HOPE Ministries managed to find permanent housing for a record-high 75 percent of the 225 people the non-profit assisted with temporary shelter during 2025.

The success rate in recent years has been between 42 and 52 percent.

And that compares to the national average of 10 percent for low-barrier shelters that try to place individuals in permanent housing.

HOPE Ministries operates three shelters — one for families, one for single mothers, and transitional housing.

It is considered a high-barrier shelter as residents must be drug free.

If they stumble, they are out on the street. That said, people are given a second chance to return to the program if they stop using.

The bottom line is it forces most to realize that they are putting drugs and/or alcohol, ahead of their children.

Robust case management that includes working with clients to help them to make better financial decisions, working on behavioral factors that contributed to them ending up being homeless, along with mentoring for life skills make a major difference.

Many often have jobs when they become homeless but due to money managing skills or other issues, end up not being able to cover all costs including rent.

The shelters housed 225 people during 2025.

That included 96 from Stockton, 58 from Manteca, 32 from Lathrop, 10 from Tracy, 8 from Sacramento, 6 from Oakdale, 6 from Ripon, 5 from San Francisco, and 5 from Escalon.

Bingo breakfast date

is set for March 7

To help generate funds, HOPE Shelters is staging a “Bingo Breakfast” event on Saturday, March 7, featuring food and games.

Details and the $40 tickets will be available after Jan. 31.

 The non-profit formed by the Manteca Ministerial Association in 1993 relies on corporate and private donations for more than 90 percent of its annual $460,000 budget.

That’s because state and federal grants rarely assist high-barrier shelters that have high success rates of getting people off the street and into permanent housing.

A general breakdown of the HOPE budget includes:

*$135,000 for maintenance and operation costs such as PG&E, vehicle maintenance, property insurance, pest control, city utilities, and such.

*$30,000 for food, diapers, detergent, cleaning supplies, sundries, and more.

*$25,000 for office related expenses.

*$200,000 for staff salary and benefits for two full-time positions, two-part-time positions, and a contracted psychologist.

Although donations are welcomed and needed year-round, during the holidays HOPE Family Shelters encourages businesses and organizations to stage what might be called “a white drive.”

They are encouraged to collect things such as paper towels, toilet paper, linens, pillows, and such.

Anything they don’t have to purchase saves the non-profit money.

The HOPE Family Shelters website is at hopefamilyshelters.com.  

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com