ARCH Services - Day Resource Center

The Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH) is comprised of a Day Resource Center, an Emergency Overnight Shelter, a Homeless Health Clinic, and a variety of social service agencies. The following links describe the programs and services you can find at the ARCH and how you can access them.

Here is a list of Basic Needs Services you will find at the Day Resource Center (DRC) in the ARCH. The DRC is open from 6:30 am to 5:30 pm M-F and from 6:30 am to 4:00 pm on the weekends.

1. Program Calendar
2. Showers/Restrooms
3. Laundry
4. Clothing Closet
5. Phones and Messaging
6. Mail
7. Lockers
8. Computer Lab
9. Town Hall Meetings
10. Document Bank
11. Identification
12. Intake and Referral
13. Discretionary Fund

1. Program Calendar – This is a monthly schedule of program events and various services. Check out the July 2010 Calendar.

2.Showers/Restrooms – Showers are available to all clients, men and women, from 7:00 am until 3:45 pm daily. Restrooms are available to all clients, men and women, from 6:30 am until closing. Basic hygiene items are provided based on availability. Soap and shampoo are always available. Front Steps is unable to provide towels.

3. Laundry – Laundry facilities are available seven days per week, from 7:00 am-1:00 pm.  You can sign up as early as 6:45 am and the last load must be started by 1:00 pm. ARCH clients are allowed to do one load of laundry per day based on availability. Detergent is provided.  Rules for laundry can be explained by a staff member, but are also posted in the laundry room.

4. The Clothing Closet - The Clothing Closet distributes clothing to homeless men on Monday mornings between 10:00 and 11:00 am. Please sign up at 9:30 am at the ARCH front desk with one of the Clothing Closet Volunteers or Front Steps’ staff member. The first group heads to Central Presbyterian Church with a volunteer or staff member at 9:50 am.

If you did not make it into the first group, please wait at the ARCH and a volunteer or staff member will return to take a second group at 10:30 am. The last client is served at 11:00 am. Clients can visit the clothing closet once a month. The Clothing Closet is capable of distributing clothes to up to 30 men each Monday morning. For a schedule of the Clothing Closet, please check the monthly calendar as it is usually closed on National Holidays that fall on a Monday.

5. Phones and Messaging – Phones are available during hours of operations for local calls only.  Client phones are located on the south side of the building. Phone calls are limited to 1 call at a time and for 5 minutes at a time. You must dial 9 first to make an outgoing call, and phones will not take incoming calls. For long distance calls, please refer to Intake and Referral times. (link to intake and referral)

Important - You can have potential employers call the confidential Job Related message line at 512-305-4175.

6. Mail - Homeless individuals needing an address to have personal, business, or other mail sent to can use the following address:
(your name)
P.O. Box 2509
Austin, Texas 78768
Mail is delivered Monday through Friday only, but can be checked daily at the soap desk on the second floor. You must provide an i.d. to receive mail.

7. Lockers – The ARCH has both inside and outside lockers available for client’s use. Inside lockers are available during hours of operations, while outside lockers have limited access times. Inside lockers are issued on the 11th (or the following Monday if the 11th is a Saturday or Sunday) of each month, while outside lockers are issued the following 2 or 3 days. Lockers must be re-registered each month between the 1st and 10th and can be kept indefinitely, as long as the locker is being used properly.

8. Computer Lab – The Computer Lab is open from 8:00 am until Noon and 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday by an AmeriCorps member or Front Steps' volunteer. The first two computers near the volunteer desk are reserved for job searches and resume writing. The remaining computers can be used for recreational purposes. There is a 30 minute time limit if there are others waiting to use the computers. Computer and computer lab rules are posted in the lab.

9. Town Hall Meetings: Town Hall Meeting are held every Wednesday for clients to express concerns, suggestions, and comments. They are also a time for Front Steps staff to discuss changes and issues.

Sit down (formal) Town Hall Meetings are held every third Wednesday from 9:30-10:30 am. Stand up (informal meetings) are held every other Wednesday at the same time.

10. The Document Bank - The Document Bank is a secure filing cabinet designed to keep your most important documents safe. You can keep the originals, or copies, of documents such as passports, driver’s licenses, birth certificates, court orders, and marriage licenses at the Document Bank for as long as you need. However, you must resign the consent form at least once every two years to continue storing your documents.

The Document Bank is located on-site and is open to clients during Intake and Referral. If you are working with a Case Manager, they can assist you with your documents during your Case Management appointments.

11. Identification - Vouchers for an I.D. or birth certificate are available once every six months. The Front Desk staff can also help you to work toward obtaining other forms of identification, such as a voter’s registration card and school records, which may be helpful in getting a birth certificate or state ID. We are able to order birth certificates from any US state. We can also help clients obtain birth certificates from any foreign country.

12. Intake and Referral - This is a service provided at the ARCH on Wednesday mornings at 10:00 am. During Intake and Referral, you can sign up on the 2nd floor and speak to a Front Steps' staff member for information and referrals for resources.

These resources include, but are not limited to:
• Making long-distance calls
• Assistance in ordering Vital Record information
• Clothing vouchers to St. Vincent de Paul's Thrift Store
• Discretionary Funds (please read below)

13. Discretionary Fund - Front Steps has certain funds available for quicker assistance. These funds can be used to help remove barriers that are preventing you from finding employment or housing. Examples of the type of assistance discretionary funds can be used for are:

• Criminal background checks for housing or employment
• Uniforms, shoes, or tools needed for full time employment, which will be verified

These funds are budgeted monthly. Currently homeless individuals, staying on the streets or in transitional shelters (such as halfway houses) needing assistance can submit an application during Intake and Referral (link to intake and referral).

Applications are accepted during Intake and Referral. Verification of need, resource, and other attempts for assistance are required. Due to funding limitations, not all applications will receive assistance.