Three Oaks Fights Homelessness with Homes
It’s a challenge fighting homelessness. Three Oaks Center in Lexington Park, MD, has been in the trenches for a quarter century now. Some successes include investment in local neighborhoods resulting in community building for the neighborhoods, and homes for the homeless.
In 2003 the Center purchased 10 substandard townhouses in Lexington Park for $650,000 and spent another $100,000 rehabilitating them. This project now provides an additional 10 units of supportive transitional housing for families, and also achieves the desired effect of significantly improving the neighborhood.
Among the neighborhoods Three Oaks Center extends its support to is Colony Square, located across the street from the Lexington Park Library and the Bay District Fire Department. Colony Square’s residents have successfully used community organization to reduce neighborhood crime, including installation of crime prevention lighting.
Along with Three Oaks Center, the neighborhood sponsors a Night Out each year that includes dispensing to the community’s school children, school supplies, donated by community members and churches.
Three Oaks Center Executive Director Lanny Lancaster, celebrating last week’s National Night Out at Colony Square, talks about the neighborhood.
About Three Oaks Center
In 1991, a handful of community leaders addressed increase homelessness among men a in St. Mary’s County, founding the Three Oaks Center. Services began immediately and a transitional and emergency shelter for homeless men was built and opened in January, 1996 on Lei Drive in Lexington Park, MD.
Since then services have grown to include women and families, and has developed a particular outreach to the mentally ill in the homeless community. Since 2000 they have received a grant from the United States Dept. of Housing and Urban Development to provide permanent housing to the mentally ill.
Three Oaks Center continues to participate in numerous community and agency meetings in an attempt to explore new ways in which to assist the St. Mary’s County community in providing much needed additional and improved services to homeless individuals and families. Three Oaks Center shares information and communicates regularly with other Supportive Housing providers in St Mary’s County with the idea that by working together, these organizations can maximize the amount of services provided while minimizing any unneeded duplication.
