Christina Castillo, director of SPIN, Supporting People In Need, will speak to the Silver City Rotary on October 8. This program works towards providing permanent supportive housing for the homeless who suffer from disabilities, a concept that has been shown to be successful in many other communities.
Supportive Housing is an evidence-based practice which uses Housing First, Trauma-informed design and services, and Harm Reduction models. In addition to the permanent supportive housing, and supportive services, SPIN also provides transitional housing and 24 hour a day emergency shelter and peer-run drop-in center.
Supportive care involves social workers, certified peers, and community support workers who help clients access the resources they are already eligible for but have barriers that prevent access. Barriers often include lack of an address or transportation, mental illness, addiction, other heath impairments, cognitive impairment, and poverty.
Housing First does not require people experiencing homelessness to address all of their problems including behavioral health problems, or to graduate through a series of service programs before they can obtain new housing or retain current housing. The Housing First approach views housing as the foundation for life improvement and enables access to permanent housing without prerequisites or conditions beyond those of a typical renter.
The Rotary Club meets every Tuesday from 12-1 p.m. for lunch in the WNMU Student Memorial Building, Second Floor, Sunset Room. There is a brief "meet and greet", a short business meeting and then the speaker has the floor. The club welcomes members of the public to the meetings. If lunch is desired, pay the cashier $14 and go through the cafeteria line. If unable to attend in person, a Zoom link for the meeting can be obtained by email to
Rotary is an organization of business and professional persons united worldwide to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. Since its founding in 1923, the Silver City Rotary Club has provided support and service to numerous non-profit organizations and civic causes in Silver City and Grant County as well as supporting and participating in humanitarian projects sponsored by Rotary International.
