Welcome Friends, both old and new:We would like to thank you for paying us a visit. Homeless not Hopeless, Inc. was formed with a three pronged approach in mind.
First and Foremost, we are an advocacy organizaion. Having come directly out of the homeless community, we were acutely aware of the
problems and issues that those who are homeless were facing. The knowlege we gained while homeless has given us a better grasp on the local human service agencies and now allows us to guide our clients more effectively in gaining appropriate help.
The second piece of our organization is giving persons in the homeless community the tools that they need to rise out of homelessness and become productive members of society, once again. We accomplish this goal in a variety of ways. One of those ways is to provide computers and internet access to both our residents and our outreach clients.
This small step allows them the opportunity to search for jobs, housing and support. It also gives them the freedom to fill out online applications and send and receive email. While the job portion is available at Career Opportunities and the email is available at the public library (limited to 30 min a day), there is no other resource out there
that allows an individual to do all that they may need to do in a days time. Being well versed in all computer platforms, we spend time with our clients who are computer illiterate and teach them the basics of computer use. We also provide transportation to interviews, dr's appointments, support meetings, to and from work and what ever else is necessary
for them to accomplish their goals.
The third and possibly the most important part of what we do is raising awareness. Most people who don't live on Cape Cod are not even aware that there is a large homelessness issue here. There are many people here on the Cape who are not aware, as well. Through the opening of our doors and two homeless transitional residences, we have gained
much media attention. Several stories have appeared in newspapers across the cape, detailing what we have done. We have appeared on C3TV local access shows several times and have also done radio with WNPR's Mindy Todd. We were also the recipients of the 2008 American Red Cross Community Impact/Individuals Hero's Award. We often speak at area
churches and schools, sharing our stories of hope and faith. Slowly but steadily we are
changing the awareness level and putting a real, honest face to the homeless issue.
Like every other non-profit organization out there, we are in desperate need of funds. However, unlike most non-profit organizations, 100% of the donations we receive go directly to helping our clients. We have no paid positions in our organization. We keep our finances transparent so that donors and potential donors can see how our money is spent.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank those of you who have made such generous donations in the past, and pray that when others read our story, they will be moved to help as well. A very big thank you goes to the Cape Cod Foundation who has generously granted us $3800 for a reserve account so that we are able to help individuals who
just need a stable place to live in order to find a job, but have no resources in which to pay their community fee's until they are able to secure employment. Without their generosity, we would have to turn away individuals who have the potential to be our biggest sucesses.
Sincerely
Mark and Mary Ann Halstead
Co-Founders
Homeless not Hopeless, Inc.
Mark and Mary Ann Halstead
Co-Founders
Homeless not Hopeless, Inc.