“Seven out of 10 Americans are one paycheck away from being homeless.” –Pras Michel
This statement has never seemed so true as it has felt over the last couple of years. Nearly all of us have known family, friends, and neighbors who have watched their home go into foreclosure and wrestled with the reality of finding a place to live.
In the communities where Mission Year is located, we have witnessed families who pay their rent each month be forced to relocate when the owners of the homes defaulted on their loans and banks repossessed the houses. Parents and children have uprooted and searched again for a place to call home.
Homelessness has always have a face in urban communities. The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty suggested in 2007 that the homeless population in America was around 3.5 million people. And almost one quarter are homeless families with children, a subgroup that has been growing faster than any other. (Ref)
We envision a world where everyone has a place to call home.
It is for this reason that Mission Year partners with organizations like Charis Community Housing, Café 458, Breakthrough Ministries, and Ecclesia Church. These providers touch individuals and families and every step along the process from needed food served with dignity to opportunities for affordable home ownership.
Mission Year volunteers give 30 hours a week to these organizations, coming alongside the vision to transform the lives of those needing a home.
Will you join this dream, too? Giving to Mission Year directly impacts the homeless communities in Atlanta, Houston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Oakland, and New Orleans. As we celebrate 15 Dreams during our 15 Campaign, we thank you for your support.
Photo credit: Zsuzsanna Kilian
