No one dreams of a shelter bed, they dream of having a permanent place to lay their head.
But in this economy, even a shelter bed can be a tall order. On any given night Friends of the Homeless, Inc. on Worthington Street in Springfield is almost always over our capacity, providing shelter to 150 men and women. With the fall chill in the air, we’re afraid there won’t be enough beds to go around. Friends of the Homeless, Inc. needs your help so that we can move men and women into permanent housing and ensure that there’s always a bed for someone in need.
Despite tremendous progress in getting homeless individuals off the street in recent years, this winter adult men and women could find it harder to get in out of the cold. All summer Friends of the Homeless, Inc. the largest emergency shelter for men and women in Western Massachusetts has been exceeding its bed capacity. The loss of low-income housing stock caused by the June 1 tornado and the prolonged downturn in the economy has contributed to higher numbers of people needing services and help. It is taking longer to find permanent housing for individuals.
With the fall chill in the air, Friends of the Homeless, Inc. is concerned that there won’t be enough room when winter brings even more people seeking a warm, safe place to stay. In recent years, FOH operated an overflow shelter to accommodate the additional need, stretching what dollars we had. We are a small, private, non-profit agency and this year, our financial condition does not allow us to take on additional guests without additional revenues to support an overflow shelter.
Already this year more than 1000 men and women have sought shelter with FOH.
The FOH dining room serves almost 13,000 meals a month.
In addition to shelter beds, FOH provides meals, showers, laundry facilities to people who are homeless.
Client caseloads can be as high as 100 to 1.
Click here to see a donation form that can be printed and mailed in.
Friends of the Homeless, Inc. operates 365 days a year.
We serve approximately 1200 individuals in our emergency shelter alone. FOH serves 135,000 meals a year, provides 50,000 showers, laundry and support services aimed at permanent housing. We have the desire, the expertise and the space to help individuals in need. What we don’t have is the money to do the work.
FOH recognizes that this is a difficult time for everyone, but for those who have the least among us; your support can be lifesaving. Today we are asking you to dig deep and provide financial support at a level that you are comfortable with. If it’s possible, we suggest a long-term giving plan that allows you to spread out your contribution and FOH to plan for our year round services.
It is the policy and practice of Friends of the Homeless to keep all donor information strictly confidential. We will never share or sell any information to any person, company, or organization.