At a time of year when family, friends and home are needed most, one caring community member has come forward to maximize help to those without a home. Through Dec. 15, all monetary donations made to Hospitality House, the community’s only year-round emergency homeless shelter, will be matched by this individual, dollar for dollar, up to $30,000. This means a $10 donation will automatically become $20, which will provide 20 people each a hot and healthy meal.
“This generous matching opportunity is a chance for all community members to create greater impact together,” shared Nancy Baglietto, Executive Director Hospitality House. “There are over 400 confirmed homeless individuals in our community, all of whom need help, especially now with winter upon us.”
A $50 donation will help one person in crisis a night of receive emergency shelter with wraparound services, such as food, clothing, job training, mental health counseling, transportation to appointments, and customized case management. But caring community members who make their $50 donation by Dec. 15 will automatically have their gift doubled and help two people, like Danny Bonilla and Elyssia Glassco.
Bonilla and Glassco were unable to find an affordable place to live, despite steady employment. They couch-surfed to get by but ultimately ended up camping in the forest for several months until heavy snow forced them to take a hard look at reality … They were homeless, hungry and surviving in a tent—and they realized, they were in danger of freezing. In the end, they turned to Hospitality House.
“I know without Hospitality House, I definitely wouldn’t be where I am,” said Bonilla. “I have no clue where I would be without the help.”
The duo found stability and dependability at Hospitality House, knowing every night they had a guaranteed bed, food, support and the case management needed to return to stable housing … and in time, housing is what they found.
Today, the couple has been in permanent housing since April of this year. They both work full time and Bonilla will celebrate three years of sobriety this New Year’s Eve! For the first time in their lives, they are both financially stable and able to plan their future, which happily includes a baby girl expected in the spring. Read Danny and Elyssia’s full story in The Union>>