The global pandemic has left our entire community wondering what is next. We know financial recovery will take years for the people Interfaith works with. The individuals and families we work with, our neighbors, were struggling to make ends meet even before the pandemic.
As we begin our 2021 Sleep Out, we see rising homelessness and housing instability on the horizon. The Sleep Out’s goals of preventing homelessness and helping ensure everyone in our community thrives have never been more critical.
COVID-19 continues to amplify the instability so many of our neighbors are experiencing:
- Individuals want and need living wage jobs, but many lack the training and skills to fill open positions – our Employment Services team has stepped in.
- We are in a housing crisis: rents are high, vacancies are low, families are struggling to make their budgets work – our Case Management team has realigned to respond to those needs.
- Healthy foods are critical for wellness but expensive for families – we transformed our food shelf this summer to better meet needs and stretch thin budgets.
Twenty-six years of Sleep Outs have shown there is awesome power in collective compassion, and that we have the heart and resources in our community to help each other thrive. Today’s challenges will be felt for years to come. If the pandemic has reinforced anything, it is this: we are on this human journey together.
