Connecting Community: Isaiah’s Place

A building purchased by Isaiah 58 at 68 North Broadway was renovated into the donation center where all the clothing, home furnishings peopand personal hygiene items are free for anyone in need.

Is this not the fast that I choose: To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house.” – Isaiah 58:6-7

Housing, arguably, is the biggest crisis confronting New Hampshire. This Bible verse inspired David Yasenka to do something about it.

Yasenka served as the pastor of Triumphant Lutheran Church in Salem for 32 years and every year would use this passage as part of the readings for Ash Wednesday services. But in 2014, it resonated with him more deeply and, as he says, defined his mission.

“The issue of homelessness became a major part of my daily routine while I was serving as pastor. People were seeking me for counseling and advice. It got to where I was spending a lot of my time working on situations where I had to get this person or this family housed before that night,” he says.

Executive director Maggie Martin and case manager Michael Traficante are the only employees of Isaiah 58.

He and the church then decided to make homelessness the focus, and soon the outreach ministry was spun off into a nonprofit, private organization to help individuals and families in western Rockingham County who were facing homelessness, food insecurity and the associated struggles.

When it came to naming the fledgling effort, there was but one choice: Isaiah 58.

Yasenka retired from the pulpit and took on the role of executive director. “I was able to get some funding, and then we were able to help some people who were homeless and down on their luck,” he says. “Our original mission was to provide one affordable unit per year to someone in need.”

Mission accomplished. Over the ensuing years and with generous support from individuals and the community, Isaiah 58 has expanded to where it now owns or manages 10 mobile homes and apartments.

Clients all pay rent, though far below market price and based on income, and the rent collected covers all utilities and lot fees for them. Isaiah also provides food, clothing, household furnishings, personal hygiene items and budget assistance to those in need.

“I can safely say the number of people we’ve helped just in the last four years is in the thousands,” says Maggie Martin, who on-boarded as executive director after Yasenka retired in 2023. “I’m including what I call the one-and-dones. They’re the ones who just need a little bit of assistance, maybe that’s food or gas cards, and a check-in every now and then, and then they go on and are OK. Many others need much more, including being moved into housing.”

Isaiah 58, which is headquartered in Hampstead and owns a multipurpose building with a donation center at 28 North Broadway in Salem, was actively working with 30 folks and families at press time. The organization is also helping the 30 to 35 people living in their vehicles in the I-93 rest area near Exit 1.

“The number one issue in this state is housing. A recent study by the University of New Hampshire found that 55% of our population is unable to afford to be housed. It’s because of the exorbitant price of housing and the lack of inventory,” Martin says. “There is nowhere for people on fixed incomes or anyone existing on Social Security to live.

“For a rental, landlords want three times the amount of rent up front, and they want a credit score of 700 or higher. They also want a lengthy rental history. I understand why, but they’re not looking at the person’s whole situation,” she says. “We used to be able to call the landlord and say this applicant went through a rough time and doesn’t have the best history for the past year, but does have a great history before that and will have a great history going forward. The landlords don’t want to hear it anymore.”

So where do the unhoused go?

“They end up on our doorstep,” Martin says. “Unfortunately, we don’t have enough units available for everyone, so the others are living in their vehicle, or on somebody’s couch. Some are living in tents in the woods or at a campground. There is nowhere else to go.”

David Yasenka, a counselor and life coach and retired Lutheran pastor, founded Isaiah 58 in 2014. Its mission is to help the homeless and the housing insecure.

In Martin’s experience, the problem gets worse every year, and the demands placed upon the organization grow greater. Her job is not easy. “You just do it. You do all you can. Every day. If you don’t, who will?” she asks.

Isaiah 58 has one other full-time employee, case manager Michael Traficante. He is one
of the success stories.

“I had gotten custody of my three young children, including the baby, and I had some money saved. I thought it would last longer than it did. I was working but for short
money, and I needed more to meet my bills and take care of my kids as a single dad,”
he recalls.

In 2014, he was introduced to Yasenka.

“I wasn’t a client, but I certainly fit the bill as a client. I wasn’t homeless, but it was a real rough time. Isaiah was able to help me get through it and then employ me. I never thought of myself to be a social worker. But because of David’s kindness and the organization’s help, I learned to love doing this work. I went through a lot of the same situations our clients are in,” Traficante says.

Martin considers Traficante the finest case manager she has encountered in her 38 years in this business.

“He does it without any formal schooling. He can go into a board meeting or meet
with people living under a bridge and be the same person and be just as relatable and just as effective. He is the epitome of what happens when you give somebody a chance. Absolutely,” she says.

This work comes with a lot of heartbreak for Martin and Traficante, but there are the rewards and the renewal through hope.

“We celebrate every client success. Each one is huge,” Martin says. “It’s the moments when we see their real joy, their real happiness, that look in their eyes. That’s what keeps us going. Even if it’s a small little victory, it’s a celebration.”