Since Katrina hit New Orleans last year, countless individuals in Wake County and the City of Raleigh have worked hard. They started by helping with the evacuees who were brought to Raleigh immediately after the disaster. The groundwork laid by those who put the 10 Year Plan together helped the city and county to convene a diverse group of emergency responders, human service professionals, and people of faith. From there the Circles of Support were born. The idea was for teams of volunteers from local congregations to provide supportive services so that evacuees may begin their lives anew here in the Triangle area. The idea flourished and is now serving as a model for those who are homeless in Wake County.
Late this summer Wake County awarded support to the Catholic Diocese to house a coordinator for the Circles of Support. The Coordinator works with congregations and trains them to provide the support services that enable a homeless individual or family to move towards self-sufficiency. Rental subsidies were needed. It would take about $6,000 each year to sustain a household. The Leadership Council and Oversight Team of the Wake County/City of Raleigh 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness crafted a plan. What if we provide support for 50 households? We asked the City of Raleigh for $100,000, each of 50 congregations recruited would bring an additional $2,000 to the table, and we would raise $100,000 in rental subsidies from the business community. The City of Raleigh awarded the subsidy late in the summer, congregations are agreeing as they sign on to provide support services, and the AJ Fletcher Foundation took the lead with a fundraising breakfast that has raised $53,000 to date for rental subsidies. CASA is administering the rental subsidy.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment