Arbor House opens doors for women

Seventeen-year-old Chloe would like to get in deeper -- but not deeper trouble.

A member of her school's choir because "I love music," she added: "Music, math and science are my favorite things in school. I'd like to become an oceanographer, and I'd like to minor in music."

While Chloe (not her real name) has her future mapped out under the seas, she has already experienced a major detour in her life's path. Kicked out of her home, she knows first-hand what it's like to be homeless.

Life on streets

Now a resident of Catholic Charities' Arbor House, she is in the process of getting her life back on track.

"I was homeless for a month," she said. "I slept on the streets for two or three nights. You never knew where you were going to end up."

While on the streets, her biggest priority was keeping warm, so she slept between two buildings sheltered by shrubbery. Being on the streets is not something this teenage girl with long blond hair and soft features had planned for her life. "I came from a wealthy family," she said. "I never pictured myself in that situation."

Shelter of Arbor

At Arbor House since June, she is one of seven young women sharing the large Victorian house in Albany.

"It's a relief to be here," Chloe said. "It's been a place for me to stay. It gives me a sense of family. It's a good place for me."

"Family" is a key word when it comes to Arbor House's program, said Jean Dobbs, director of residence for Albany Catholic Family and Community Services, the Catholic Charities agency that manages the home. The program "is set up like a family."

Complete with a dog -- a white American Eskimo named Blanco -- the house has many touches that make it a home. "Three [religious] sisters live here," explained Ms. Dobbs. "That makes it more homey. It gives continuity. That's security for the girls."

Residents and staff also sit down and eat meals together, are responsible for household chores, and celebrate birthdays together.

"Christmas is beautiful here," Ms. Dobbs said. "We decorate the house, go caroling at nursing homes, and have a Christmas party with the staff and girls."

Like a family

When the current house opened in 1989, Ms. Dobbs, who had worked for Community Maternity Services, another Catholic Charities agency, thought about her own life when structuring the program.

"I thought about what it was like when I was a kid," she said. "We were eight kids and two parents. Dinnertime was important. I wanted [Arbor House to be] a family-type environment, a setting where there is love."

It is also her own growing-up experiences that make working at Arbor House a challenge for Ms. Dobbs, who has worked for Catholic Charities for 20 years.

"The most difficult thing for me is coming from a nurturing family and then seeing these kids with such potential feel like nothing." she said.

Who is served

The program can take girls between the ages of 16 and 21 who are homeless or runaways. The home is considered a transitional living environment, with referrals coming from a variety of organizations, such as state agencies and parishes.

At Arbor House, the residents are provided with comprehensive services that address their physical and emotional needs. Basic skills are taught to promote independent living in the community.

The girls in the program come from a variety of backgrounds. "They can't stay in the home because of physical abuse, sexual abuse, repeated conflict, drugs or alcohol," Ms. Dobbs explained.

Rules of the house

While in the program, residents must be enrolled in school or working, and must follow detailed house rules. The rules, listed in a 12-page, single-spaced document, spell out shower times, chores, curfews, television and phone privileges, when and where they can smoke -- and more. There are also house meetings which are mandatory for residents to participate in.

"We're set up like a family environment with rules and regulations," Ms. Dobbs said. "Overall, kids do like rules and regulations."

Still, Ms. Dobbs admits, "there are constant behavior problems. Stability is frightening for them. So many kids don't have trust in adults. Each one comes in with a bag of hurt or pain. We don't have all of the answers, it's about hearing and listening. To get them to like themselves is hard."

Successes

While there are the day-to-day struggles for the staff of Arbor House, the success of past residents can keep them going.

"There was a young lady who left two years ago," Ms. Dobbs said. "She had been living with her boyfriend's family and prior to that with her stepmother. She hadn't spoken to her mother in years. She was sexually abused by her dad. She had no trust in adults. She felt abandoned by her mother.

"Beautiful things happened with her. She wanted to excel. She got a four-year scholarship to The College of Saint Rose. She was there for a semester and then moved to live with her mother in Texas. She's with her and back in college. She's a brilliant young lady. We'll see her in the history books."

Keeping in touch

Janet Ludwig, a caseworker at Arbor House, agreed that the long-term success of residents keeps her going.

"The best part of this job is the success we see," she said. "They're crying when they leave because of the connections they make. I like it when they call back and let us know what's going on in their lives.

"Arbor House is unique. We meet the needs of the girls, not the bureaucracy. It's a unique program. As far as I know there is no other program in the state like this."

Residents views

The uniqueness of the program is evident to the residents. Seventeen-year-old Janie (not her real name) has been at Arbor House for a few weeks. Prior to that, she lived in a temporary shelter.

Janie, who has an 18-month-old daughter, has confidence that the program will help her get back on her feet and regain custody of her child.

"I'd like to set up my life to give her a better life," the quiet teen said of her child. The program "keeps you on your feet. They show you how to work. You have to help yourself. It's a good program if you're willing to work and follow the rules. It will help you out in the end. I think it's nice actually." [[In-content Ad]]