Donate to Hospitality House by Aug. 11 to Double Donations
Grass Valley, Calif. (July 29, 2021) – The community has an opportunity to help eradicate local Veteran homelessness by Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2021. Beginning Aug. 1, for 11 days only, donations to Hospitality House’s Homeless Veterans Housing Program will be doubled by Friends of Nevada County Military, up to $25,000. $5 becomes $10!
Friends of Nevada County Military and Hospitality House came together last November to establish the Homeless Veterans Housing Program for the community. The program is principally designed to provide housing assistance and homelessness prevention to Veterans and their families, but it also includes safety net care, such as emergency shelter, food, case management, job training, mental health counseling and transportation as needed.
“When we learned Hospitality House and its partners had a goal to house every homeless Veteran in Nevada County by Veterans Day as part of a collaborative effort known as Built for Zero, we knew this was the time to drive additional interest and support of our housing program,” explained Veteran Fred Buhler, President of Friends of Nevada County Military. “We are proud to be part of the solution and will match every donation to Hospitality House, up to $25,000, for 11 consecutive days to help make this goal a reality.”
Between Aug. 1 and Aug. 11, 2021, Friends of Nevada County Military will personally match donation to Hospitality House to help in the housing and care of Veterans. It’s 11 days for 11/11!
“We’ve identified 22 known homeless Veterans right now in Nevada County—people who served their country when it called,” said David Langness, Veteran and Vice President of Hospitality House. “Let’s serve them by getting them housed! We can’t reach this goal alone. It’s a collective venture, so it’s our hope today that the greater community will help by donating now.”
Hospitality House has served homeless Veterans for the last 16 years, but the Homeless Veterans Housing Program expands capacity to create even greater, lasting impact. With rising rents amid a housing market with few affordable options, the Homeless Veterans Housing Program gives homeless Veterans a leg up by providing first and last month’s rent, plus security deposit funds if needed. The program also helps to prevent homelessness by offering financial support to maintain their housing. Expenses like past due rent, utility bills or mounting healthcare payments can set a person on the wrong trajectory and this funding can help bridge any financial gaps.
“With donations being doubled for 11 days only, this is a significant opportunity for concerned citizens and all of our community partners focusing on homeless Veterans to combine our efforts to meet this vital initiative,” said Nancy Baglietto, Board Chair of the Nevada County Continuum of Care (CoC) and Executive Director of Hospitality House.
Mike Dent, Department of Child Support, Collections, Housing and Community Services for County of Nevada, concurred. “Ongoing collaboration and community support are key. Veteran homelessness is a multifaceted issue but with our community giving toward the match, coupled with several programs and partnerships in place to support this undertaking, we are confident we will reach this goal by Veterans Day because we are ‘Better Together.’”
Donations can be mailed to Hospitality House at 1262 Sutton Way, Grass Valley, CA 95945. Please write “Veterans” on the check memo. Donations can also be made online at hhshelter.org or by calling (530) 615-0852. Donations received between Aug. 1 and Aug. 11 will be applied toward the 11 days for 11/11 match. $50 becomes $100! Matching is available up to $25,000!
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About Hospitality House
The mission of Hospitality House is to bring homeless people in Nevada County into a circle of community caring that offers shelter, sustenance, advocacy, opportunity, dignity, and hope as they transition from homelessness to housing. For more information about Hospitality House, visit hhshelter.org.
About Friends of Nevada County Military
Founded in 2004, Friends of Nevada County Military supports our Veterans and their families directly and in partnership with other local organizations like Hospitality House.
Built for Zero
The Homeless Veterans Housing Program leverages the newly announced Built for Zero movement in Nevada County, a national effort to measurably end homelessness, one population at a time. County of Nevada and the Nevada County CoC signed onto this initiative with Veterans selected as the first area of focus. Once every Veteran is housed, the County will reach what’s known as “functional zero.” This means when a new Veteran falls into homelessness, all participating agencies, such as Hospitality House, will work together to help that Veteran and their family back into permanent housing within 30 days, effectively decreasing the number of Veterans on the streets, the amount of time spent unsheltered, and the risk for chronic homelessness. Several agencies, including organizations represented on the CoC, also signed onto this movement, including Nevada County Veterans Services Office, Better Together Nevada County, AMI Housing, Volunteers of America, Federal Veteran Administration Partners, Connecting Point 2-1-1, Friends of Nevada County Military and of course, Hospitality House.