• How did Gilead House get started?
• What's with the name?
• What is the purpose of Gilead House?
• Who is eligible to live at Gilead House?
• How is the program funded?

Gilead House's (GH) origins can be traced back to 1997, when several members of BayMarin Community Church in Marin County, California were looking for ways to get their congregation more involved in the community. Some initial research revealed that there were more than 1,200 homeless children living in Marin at any given time, many of them under the care of a single mother (the number has gone up since then!).

Gilead House was formed as a response to this tremendous need. After a great deal of research, planning, and fund-raising, a 4-bedroom house in a quiet Novato neighborhood (Northern Marin) was leased to serve as the first site of GH. Location was critical, because from the beginning the goal was to place families in an environment that felt like a home rather than a shelter or institution.

The first 3 families moved into GH in October of 1999, and since that time our Board, House Manager, and Executive Director have worked hard to fine-tune the program and help resident families transform their futures. To date, we have served 39 women and 55 children, and have been privileged to see dramatic changes in individual lives. Also, our network of church partners has grown to include 7 congregations who participate in the work of GH in some way.

First, let's get the pronunciation straight. It's Gil-ee-add, with an accent on the first syllable. But where does this (strange) name come from? Well, Gilead actually refers to a region in ancient Israel which was famous for its production of a healing ointment known as "The Balm of Gilead." This area was also set aside as a place of refuge for fugitives. Because of these unique features, the word Gilead captures well what we want to offer residents: a place where refuge can be found and healing can take place.

The "Old Testament" name also serves as a reminder of our spiritual foundations, though it should be emphasized that we do not require any kind of religious affiliation or participation from our residents or volunteers. Rather, we simply see GH as part of "God's work" and a reflection of His compassion for the hurting and needy.

The purpose of Gilead House is to offer hope to families in need by helping them transition to a stable life and permanent housing.

The goal of Gilead House is to provide a supervised, structured program environment for homeless families during a transitional period of up to 12 months. This program consists of:

• Income enhancement through the acquisition of education and/or job skills
  
• Training in basic financial management (with required money-saving goals during residence at GH)
  
• The development of parenting and other life-management skills
  
• Mentoring by sponsors who will provide friendship and emotional support to residents
  

• single mothers with legal custody of their children
  
• highly motivated to change their lives
  
• clean and sober for at least 6 months prior to their arrival at GH
  
• willing and able to work or attend school for at least 32 hours per week during their stay at GH
  
• willing and able to take part in the maintenance of the home and adhere to all program rules and guidelines
  

While GH receives funding from a wide variety of sources, including charitable foundations, the faith community, the state government, and local corporations, the heart of our program has always been individual donors who care about our work. About 60% of our income is provided by people who have heard about our work and want to partner with us.

It should be noted that, because of that strong personal foundation, GH has been able to win some grants in recent years. In 2000, we were one of 20 agencies awarded a grant through Gov. Davis' innovative Faith-Based Initiative (out of over 800 who applied!). And in 2001, we were awarded another grant through the Marin Community Foundation's Thriving Families Invitiative. While those awards have greatly strengthened our program, they can never diminish the need for individual donors who believe in us!

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Last updated 02/26/2008