Dear Friends,
We survive terrible circumstances because we have each other. This is the heart of community and what helps us feel at home. This was evident in so many ways these past 18 months. You assisted your neighbors by bringing them groceries while they quarantined. You supported local restaurants and businesses. You gave to agencies like Friendship House. This kind of support was also seen throughout the nation, and additional benefits were given to millions of Americans to avoid complete devastation.

People managed to maintain their housing and keep their families fed because of the financial aid offered through the COVID-19 Cares Act funding. With this additional funding people focused on how to make it through the worst pandemic we have ever faced. Shelters like the New Castle County Hope Center were able to open, while businesses and nonprofits continued serving. However, as the urgent response to the pandemic ceases, so do the benefits millions have relied on to keep them afloat.

Our nation is trying to move from surviving the COVID-19 pandemic to rebuilding and recovering. This will be an arduous task for the millions of people about to lose their Cares Act benefits. From the additional assistance they have been receiving from the extra unemployment benefit, to the moratorium on evictions, our community is about to fall off a huge benefits cliff. There is not enough of a net to catch everyone.

In preparation for this significant decrease in assistance, I am asking for your help as we prepare ourselves to grow the net. We are committed to researching which agencies have funding available, what other resources exist, and how much we have to give. The numbers of those experiencing homelessness have already increased – we cannot let these numbers continue to rise. Will you help us?

You can be the reason a family maintains a roof over their head while on the brink of another school year beginning. You can ensure our supplies are at record highs as people’s access to food decreases. Your donation will make the difference for someone experiencing homelessness to find their way home. You can be the answer to someone’s prayer. Please consider a donation today.

Your friend,

Kim Eppehimer
Executive Director