Reporter: THURSDAY

NIGHT AT THIS APARTMENT

COMPLEX IS KNOWN AS BOB'S

BINGO NIGHT.

IT SEEMS LIKE A SIMPLE GAME,

BUT FOR THE VOLUNTEERS AND

THE REB RESIDENTS, IT IS

MUCH MORE.

IT IS THE FIRST PERMANENT

HOUSING DEVELOPMENT FOR

HOMELESS ADULTS IN HAMPTON

ROADS, VIRGINIA.

BY THE END OF THIS YEAR,

THEY WILL BE HOUSING NEARLY

A THOUSAND PEOPLE ACROSS THE

STATE.

OUR GOALS ARE TO GET

PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS AND

STABILIZE THEM IN HOUSING,

AND THEN PROVIDE SERVICES SO

THEY BECOME INDEPENDENT.

WE MEASURE OR SUCCESS BY

MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE

DON'T RETURN TO

HOMELESSNESS.

Reporter: THE

ORGANIZATION HAS A 98%

SUCCESS RATE.

THAT SUCCESS IS DUE IN PART

TO THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY

BUILT BY LOCAL CHURCHES.

N35.

Reporter: BINGO BOB AND

HIS FELLOW VOLUNTEERS FROM

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF

NORFOLK HAVE COME EVERY WEEK

FOR THE LAST 35 YEARS.

THEY NEEDED FELLOWSHIP

AND PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE

CONSISTENT AND FAITHFUL TO

THEM.

WE STARTED LOOKING FOR WHAT

KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE

WOULD DO TO ADD VALUE TO

THEIR NEW LIVING HERE.

Reporter: AND BINGO

NIGHT WAS BORN.

RESIDENTS COMPETE FOR PRIZES

AND ENJOY A MEAL TOGETHER.

THESE ARE STRONG

RELATIONSHIPS THAT REALLY

HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT

THEIR LIVES CAN BE

TRANSFORMED.

SO IT IS THAT HOPE THAT

REALLY MAKES A BIG

DIFFERENCE.

Reporter: MICHAEL WAS

HOMELESS FOR MUCH OF HIS

ADULT LIFE AND HAS BEEN A

RESIDENT AT THESE APARTMENTS

FOR FIVE YEARS.

HE SAYS THE SUPPORT HE

RECEIVED GAVE HIM THE HOPE

HE NEEDED TO BREAK THE CYCLE

OF HOMELESSNESS.

FOR THE FIRST TIME I MET

POSITIVE PEOPLE THAT SHOWED

ME THAT I'M NOT A

THROW-AWAY, THAT I WASN'T A

MISTAKE, LIKE MY FAMILY

TAUGHT ME.

BOB IS A REAL GENEROUS

PERSON, AND NOT ONLY BOB,

BUT EVERYBODY HERE.

IF I NEED ANYTHING, LIKE A

FAMILY, THEY ARE THERE FOR

ME.

THEY SUPPORT ME.

THIS HOUSE IS A BLESSING

BECAUSE IT IS A STEPPING

STONE UP TO BETTER THINGS.