Right now, tens of thousands of people in our state are homeless. And those people are going to suffer in the brutal summer heat unless they find shelter.
Families like Eric and Shaneka’s. The couple and their three children were leasing a house when their landlord suddenly said that he “wanted to move in a different direction” and gave them 30 days to move out.
Eric’s family couldn’t find a new place fast enough. They began living between their truck and hotels, trying to save up money for a security deposit on a new home.
Can you imagine what a nightmare that would be, especially with children? No one should ever have to live out on the streets. That’s why SVdP CARES works so hard to make homelessness rare, brief, and one-time.
In fact, we’re the only organization in Florida working solely to end homelessness!
This means we’re not just handing out tents or providing a night of shelter and then sending people on their way. That’s a band-aid solution, and our neighbors in need deserve better. They deserve safe, permanent homes and support to build a stable future for themselves.
The work we do here simply would not happen without you. Your support makes it possible for SVdP CARES to quickly place homeless Floridians in permanent housing—and to provide them with employment services, legal services, child care, financial planning help, and other resources so that they can pursue healthy, happy, flourishing lives.
That’s how we end homelessness!
And that’s how Eric’s family found a fresh start.
Eric, Shaneka, and their family pose with their case manager and housing specialist at SVdP CARES’ recent CARES Champions event, honoring all the “champions” working to make homelessness rare, brief, and one-time.
When Eric received a call from SVdP CARES, offering to put his family in a housing program, he was reluctant at first. He thought that he, Shaneka, and the kids would have to split up and go to different shelters.
But SVdP CARES made sure the family stayed together, and Eric and Shaneka received all the help they needed to get back on their feet. Today, their family is housed and happy! Eric says:
Do you understand what it means to keep your family together? To have us together to hit the restart button was the most wonderful thing that could have ever happened. We live in a world where people promise a lot of stuff, but they don’t deliver. SVdP CARES said a little, and did a whole lot.
Summer of CHANGE
Your support of SVdP CARES can be the turning point for families struggling to escape homelessness. When you give, you’ll do so much more than provide temporary relief for a homeless neighbor. You’ll help ensure they never become homeless again.