The GOALS program is a Two-Generation (2Gen) housing program for families experiencing homelessness in Aurora and Arapahoe County. GOALS provides families with a private room while they develop long-term goals for stability and self-reliance. Families are provided a safe space for four to nine months, and one-year of follow-up support.
The Program helps stabilize families experiencing homelessness, empowering them to move from poverty and homelessness by focusing on services and opportunities that address the needs of all family members using a 2Gen approach. Through this empowerment method, we help families secure safe and stable housing; increase their overall health and well-being; improve employment situations and economic assets; better position children for academic success and enhance connections for these families within their community.
Douglas County was awarded a $1 million grant from the federal government toward the Generational Opportunities to Achieve Long-term Success (GOALS) facility in Arapahoe County. The facility provides food and shelter, substance abuse treatment, mental health counseling, and job placement for families experiencing homelessness.
GOALS Ribbon cutting event in Aurora
A personal story from Family Tree:
Emily’s husband used power and control throughout their marriage. Emily was able to identify what was actually happening while attending a training on domestic violence. A short time later, Emily’s husband left. Emily was struggling to make ends meet for herself and her children. Emily and her twins found GOALS and she was connected with resources that helped both her and her children achieve the goals they set for their family. Emily was able to complete her degree program and take financial planning courses to begin her journey to self-sufficiency. The services offered also helped Emily to learn parenting skills to help support her children.
She says that the most important part of her experience at GOALS was the team members who helped her find housing that fit her family’s needs. The program helped Emily gain a sense of community and empowered her with the resources she needed to help her entire family succeed on their own. “What I think was different about Family Tree, is that you didn’t feel like just a number. They actually care. They listen to me. It felt like everything was about the entire family.”
