Dear Loved One,

VOAPA's team is addressing homelessness in many ways - and I am so proud of their work. Ruth's Place women's shelter is a haven. We have almost 400 guests at Ruth's Place each year, with most of the women securing housing and support that allow them to rebuild their lives.

Recently I had a chance to sit with twenty-one women at our shelter, the youngest was 18 and the eldest in her late 70's; both were homeless due to losing their significant others (mother and husband). We sat around a table and hand made bookmarks for each other out of strips of stock paper - each woman's name was printed at the top. As they were passed around our circle, each of us wrote something about the woman whose name appeared on the bookmark. While we wrote, the conversation was easy, the older women gave life advice, and the younger women were visibly listening and grateful. I left with not only my bookmark to remember this special time, but with hope from experiencing the culture and community that Ruth's Place has created for and with women that sustains even during the worst of times.

When our women leave the Ruth's Place (24/7) shelter after a short stay anywhere between a few days and a few months, we continue to support them thanks to growing our funding to employ an after-care case manager (Ashley). Only 5% of our women return to homelessness in the first year of this after care support! Over 300 women are guests at Ruth's Place each year, and 80% of them find either short or long term housing before they move on to their next steps.

VOAPA's Ruth's Place will hold its 16th Annual Walk for Hope on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Since my children have their annual tournaments and recitals this same weekend, I am participating by cycling at home. My goal is to ride a mile for every $10 that I raise, starting with my 40 mile cycling in NYC (I barely survived)!

Please join me in making a contribution today to help Ruth's Place continue serving women in the shelter and after, seeing them through to housing, reunification with family and hope for their future.