Opportunity for impact! International Women’s Day (IWD) takes place each year on March 8 and to celebrate women who make a difference, donations to Hospitality House will be matched up to $5,000 by local businesswoman, Lauren Maddux, co-owner of The Event Helper in Grass Valley. GIVE NOW>
For over 100 years, IWD has celebrated the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women as well as equality for all women. Hospitality House is guided under the female leadership of Executive Director Nancy Baglietto. Because the organization is led by a woman and has made profound improvements in the livelihood of others, Maddux is offering this limited-time, dollar-for-dollar match opportunity. Donations to Hospitality House will be personally matched by Maddux through March 8. A $10 donation will automatically become $20, which, as an example, can provide 40 homeless women, men, children, seniors and Veterans with personal protective equipment to stay safe and healthy during the pandemic.
“Contributing to female-led nonprofits for International Women’s Day shows that I believe in and respect the hard work that women are doing to make this community a better place for everyone – especially those without the resources to survive within the confines of bootstrap mentality,” explained Maddux. “I have a daughter now, and supporting other women is even more important to me so the world can become a place of opportunity for her as she grows. COVID has severely worsened the circumstances of so many, so there’s never been a better time to give what you can.”
The pandemic continues to pose challenges with many experiencing illness, job loss, food insecurity, eviction and homelessness, combined with a rise in mental illness, substance abuse and domestic violence, but under Baglietto’s leadership, Hospitality House continues to respond to those in crisis. Instead of slowing services because of the pandemic, services have expanded this past year out of absolute necessity.
When the pandemic hit in March 2020, Hospitality House immediately transitioned from being a single overnight shelter into a 24/7 shelter operation and continues to operate at an accelerated capacity. In addition to providing 24/7 support at its physical shelter, Utah’s Place, Hospitality House also expanded into multiple motels around town in partnership with County of Nevada, Sierra Roots, FREED and Turning Point Providence Center. This shift follows Public Health’s mandates for social distancing and safety and increased Hospitality House’s ability to serve even more people.
“639 people needed help this past year—639 women, men and children,” stressed Baglietto. “Our community is struggling like so many others in the state and nationwide. Even when COVID-19 vaccinations become more widespread, it’s not a cure for housing shortages. We will continue to see people reaching out for services whether it be to find a home of their own, keep the rented units that they are already in, or maintain the home that they worked so hard to buy. We are an agency about housing, and we will continue to link those without homes to homes of their own safely, despite the major challenges brought on by the pandemic.”
Participating in the IWD challenge is an opportunity to help those who need it most. No dollar is too small to make a difference. A $1 donation will become $2 and $2 will feed a struggling couple for the day. With Maddux’s help, the community has a chance to double their impact together. Through March 8, every dollar donated to Hospitality House will be matched up to $5,000.
To help those in need, donations can be made online at hhshelter.org, or by mail at 1262 Sutton Way, Grass Valley, CA 95945. Write “IWD” or “Women’s Day” in the check memo. Donations will be doubled through March 8.