Dear Friend,
Last night as I walked my dog, the rain was turning to snow and I thought to myself how lucky I am for being able to walk my dog, who was very comfortable in the new sweater I had bought for him over the weekend. Here I am living in a great new neighborhood where almost every house is already decorated for Christmas and children were already safely nestled into their beds, while I was just looking forward to getting back to my house and family where I was sure to get out of the weather and into the comforts of my own home. It was a short walk because of the weather, and I know it was not the exercise or the weather that kept me up all night, but my thoughts. You see, this is the time of year when the differences we have in our community become so apparent. Where there are many folks just like me with all the wonderful blessings of a safe, loving, healthy, supportive home and others with nothing. This year I am reminded, maybe more than ever before, how many homeless folks struggle to have the same things that you and I have. Our clients didn’t wake up one day and decide “today is the day I become homeless.” They had families, jobs, homes and other things. Homelessness didn’t come overnight. There is a story leading them to homelessness and to Homefull.
This year we have seen an unprecedented number of people entering into homelessness. Homefull has struggled to keep up with the demand for those needing our services. Along with the record number of homeless people we are seeing a new face of homelessness. Whether it is the middle-aged gentleman who had worked over twenty years in Wilmington Ohio, but lost his job a couple of years ago and eventually lost his home. He entered into homelessness with fear and guilt for not being able to support himself any longer. He had never been homeless, he was unaccustomed to handouts. He too at one time had a safe, loving, healthy, supportive home. Or it could be the family, who not yesterday but three years ago, lost their income and had their home foreclosed upon. They moved in with extended family and moved around until they had worn out their welcome at every family member’s home and finally had to enter into homelessness. They too at one time had a safe, loving, healthy, supportive home.
Their stories like so many others, I carry with me forever. The good news is that their stories don’t end with entering into homelessness. Another chapter begins with Homefull. For all the tough stories there are great next chapters with Homefull. Many homeless folks go on to their next safe, loving, healthy, supportive home with Homefull’s help. Just this year we graduated one of our Veterans from our V. A. Transitional Housing Project and into his own home. He is buying his safe, loving, healthy, supportive home but not without Homefull’s help. Many families have moved into their version of the safe, loving, healthy, supportive home in our Rapid Re Housing Project or our Permanent Supportive Housing Project.
So while times are tough and we at Homefull need your help greater than ever before, I ask you to think for a moment about your safe, loving, healthy, supportive home during this holiday season and consider a gift to help Homefull make that a reality for the homeless we serve.
Respectfully,
Tina M. Patterson