Help UPO Help the DC Homeless

Many of us have protection from the elements, freezing winter to searing summer heat but the homeless do not. UPO helps the DC Homeless throughout the year. UPO Shelter Hotline vans transported 162,783 people to shelter in 2014.Funded by the Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness the UPO Shelter Hotline represents the entry point assisting Homeless folks off the street and transporting them to Homeless Shelters.

UPO provides all the comfort items we distribute to the DC Homeless we assist. Donations to Help UPO Help the DC Homeless on Global Giving provides the funds we need to purchase the comfort items. UPO distributed 49,777 comfort items to the DC Homeless during FY 15 - see attachment for details of items distributed.

The attached link shows UPO Shelter Hotline in action Helping the DC Homeless get off the streets during the Hypothermia season and the attachment is an example of a Hypothermia Alert sent out by email and text by the DC government advising DC Homeless to contact UPO Shelter Hotline for Help to get off the streets to shelter during Hypothermia Alerts.

The snow storm that recently hit the DC area dumped 30” of snow in 36 hours, played havoc on all, but was especially harsh on the DC Homeless population. UPO Shelter Hotline worked tirelessly before, during and after the blizzard answering 2,784 calls from folks needing help and transported 2,111 people to shelters.

Since joining Global Giving in March 2015 we have raised $10,663 from 142 generous donations and have earned the Reward Level of Super Star on Global Giving. In the past quarter we have raised $2,163 and we are very grateful for the kind support of 23 charitable donors in support of our special Homeless Children’s project. 

UPO’s Mission is Uniting People with Opportunities. If you are interested in receiving additional updates about UPO activities in our ongoing war against poverty visit our website http://www.upo.org or send your mailing address and email address to mmyers@upo.org for periodic updates. The attached link is a video entitled “Cradle to College” which will give you an overview of UPO Early Childhood and Youth Programs.

Thank you so much for your support Helping UPO Help the DC Homeless. We have $1,362 remaining to reach our goal of $12,000 for this project and are looking forward to doing so in the near future, at which time we plan to launch a new project that benefits low income seniors and children in our DC community

Links:

• UPO Shelter Hotline Helping the DC Homeless
• Cradle to College UPO Early Childhood & Youth Programs

• Comfort Items distributed to DC Homeless in FY15 (PDF)
  
• Hypothermia Alert advises DC Homeless contact UPO (PDF)
  

Many of us have protection from the elements, freezing winter to searing summer heat but the homeless do not. UPO helps the DC Homeless throughout the year. With a rise in DC Homeless, the UPO Shelter Hotline vans transported 162,783 people to shelter in 2014. Funded by the Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness the UPO Shelter Hotline represents the entry point assisting Homeless folks on the street and transporting them to Homeless Shelters.

UPO provides all the comfort items we distribute to the DC Homeless we assist. Donations to Help UPO Help the DC Homeless on Global Giving provides the funds we need to purchase the comfort items. UPO distributed 47,041 comfort items during FY 14 and in FY 15 through June 30, 2015 we distributed 41,132 comfort items to DC Homeless.

The photographs attached show Shelter Hotline's daily activities “Helping the DC Homeless”.

For an INFOGRAPHIC SNAPSHOT of the impact that the UPO Shelter Hotline has had during this past year - see the attached Link #1 and see the attached Link #2 to view a video news reports by a DC TV news stations featuring the work of UPO Shelter Hotline.

We participated in the Global Giving 30% Bonus Day, the final Bonus Day of the year, on Wednesday, September 16, 2015 and raised an additional $400. Since joining Global Giving in March 2015 we have raised $8,500 from 119 generous donations , earned the Reward Level  of Super Star on Global Giving and are ranked 336^th out of 18,076 Projects on Global Giving. We aim to reach our fundraising Goal of $12,000 for our “Help UPO Help the DC Homeless” Project by December 31, 2015.

We have allocated $400 of funds raised since September, 2015 towards helping to fund a special Homeless Children’s project to deliver 837 winter, baby, and hygiene kits to children of homeless DC families living in House of Ruth shelters and at DC General Shelter for Families. The need for resources to support homeless families with children is increasing. According to the 2014 Point-in-Time Count of Homeless Persons in the Metropolitan Washington Region, produced by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, the number of children in homeless families in DC increased from 1,868 in 2013 to 2,236 in 2014, an increase of 19.7%. The distribution of winter, baby, and hygiene kits to children of homeless DC families will improve their wellbeing by providing them with some basic necessities to get them through the tough winter months ahead. We will allocate at least half of the funds we raise through the end of December, 2015 to the Homeless Children’s project.

UPO’s Mission is Uniting People with Opportunities. If you are interested in receiving additional updates about UPO activities in our ongoing war against poverty visit our website http://www.upo.org or send your mailing address and email address to mmyers@upo.org for periodic updates.

Thank you so much for your support Helping UPO Help the DC Homeless. We are counting on your continued support especially on Giving Tuesday on December 1, 2015 and during the year-end fundraising season to give donors the benefit of a tax deduction for the 2015 tax year.

Links:

• INFOGRAPHIC SNAPSHOT of impact of UPO Shelter Hotline
• Shelter Hotline getting the DC Homeless off the street