Gender Equality United States Project #4402

Working to End Homelessness in Durham, NC

by Families Moving Forward

Project Report | Mar 13, 2014
Why I Serve

By Melissa Antaya | Genesis Home Volunteer

Child

Dear Friends,

Flying curls, high-pitched giggles, and a flash of tiny white teeth. A little boy sped past me riding a colorful toy truck in the gently sloped parking lot of Genesis Home. His mother carefully watched from the nearby picnic table.

I thought to myself, “This little boy is the face of homelessness.”

Moments like these are a reality check: Homelessness doesn’t discriminate based on age, gender, race, or educational attainment. Sometimes, all it takes is one job loss, one medical catastrophe, or one abusive relationship to shift from stability to perpetual struggle.

A friend recently told me she first realized this fact when she saw a former college classmate in a soup kitchen line. And I have also met a bright college student whose family lived in a shelter during part of her university experience.

Thankfully, Genesis Home is a bright spot. I volunteer because Genesis Home has a 25-year track record of helping families move to permanent housing and secure living wages. I have heard the success stories firsthand, and I am always in awe of the fortitude of those women, men, and kids.

However, there is so much more we need to do. North Carolina experienced a 10 percent increase in family homelessness between 2011 and 2012, according to a 2013 State of Homelessness in America report. At the same time, North Carolina’s median income and per capita spending on public assistance decreased.

Homelessness can only be eliminated when the entire community takes action for change. Please take a moment to renew your support for Genesis Home and the families we serve. Through your contributions, the faces of homelessness will become fewer and far between, taking us another step closer to ending family homelessness in Durham.

We can’t do it without you. Please make a donation today so our families have a better tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Melissa Antaya
Genesis Home Volunteer

Links:

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Dec 20, 2013
Happy Holidays from Our Family to Yours

By Dianne Pledger | Director of Development

Holiday Card

Dear Friend,

All of us understand this past year has been difficult for families in our community and across the country. Many families, who never expected that homelessness could happen to them, are finding themselves living in cars, shelters, and in the worst cases, on the streets.

One such family was Shameka and her two sons, ages 16 and 13. Shameka’s family graduated from Genesis Home this past October, but their road to independence has been filled with struggle and loss. Shameka and her husband moved to Durham to look for work after she lost her job due to the economic downturn. Just three weeks later, her husband died of a massive heart attack. She held several jobs as a cook in local restaurants but had to stop working due to an on-the-job injury. Shameka and her sons eventually found their way to Genesis Home.

“I learned a lot of things at Genesis Home,” said Shameka. “We had professional people coming in and talking about our health, nutrition, how to eat, how to talk to your kids, how to deal with everyday life. They were lessons you couldn’t just buy or find anywhere.” Genesis Home also served as a safe place for her sons. “They got close with the other kids,” said Shameka. “They’re not hanging out in the streets. Instead, they’re hanging with their friends at Genesis Home. I don’t have too much family, but I consider a lot of the Genesis Home staff and families as my family. They’re closer to me than blood.”

Today, Shameka is living in a three-bedroom apartment with her sons and is working toward becoming a peer counseling specialist for people who are struggling with addiction. When we asked Shameka if she had anything she wanted to say to our supporters, she responded with great conviction: “Thank you. If it weren't for people like you, I don’t know where I would be. Having somebody have your back and understand that anybody can fall on hard times—you may never know the extent you have helped people. My family will succeed because we had help from Genesis Home.”

Genesis Home is on track to set an all-time high for the number of families placed into permanent housing in one year. Your financial support provides the case management and programming that our families need. Please take a moment to help families like Shameka’s. Each gift keeps our doors open to families and children in need, providing them with a stepping stone to a better life. Thank you for all you do to support our efforts to end homelessness, one family at a time.

Happy Holidays from Genesis Home’s Residents, Staff, and Board of Directors

GH Children

Links:

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Oct 1, 2013
Generosity Comes in All Shapes and Sizes

By Theresa Chu | Communications Coordinator

Birthday Party

Do you remember what you wanted for your 5^th birthday? For Isa C., it was helping people who are experiencing homelessness.

“When it was time for Isa’s 5^th birthday last spring, we explained to her that we don’t usually do presents but that she could collect for a cause if she wanted,” said Amy, Isa’s mom. “The cause she was most concerned about was homelessness and poverty.”

Some might be surprised that a five-year-old would be concerned about such an intense topic, but not when you learn about her family.

“We have always refrained from having people give our kids gifts at birthday parties because we have enough ‘stuff’ and don’t want more to clutter up our house,” said Amy. “Isa understood that she was going to get gifts that she could open, but that she then had to pass them along to others who needed them.”

The C.'s are long-time supporters of Genesis Home, having donated financially and by bringing meals to our families. When Amy learned that Isa wanted to help families experiencing homelessness through her birthday party, she felt the Barrels of Joy program would be a perfect match. The program is designed to supply items our families need year-round. We provide a colorful hand-painted barrel, informational brochures and tax receipts to make collecting these items for our families fun and easy.

“It’s a great way to get kids involved in giving early in their lives so they understand the importance,” said Amy.

In addition to Barrels of Joy, there are many other ways donors have supported our families. From donating online and through sites like Global Giving to raising money at garage sales to using the workout app “EarndIt” to earn money for Genesis Home, the generosity and resourcefulness of our supporters is why we continue to be able to serve our families.

For Amy and Isa, supporting Genesis Home through Barrels of Joy was as simple as asking for donations in lieu of gifts in the party invitation, which proved to be quite successful. Isa and her friends filled a barrel with supplies for Genesis Home children going to summer camp. When asked how she felt about the experience, Isa said, “I felt good about it. It was good because I have goggles already and other people needed them so they can have fun at camp.”

Isa is a perfect example of how both donations and donors come in all shapes and sizes and that with a little creativity and a lot of heart, anyone can have a tremendous impact on the families we serve.

Links:

Genesis Home Website

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