the little
Speaker 2: bright colored.
Speaker 3: Homes over there.
Speaker 2: We built affordable housing, thank you. We built those started
Speaker 2: in twenty seventeen. There's twenty of those units now that
Speaker 2: are affordable. And when we started that project, we saw
Speaker 2: the need come out. When he opened the first three,
Speaker 2: we had like near one hundred applicants for those and
Speaker 2: a lot of people who even if they weren't homeless,
Speaker 2: they were couch hopping or things, they didn't make enough
Speaker 2: to be able to live independently in town.
Speaker 3: So we saw that big need.
Speaker 2: So the next step that we went to besides our
Speaker 2: men's and women's homes.
Speaker 3: As we went and bought the Emerald.
Speaker 2: Hotel, it was formerly an Emerald Hotel that was abandoned
Speaker 2: up on seventy five in Tuxedo, and so we've owned that.
Speaker 2: We are in kind of grant process for now right
Speaker 2: now trying to get our funding to do the big
Speaker 2: work over there.
Speaker 3: But that's going to be a kind of group.
Speaker 2: Home process, transitional housing basically where we can fit up
Speaker 2: to one hundred and forty people in that facility, and
Speaker 2: it'll be a three step process basically for people to
Speaker 2: move into independent living. So they start, they come in,
Speaker 2: they're coming out of rehab, they're coming out of homelessness,
Speaker 2: they come out of jail, sometimes with mental health court
Speaker 2: or something like that, and we're helping them with mental
Speaker 2: health issues, substance issues. We're also working with them on
Speaker 2: learning how to get a job, learning how to you know,
Speaker 2: getting their driver's license, getting their ged, various things to
Speaker 2: that they're ready to be an independent member of society.
Speaker 3: So we're working on that.
Speaker 2: That'll be like a three step process so they're ready
Speaker 2: by the time they're done and they move out of
Speaker 2: that facility, they're ready to get their own apartment, they've
Speaker 2: got their own car, and they're they're working, they're doing
Speaker 2: everything they.
Speaker 4: Can do to be productive members of society.
Speaker 1: Right now, we're kind of looking for a little bit
Speaker 1: of generosity on behalf of the people in the community
Speaker 1: to kind of help out because the way you haven't
Speaker 1: set up, I understand you've got you're moving yet, yeah,
Speaker 1: and it's like life is hitting you like a sledgehammer
Speaker 1: all over again. But you're taking a thirty day pause
Speaker 1: on some of this stuff, right.
Speaker 2: Yeah, So when people move into our prayer right now,
Speaker 2: we have a men's in a women's house and it'll
Speaker 2: just amplify when the hotel opens. But people come into
Speaker 2: our program, they usually vast majority do not have a job.
Speaker 2: They either come out of jail or homelessness or out
Speaker 2: of rehab or something like that, and when they come
Speaker 2: in don't have any ability to pay for anything themselves,
Speaker 2: but we don't and we do move them towards getting
Speaker 2: a job, but that first thirty days we really want
Speaker 2: them to focus on doing the program, just deal with
Speaker 2: whatever mental health issues, substance use issues, whatever brings them
Speaker 2: in the program. We usually find we need to focus
Speaker 2: on some of that first before they're off working all day,
Speaker 2: and so we want them to take that first thirty
Speaker 2: days and not work. But if we do that, then
Speaker 2: the housing fees they have to pay, like we have.
Speaker 3: A mortgage today and all that.
Speaker 2: So when they're paying their housing fees and transportation fees,
Speaker 2: now they're behind thirty days in. They get a job
Speaker 2: thirty or sixty days in, and now they're already in debt,
Speaker 2: and that is to set up for failure financially for them.
Speaker 2: So what we're trying to do is raise some support
Speaker 2: that allows us to help both pay off some debts
Speaker 2: for some of our people in the program now and
Speaker 2: also set up scholarships so that when people come in
Speaker 2: we can say, don't work your first thirty days, that
Speaker 2: money is taken care of.
Speaker 3: Work on you, Yeah, so work on you for thirty
Speaker 3: We're going to trust me.
Speaker 2: We want them to work because that's part of the
Speaker 2: program as you're expected to figure out how to find
Speaker 2: a job, and we're teaching them work ethic, we're teaching
Speaker 2: them how to do their resume and all that stuff.
Speaker 4: So we're going to be moving them there.
Speaker 2: We want them to have a little breathing room, so
Speaker 2: they're not panicking because some people it's stressful to them
Speaker 2: right off the bat, like I gotta get working and
Speaker 2: that's all they get focused on because they don't like
Speaker 2: feeling like they're in debt. So we want them to
Speaker 2: be able to relax and say, hey, people have taken
Speaker 2: care of your first thirty days. You just focus on
Speaker 2: you that thirty days is up. We're expecting you to
Speaker 2: get a job and we'll get to work and we're going.
Speaker 4: To do all those other pieces.
Speaker 2: So yeah, we're asking if there's people who are open
Speaker 2: to donating, that would be a huge blessing to our
Speaker 2: participants and it would help bridge some gaps for them.
Speaker 2: I know they would greatly appreciate it. It would be a
Speaker 2: huge relief some of our participants now who are working
Speaker 2: hard and are now in jobs, but also still it's
Speaker 2: like yeah, yeah they are, And then I think you
Speaker 2: know a lot of them, it's a struggle some people.
Speaker 2: If you have a criminal history or different things, like
Speaker 2: there's a limit to what jobs people are willing to
Speaker 2: get you, and a lot of them they may not schooling.
Speaker 2: It's going to take some time for them to get
Speaker 2: their ged or do some of the things they need
Speaker 2: to get a quality job, and so it's a long
Speaker 2: process sometimes with people. And the more flexibility we can
Speaker 2: give them to say, you're working on the ethic of it,
Speaker 2: you're practicing, you're working hard, you're doing you're responsible, you're
Speaker 2: doing what you need to do. But to take some
Speaker 2: of that pressure off of them so they're not panicking right.
Speaker 3: Away and going what am I going to do? I
Speaker 3: can't this feels overwhelming.
Speaker 2: When we can make it feasible for them, then I
Speaker 2: find they thrive in that because they feel like somebody's
Speaker 2: given them a chance.
Speaker 1: This is great. It's a Neilmiya Communitydevelopment dot Com is
Speaker 1: where you can go and we'll have a little link
Speaker 1: on the website there that there will also kind of
Speaker 1: you bring that out more prominently in the news story.
Speaker 1: That way, you just click on there and you can
Speaker 1: find out the information and you can make your decision
Speaker 1: as to whether or not you're going to help out.
Speaker 1: I really think that this is a great way for
Speaker 1: those who are doing okay to help about our brothers
Speaker 1: and sisters who are trying to do okay.
Speaker 4: Yeah, and that's that's who we're looking for.
Speaker 2: I mean, is the people who they want out that
Speaker 2: they they that they need support, they need a leg
Speaker 2: up on how to get out, and so we're here
Speaker 2: to provide that bridge to help them move into independent living.
Speaker 1: Now, how did you get drawn to this, Mike Sorenton?
Speaker 1: You know, heck a guy, nice fella, and you waded
Speaker 1: into some pretty deep water here, young man.
Speaker 4: Maybe I like it though.
Speaker 2: I well, my background, I'm a licensed professional counselor.
Speaker 3: That was what my degree was in.
Speaker 2: I got a licensed I used to run a counseling
Speaker 2: practice up on the East Coast, but I moved here
Speaker 2: ten years ago to go on staff at Grace Community Church. Actually,
Speaker 2: so I was doing small groups pastoring, still did some
Speaker 2: counseling and things over there, and probably probably six years
Speaker 2: ago or so, I got familiar with what Neamia was
Speaker 2: doing in town and met some of their participants, and
Speaker 2: I started to do in relationship classes for them.
Speaker 4: They now jokingly call me doctor Love.
Speaker 3: Sometimes because as that was their introduction to me.
Speaker 2: As I would come every Wednesday morning and do a
Speaker 2: relationship class and we talk about conflict resolution and things
Speaker 2: like that, and I just came to really love the
Speaker 2: people there and love the work they were doing. So
Speaker 2: as this new project this past year with the Hotel
Speaker 2: Orlando Parker who started it. We were good friends and
Speaker 2: we would meet regularly and talk, and I started feeling
Speaker 2: the leading, like God was leading me, like you need
Speaker 2: to be more involved in this. So I transitioned in
Speaker 2: January to work full time for Nehemiah and out of Grace.
Speaker 2: Grace is still a big supporter what we do so
Speaker 2: in local missions, and so that's been a really good
Speaker 2: connection there. There's still my church and everything, but it
Speaker 2: kind of blends this weird combination of my background in
Speaker 2: both pastoral and counseling and I like strategic leadership kind
Speaker 2: of stuff. So it ends up bringing all of those
Speaker 2: kind of gifts together in the same place.
Speaker 3: So I really loved being part of it.
Speaker 1: It sounds like you are where you need to be.
Speaker 3: I feel that way. Yeah.
Speaker 1: Wow, wait, that's a pretty cool story. But once again, folks,
Speaker 1: I want you to remember this website. It's Neomia Communitydevelopment
Speaker 1: dot Com. It's kind of long, but if you can
Speaker 1: remember that Neamyah Communitydevelopment dot Com, you can follow along
Speaker 1: and follow a little bit more into detail what we've
Speaker 1: been discussing here on the air, and then right there
Speaker 1: on the website. If you wish to donate, there's a
Speaker 1: place where you can do that too, and that would
Speaker 1: be so greatly appreciating. Man. I tell you what, there
Speaker 1: are a lot of folks in this day and age
Speaker 1: that need help like this. They're just right on that edge.
Speaker 1: I can either succeed or I can fall back to
Speaker 1: where I have been and start all over again. And
Speaker 1: nobody really wants to do that. So let's kind of
Speaker 1: get people over the finish line.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's hard, messy work sometimes, I think, but we've
Speaker 2: said a few just come out of rehab, they have
Speaker 2: some tools, they come out Okay, I'm ready to get clean.
Speaker 2: But then they don't have a job, they don't have
Speaker 2: a car, they don't have any income or place to stay.
Speaker 2: They very quickly, even no matter how good their rehab was,
Speaker 2: they don't have the ability to make it work.
Speaker 3: They're going to go back to the people they know.
Speaker 2: And so we find they revert back to an old
Speaker 2: way of life because just no one helped bridge that gap.
Speaker 2: And that's kind of where we come in. We really
Speaker 2: love to get into the messy part that no one wants.
Speaker 4: To get in there sometimes, to get in there.
Speaker 2: And deal with all of that, But that's what we
Speaker 2: have a passion for, Like, let's get in there with
Speaker 2: them all these various things that come up, and let's
Speaker 2: try to help give them a leg up, give them
Speaker 2: a pathway forward, and if they'll take it and accept
Speaker 2: the help. I find it's amazing the stories we've seen
Speaker 2: the people in our.
Speaker 3: Program that have stuck that out and worked at it.
Speaker 2: We got people working in our office now that graduated
Speaker 2: our program that are doing a lot of the work
Speaker 2: for us right now that are amazing. Every one of
Speaker 2: them has crazy, amazing testimonies of what they've been through.
Speaker 3: And you wouldn't believe it.
Speaker 2: You see them now, and you not believe the stories
Speaker 2: they tell where they used to One of our lads
Speaker 2: of works in our office now said she used to
Speaker 2: as a homeless addict, would sneak into the hotel that
Speaker 2: we bought sometimes to try and sleep in there. And
Speaker 2: now she's helping us build this whole program over there.
Speaker 2: So we have these stories of just people who come
Speaker 2: out of just seemingly hopeless situations.
Speaker 4: That are now living really productive, great lives.
Speaker 2: And that's what energizes me, is to see that kind
Speaker 2: of transformation is an amazing thing.
Speaker 1: Well, you know something. First of all, it's been a
Speaker 1: pleasure getting to know you a little bit better today. Mike,
Speaker 1: Mike Sorenson has been our guest program director with me
Speaker 1: and my Community Development Don't be a stranger, all right.
Speaker 4: We would love to be back, all right.
Speaker 1: Thank you very much for being with us year on
Speaker 1: our Community Connection. Mild weather day coming up for most
Speaker 1: of it. We'll finally see a little bit of sunshine
Speaker 1: before