The Gamma House offers transitional housing for homeless women. Gamma House plays a critical role in the health and well-being of our community and our region. As our region's only transitional housing shelter for homeless women, we meet a need not currently being met by other organizations. Residents are offered services and support which will assist them in getting back on their feet again, physically, spiritually and emotionally. It is not our purpose to assist our residents with their responsibilities, but rather to assist each resident in taking responsibility for her own life. Gamma House is here to provide a hand up rather than a hand out.

Any female over 18 who finds herself without shelter and food. We give consideration to all, without regard to color, religious preference, sexual orientation, etc. We have served 18 year old mothers headed down the wrong road(s) and also older ladies that were destitute and homeless, due to medical bills, illness, etc. Gamma House is a shelter that takes the most vulnerable among us.  We on-board these ladies and teach life skills, assist in meaningful employment and begin the process of breaking the chains of generational homelessness and poverty.

There is no typical stereotype. Some of the ladies come to us due to substance abuse or other similar reasons. Some ladies come from desperate family situations and have never had to manage the day-to-day finances or responsibilities of family/work life. Others still, come to us after an illness whereby the excessive cost of medical care and a lack of family support left them without the ability to pay for housing, leaving them to live in their car or Gamma House.

Over the past 30+ years, we have learned that these ladies come to us when they are broken and out of options. When they come to us, they are ready for change and desperate to alter the course of their lives. They are required to find work and immediately become productive (and we assist them in this endeavor).  This is a small group, and these ladies share common threads that, in many ways, endear them to each other. We insist that these ladies take ownership of their lives and become productive. This enables them to either break the generational chains or homelessness and poverty or to simply regain their footing after a series of misfortunes.

Unfortunately, it is a common problem. Nationally, 8.3 women experience homelessness per 10,000 people in the general population. This doesn’t sound like a lot – until you think that Baxter County has approximately 35,000 people. Multiply this times 8.3 and you have 29 homeless women in Baxter County alone. Gamma House serves people from about 15 counties.

We are uncompromising on this… We have rules that are strictly enforced. ALL the rules are very clearly spelled out and reviewed when we intake a resident. We have a zero-tolerance policy. There are certain rules that, if broken, will have one IMMEDIATELY removed from our services. This protects the residents who are committed to changing their lives and reinforces that their lives and newly committed goals are worthy of protection.

You. You are our main source of support. Historically, grants have been available, and we have worked hard to apply for and utilize these grants in order to maintain our mission. As state and federal budget cuts have had a detrimental impact on these available funds; personal, organizational and church donations have become our main source of funding. All of our donations stay here In Mountain Home to support women from around the region.

Yellow House is a resale shop whos income is used to offset the ongoing cost of running a Gamma House, a women's and children's transitional living shelter. The money offsets the cost of food, utilities and maintenance for Gamma House.

Yellow House provides short term work training for residents of Gamma House. When women first arrive at Gamma House, they have access to clothiong at Yellow House free of charge. Many of these women stay and work in our community. We provide warm, stylish and high quality clothing to residents of Baxter and Marion counties at very reasonable prices.

Mostof the items sold in Yellow House are new or very gently used good quality items donated by residents of Baxter and Marion Counties. We also receive new overstock and close-out items from local stores in Mountain Home. Items include clothing with prices ranging $1 for Blouses, $2 for Shoes, $4 for Slacks and $5 for Jeans. We also carry furniture and household items.

Scripture says, "Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless into your house; when you see naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?" Isaiah 58:7

"If your Brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you. Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God, that your brother may live beside you." Leviticus 25:35-36

"Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed." Proverbs 19:17

"Give justice to the weak and fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute." Psalm 82:3

That's an easy answer, you and me. The women that come into Gamma House are faces that you have seen in your every day life, passed on a corner or sat across from. You don't even realize that they could be sleeping in their car or on a park bench that night.

The homeless are right now in your backyard - in Arkansas, in Baxter and Marion Counties, and yes, even in Mountain Home. Gamma House can house up to 20 women and children and our facility stays full most of the time with a waiting list. We actually have to turn people away because we don't have any room for them. One of our goals is to expand the Gamma House so we can accept more applicants. The average stay at Gamma House is 3 months to 1 year, sometimes longer if needed, but our goal is to help them be able to support themselves.