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Our home is our sanctuary.
It is the one place
where we feel secure,
surrounded by friends,
family and amenities that
make us feel comfortable,
shielded from the pressures
of life in the 21st
Century.
The thought of being
without a safe haven is,
indeed, scary.
Fortunately, for most
of us, not having a home is
only a passing thought.
Sadly, however, it is a
reality for far too many.
Nationally, 750,000
people are homeless.
In
Connecticut,
there are an estimated
33,000 homeless individuals
annually. Right here in Westport, IHA’s 65 beds at
our eight facilities are
fully occupied most nights.
Homeless people who
come to IHA often require
more than just food and
shelter. They may need
support and encouragement to
get their lives in order or
they may require treatment
for an addiction or mental
health issue.
As important as the
physical and psychological
support we provide is the
hope we give our clients.
Hope
may come in the form of our
superbly trained and
well-educated professional
staff.
It may come from our
PRIDE program which teaches job-seeking skills and assists in
exploring job opportunities
and preparing for the
work-environment.
Or, it may come from
the closeness and support of
a mentoring relationship
provided through our
Women’s Interfaith Network (WIN).
Perhaps the best
example of the
hope IHA provides is our
Homes With Hope houses
where formerly homeless
mentally ill individuals and
families live with a lease
in independent housing.
We know that it takes much
more than
hope to truly fight
homelessness.
But every safe haven
that we provide moves us
closer to that goal. Our
current supportive housing
project, the Westport Rotary
Centennial House, has been a
work-in-progress for three
years.
It will take
considerable private and
government resources to
complete.
When finished, it
will add 6 more units of
much needed affordable
supportive housing.
Importantly, when
occupied, it will provide at
least 6 households
hope that there can be a
future without homelessness.
Hope
Hope is the thing with
feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without
the words,
And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale
is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little
bird
That kept so many warm.
I've heard
it in the chilliest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.
Emily Dickinson
John Walsh, Chairman
IHA Board of Directors
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