MY ASK AND APPRECIATION

Please donate to my fundraising campaign for The Coalition for the Homeless.  It is hard for me to ask for money from others (I haven't done so in almost 10 years), but the Coalition and their work are truly important to me.   I know that the Coalition is highly effective in their work and will use your donations in a manner that is fiscally responsible and impactful.   

I appreciate any gift amount you are able to give - your generosity will contribute to the Coalition's vision to provide everyone in our community a safe place to call home.  

WHY I SUPPORT THE COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS 

I have been working and volunteering with the Coalition for the Homeless this past year.   The Coalition leads the local homelessness response system to provide immediate, strategic and holistic solutions to help and serve those experiencing homelessness.  

The Coalition and the work that they do is important to me because it is a chance to make a difference in people’s lives; the homeless are the most vulnerable members of our society and I feel I have a moral responsibility to help in some small way; and I experienced
extreme poverty as a young child and but for my mother's tenacity and the kindness/generosity of others, my mother and I could have easily become homeless. 

The Coalition does amazing work - they get the important things done, they are well led, and the staff and executives truly care and are willing to make tough decisions for the greater good.   Their work allows the most vulnerable in our community to get back on their feet, become contributing members to society and allow them to live with dignity resulting in making our community stronger. 

Since becoming the lead organization, the Coalition has helped house
approximately 20,000 people, including 1,600 during the COVID pandemic, with an 85% success rate (the clients do not become homeless again because the Coalition prioritizes securing housing to "stabilize" the client's basic housing needs which allows them to then focus on their physical/mental health, treatment for any addiction, securing a job, completing their education, etc.).

MISPERCEPTIONS ABOUT THOSE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING
HOMELESSNESS

Admit it or not, when we see homeless people on the street, the first thing that many of us think is that this individual's poor decisions (e.g. drug addiction or alcoholism) have led to his/her homelessness.  These are rarely the underlying reasons as  to why a person becomes homeless - homelessness is a very complex issue.   Not to simplify, but . . .

Economic Downturn/Job Loss:   

The majority of people become homeless because of some economic downturn/job loss and unexpected expenses (medical).  I have met several people over the past year who became homeless during
the pandemic because they were laid off.   In doing the point-in-time
(PIT) count in January to determine how many people are experiencing homelessness in Houston, I met a veteran living under a highway underpass.  He served our country for 10+ years, moved to Houston to be near his sister, had a job but was laid off during the pandemic and could no longer pay his rent.  His sister had moved back to Louisiana and he had no one else he could temporarily stay with until he found another job.  He didn’t want to talk to us at first because he was ashamed of being homeless and he did not seek out or know how to access services to help him get back on his feet because he had never been previously homeless.  The Homeless Coalition, of course, helped him – veterans are a priority.   This is a common story - you may be surprised to learn that most people/families live paycheck to paycheck and are one to two paychecks away from not being able to pay their bills - including rent/mortgage.   

Mental Health and Lack of Affordable Services:  

Many people who are homeless have untreated mental health issues.  Unfortunately, most communities, including ours, do not have adequate and affordable mental health services.  During Houston's "freeze," I volunteered to work at the convention center which served as a warming center - we had 800+ people (including children) seeking shelter.  It was so sad to see the number of elderly with physical disabilities and those with mental health issues seeking shelter.  The
lack of mental health services, let alone affordable mental health services, is a societal failure.   I think many of us have been
personally affected by or know people who have mental health issues and by luck or fortune have received effective treatment and support from their families or other loved ones.  The majority of the homeless who have mental health issues have not been so lucky.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!