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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I am writing to ask you to please consider a year-end gift to the Queen Anne Helpline.
As the year draws to a close we all are witnessing Seattle's homelessness crisis, which is more visible than ever. Simply put, our focused work to end the revolving door of homelessness has never been more important. Because of this dire need and with your help we were able to expand our services this year, proving critical help to more than 2,200 families and individuals.
Felicia had been working but then unexpectedly lost her job. She succeeded in finding a new one but had depleted her savings and unemployment. Felicia would have to wait three weeks for her first paycheck. Because her rent and utilities were overdue she faced eviction and likely homelessness. In a panic Felicia called us. She met with our case manager the next day and was reassured we would be able to help with both her rent and utility bill. But that wasn't the end of the conversation because we wanted to make sure Felicia's finances and her housing would be stable going forward. Working side by side, Felicia and our case manager created a realistic budget, including a savings account for future emergencies. We helped her sign up for a utility discount program that would save her significant money. And we provided her with information about signing up for low cost medical insurance since her new job didn't offer benefits. Cost to us? $640. The impact? Preventing an eviction and helping stabilize someone's life.
When Anthony, a vet, came to us he'd been experiencing homelessness for 8 years but now had a chance to move into permanent, supportive housing. He was excited to finally have a place to call his own, where his adult children could visit, his possessions would be safe, and he'd be warm at night. He had enough income to pay his rent going forward but was not able to provide the required security deposit and was worried he would lose this opportunity he had waited so long for. We took care of Anthony's security deposit. That simple act allowed Anthony to move in and 7 months later he is doing great. Cost to us? $350. The impact? Ending homelessness for one vet.
Everyone has their own story and complex set of circumstances. We tailor our help to meet those unique needs. None of this would happen without the generous support we receive from people like you.
Your commitment to our community is powerful and we are all better for it.
Kindly consider a year end gift so we can continue our work to end the revolving door of homelessness. Our work has never been more important.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Lisa
Lisa Moore, Executive Director
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