'Home is a sanctuary for me
and the place where I can relax.
Everyone should have the right
to a safe and secure home.'
-- Corinne Bailey Rae
The economic and housing crisis is in the forefront of every one's mind. I am no exception. We have elected a new president who has promised to try to turn this around. Barack Obama doesn't take office until January 20, 2009. Individuals without a roof over their heads, clothes on their backs and food in their bellies can't wait until then. For this reason I decided to pool my September and October monies together try to help one homeless family now.
How many people are homeless? In doing some research I have found there is no easy answer to this question. In most cases, homelessness is a temporary circumstance - not a permanent condition. A more appropriate measure of the magnitude of homelessness is the number of people who experience homelessness over time, not the number of homeless people.
Studies of homelessness are complicated by problems of definitions and methods used to collect data. As a result of this and financial constraints, most studies are limited to counting people who are in shelters or on the streets. This approach may provide useful information about the number of people who use services such as shelters and soup kitchens, or who are easy to locate on the street, but it can result in underestimates of homelessness. Many people who lack a stable, permanent residence have few shelter options because shelters are filled to capacity or are unavailable in their area, particularly rural areas, and can go uncounted. These studies also do not take into account the number of individuals who go from family to friends night after night, or who sleep in their cars.
One of the best approximations is from a study done by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty which states that approximately 3.5 million people, 1.35 million of them children, are likely to experience homelessness in a given year .
Therefore by its very nature, homelessness is impossible to measure with 100% accuracy. More important than knowing the precise number of people who experience homelessness is our progress and efforts in ending it.
I did some checking around found an organization in my area called Hebron House of Hospitality. Their mission is to "provide emergency food, shelter, clothing, and support services to people experiencing homelessness and housing emergencies; to work towards finding a solution to end homelessness and to interrupt the cycle of homelessness and poverty whenever possible."
I contact them and explained who I was and what I wanted to do. I was put in contact with Anita Fabos, Development Director. I asked Anita if there were any families staying with them currently who were in need of winter coats this year. I can't imagine what it is like for a parent to not be able to provide their child with a warm coat, hat and mittens on a cold winter day. This is Wisconsin and it can become bitterly cold well before winter even officially arrives. My own children needed new coats this year, and look forward to picking them out and wearing them for the first time. I knew they would identify with this need for another child.
Anita informed me there were 2 families that could use my help. Family one consisted of mom, dad, and a 7 month old son. Family two: a single mom, 10 year old girl, and 4 year old boy. I had already decided to pool my September and October monies together, so I was really hoping for some sales to help me get as many coats, hats, mittens etc.. as possible.
With a little luck and bargain shopping I was able to provide coats, mittens and hats to everyone in family two and the son of family one, and only went $8.18 over my budget! This was really a great feeling. These two families have one less thing to worry about this winter but their problems are far from being solved. This is where Hebron House and you can continue to make a difference.
Winter coats, hats ,mittens and mitten clips for one single mom and her daughter and son.
Winter coat, hat and mittens for a 7 month old boy.
In addition to providing emergency housing, food and personal support, Hebron House of Hospitality provides additional resources necessary to either keep a family in their current home to prevent homelessness or works with other local/national agencies to help secure permanent housing for those who have found themselves homeless. Case management services, a No- Interest Loan Program and budget counseling, housing education services, landlord tenant advocacy, and helping clients expedite SSI paperwork are key services offered which help clients become self sufficient and get out of their housing crisis.
With the help of grants, in 2002 Hebron House purchased two-four unit apartment buildings for permanent housing for persons with co-occurring special needs.
By one estimate, about seventy percent of Americans are living "paycheck to paycheck" and have no money left over after paying basic monthly expenses. This means they are a paycheck or two away from becoming homeless as well, especially if they rent. "The biggest misconception is that homeless individuals are people that are just lazy and don’t want to look for work. However, about 90% of our guests are the working poor, so they all have jobs but can’t make ends meet. The other 10% is the chronic homeless, which means no matter how much help and how many services we provide them they will always end up back in a shelter and homeless," says Fabos. Organizations like Hebron House and it's brother and sister facilities are an essential part of our community. Unfortunately they can not do it alone. They need our help.
Along with 50,849 meals, Hebron House of Hospitality’s three shelters provided 20,567 nights of shelter in 2007. However, because of the shelter being full they had to turn away 1335 singles, and 434 families. Fabos estimates that the number of clients showing up has increased about 20% over last year. This is no suprise with the current economic and housing problems we are facing. "If we have to turn someone away we would try to get them a hotel voucher that we are able to get through another agency in Waukesha. If we can’t get them a hotel voucher then we have a deal with a local church that on really cold or really hot nights we can have individuals go over to the church and stay in their basement," Fabos said.
Want to help Hebron House? There are many ways you can help. One of the easiest ways you can help Hebron House is to designate Hebron House of Hospitality as your Pick and Save, “We Care” recipient. The agency number is 316750. This cost you nothing and will only take 5 minutes of your time. Hebron House was founded and run by volunteers for the first three years of their existence. Please call 262-549-8720 to find out about volunteer opportunities.
Hebron House gladly accepts financial and in-kind donations. They are in constant need of gift cards, linens, clothing, kitchen supplies, and personal hygiene supplies. For a complete list of needs click here on the link, or contact Anita Fabos at 262-549-8720 ext 112. Christmas is coming you can shop online at the large shopping mall, Igive.com, and a percentage of your purchase can be designated to Hebron House. If you are part of a larger organization perhaps holding a food, clothing or toy drive is something you can consider. There are so many ways to reach out and help, please contact Hebron House today to see how you can make a difference!
