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The solution to homelessness is not just a roof.

Lilliana, a mother of three (including twin daughters born prematurely as a result of abuse) has persevered through it all: violence, homelessness, and family crisis. Working with Coalition case management staff, she is moving forward for herself and her family by furthering her education to support those she loves. In fact, she will receive three AA degrees from Cuesta in June, before continuing her education to become a nurse. Throughout her journey, the Coalition has offered a spectrum of “wrap-around” services to this family, providing resources, support, and most importantly, hope.

Many of the families and individuals we help need multi-layered, ongoing assistance that ultimately gets them back on their feet, better prepared to make their own way in the world. This month, thanks to a generous donor, your support of our programs and services before December 31, 2019, will get a boost!

That means your donation to 5Cities Homeless Coalition before December 31 will be matched, dollar-for-dollar, up to $10,000! Your gift of $25 becomes $50 when matched . . . $50 becomes $100 . . . and so on . . . helping us reach our year-end goal of $20,000 to be able to help even more families in the new year!

Last year, the Coalition served 470 families in southern San Luis Obispo County with services ranging from rapid re-housing to eviction prevention to immediate needs and/or information and referral services. We helped 89 families with deposit and rental assistance, and we helped prevent 51 families from becoming homeless.

More than 250 children were among the 1,000+ individuals we helped with immediate needs, benefits advocacy, housing and other supportive services in 2018.

In the first nine months of 2019, we have already helped house 77 families and helped prevent another 58 families from becoming homeless. Because of rising rents and a lack of affordable housing options, the need for this kind of assistance in our community is growing.

The Coalition’s mission to help those who are homeless or facing homelessness incorporates three pillars: resources, support and hope. Each is key to improving the personal well-being of our clients as well as strengthening our broader community.

Reaching for a goal of preventing homelessness in the first place, the work of the Coalition specifically addresses how lack of financial stability is a determinant of homelessness and contributes to multi-generational homelessness. Our work recognizes the need for client-centered strategies with different responses for different levels of need and different groups, targeting resources to the specific individual or household. Homelessness comes at great personal and community cost.

On a personal level, living without a home can have a life-changing impact on personal health, well-being and safety; and it is especially detrimental to child learning. Without a stable and consistent place to call home, the learning outcomes for children are severely affected. Looking to our community’s future, homeless children and youth are of particular concern to the Coalition.

In the first half of 2020 we will be sending out invitations to the Grand Opening of our new Intake and Services Center at 100 South 4th Street in Grover Beach. Thanks to funding from the State of California through the County of San Luis Obispo, we’ll have room to expand our partnerships with other agencies, increase our outreach to homeless and unaccompanied youth in the 16-24 age group, and expand our outreach to other hard-to-reach populations including Nipomo.

We hope you will help us reach our goal of $20,000 by the end of this year. 

GIVE MONTHLY, HELP DAILY

Never doubt the value of a small gift. It may be priceless to someone who doesn’t have it.

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