Hope in Action
HOPE in ACTION
MAY 2020
A Half a Can of Pringles…
“Do you have a minute?” Shirley asked after receiving a brown bag lunch delivered to her door.
After a pause, she continued, “I am almost out of food. Do you want to come in to see my pantry and refrigerator so I can show you?”
We graciously declined her offer. She smiled in understanding and continued, “I am almost out. I have some soda, some water, and a half of can of Pringles left. That’s it.”
Community Partners Join in Delivering Hope
We are living in a unique time in our history. A time that will forever change the way we look at the world and how we address disparities faced by vulnerable populations. At Hope through Housing, it became important that we shift our focus to address the basic needs of our families and seniors to help them get through the crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a high-risk population, our seniors were asked to stay at home, basically isolating them from the outside world and limiting their access to food and other essential items. For our families, children now needed access to a computer and internet to succeed in school, while parents were asked to become tutors and teachers. Many had the stress of job loss and found themselves struggling financially.
It has been an uncertain time for all of us. Each of us adapting to the new normal the best we can. But thankfully for Hope through Housing, one thing has remained constant, the outpouring of support. Because of this, Hope through Housing has been able to be a safety net for our most vulnerable residents.
Over the past few months, as Hope through Housing has been responding to the immediate needs of our families and seniors, funding from our community partners and donors shifted too. This month, Hope through Housing was the recipient of more than 47 pallets of household items, hygiene supplies, and perishable food items from Amazon. Volunteers from Hillside Community Church came together to help sort and prepare the items to be distributed to our 80+ communities in Southern California.
A $10,000 grant from SoCalGas allowed Hope through Housing to feed senior residents living in the Coachella Valley. Volunteers have reached out to more than 400 families and seniors to conduct wellness checks and coordinate care when needed. Hope through Housing had an anonymous donor give $10,000 to feed families and seniors living in Los Angeles. Others have created care bags, written notes of encouragement, and so much more to support our families and seniors during this time.
We cannot thank our community partners, donors, and volunteers enough! Your dedication and support have shown our families and seniors kindness and generosity when it was needed most. Thank you for being our Heroes of the Outbreak!
Thank you to our COVID-19 supporters:
Altec Testing & Engineering
Amazon
Linda Api
Career Strategies
James D. Cashion
Cathedral City Police Department
City of La Quinta
CTBC Bank USA
Desert Healthcare District
Destiny Church
Heather Dickerson
Rob Edelstein
El Portal Restaurant
Farmers Insurance
Gauthier Construction, Inc.
Cari Gibson
Gregg Electric
Gabriela Hoffman
Hillside Community Church
Imperial Staffing
Inland Empire Community Foundation
Jack Kemp Foundation
JJ’s Restaurant
John P Previti Memorial Foundation
Patricia Johnson
Lorraine Kindred
Inette Libolt
Cynthia Lilavois
Daniel Lorraine
Mama’s Oil Factory
Margaret Wright Memorial
Dale McGallian
Tony Mize
Trisha Muse
No Kid Hungry
North County COVID-19 Response Fund (Rancho Santa Fe Foundation)
Pacific Western Bank
RAP Foundation
Red Chapel Church
Everet Reid
Jonathan Robinson
Monica Rodriguez
Traies Roe
Ryan Beck Photography
Tamera Salazar
Susan Searing
Kristinna Sellers
SoCalGas
Karen Suarez
Towne Avenue Real Estate/Lisbeth Labrada
Maddie Van Balen
Sami Zantout
Saluting our Unsung Heroes
Hope through Housing recognizes and thanks our many volunteers – those unsung heroes whose help and support make it possible for us to further our mission and have a greater impact on the lives of children, families, and seniors, and the communities we serve.
Last year, Hope through Housing’s volunteer program included:
- 11 Masters level interns in programs focused on social work, public health, and public policy collectively volunteering more than 1,700 hours.
- 2 full-time AmeriCorps Fellows.
- 398 individuals volunteering for a variety of events, including school drives, holiday celebrations, and career conversations.
- Interns, AmeriCorps Fellows, and Volunteers collectively providing 5,220 hours of service for a total value of $156,336.
Hope through Housing is able to serve more families and seniors with the help of our volunteers. Tina Ledford has been a volunteer at Hope through Housing for more than a year now. Through her work with law enforcement, she was introduced to Hope through Housing at an annual holiday event. She fell in love with the mission and after retiring wanted to continue to serve her community. “I have seen firsthand how this wonderful organization has changed lives,” she says. “It has given me a new purpose and a new family in retirement.”
Thank you, Tina and all of our volunteers, for making a difference. We could not do it without you!
During the COVID-19 Pandemic, our volunteers have been joining us on the frontlines, creating care bags, distributing food and other essential needs, and writing notes to bring a little cheer to children, families, and seniors who are struggling and need just a little hope.
If you would like to volunteer and be a part of Hope through Housing’s COVID-19 relief efforts, please visit www.hopethroughhousing.org/relief.
Elevating the Health, Well-Being, and Self-Sufficiency of Families and Seniors!
Because of your generosity and support, we have continued to make a difference in the lives of thousands of children, families, and seniors across 70+ communities throughout Southern California and beyond. We are changing the lives of those most vulnerable in our communities through our three initiatives: Building Bright Futures, Pathways to Economic Empowerment, and Connection to Care. We are providing immediate support and facilitating resiliency through our COVID-19 Emergency Response and Resilience Fund.
Together, we are transforming lives and communities! For more information on how you can get involved, please contact Alyssa Cotter, Director of Development at acotter@hthf.org.
HOPE IN ACTION
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