Deacon Mike Oles started the Off The Streets act in May 2013. The Off The Streets act provides furniture and a deposit for an apartment. This act is a support system for the homeless people. This act fills the critical missing pieces to transfer homeless people into permanent housing.
The services provided by Off The Streets volunteers are a security deposit sent to the landlord and basic furnishing and household items. Basic furnishing they offer are dressers, beds, couches, and tables.
Oles started the Off The Streets act more than ten years ago. In just the past ten years 4,000 people were helped off the streets of Lancaster and into housing systems. Oles stated that the Off The Streets act is made possible by the generous volunteers.
Multiple volunteers donate dressers, tables, and other household furniture. The Off The Streets act is now able to run in five different states. Off The Street volunteers work with local service agencies to identify those who could be in need of help.
Oles got the inspiration for Off The Streets, when he was asked to speak to a group of kids about homelessness. He was given assistance from men and women he met in shelters.
Off The Streets is a nonprofit organization. A nonprofit organization is run strictly off volunteers and donations. Oles states that dressers and beds are a big need when moving family’s into homes. Off the streets offers families a fresh start and the support system needed to do so. The goal for off the streets is for it go to nation wide.