October 28, 2011
Dear Partners with WIHN:
One hundred. That’s the number of calls for help we now receive each week in our office, up from 40 per week last year. While the need can sometimes be overwhelming, the future is brighter for many families because of your partnership. Our friends give thousands of dollars and over 23,000 hours each year to lovingly care for families, and in the process, they often find that the blessing works both ways.
This has been quite a year for WIHN. With your help, we opened our first Transitional Housing building. These 12 apartments enable WIHN guests to have a much higher chance of remaining independent and contributing to the community once they graduate. Families have stable housing for up to a year while they continue to receive support and structure. Our host congregations continue to provide emergency shelter, food and love to near-capacity groups of families each week. Those families receive case management services, which help them learn valuable skills for independent living, not only while they are guests of WIHN, but for a year through our Aftercare Program.
It is apparent that we all have the opportunity to do more. We expect $120,000 could be cut from our government funding in the next year at a time when our Transitional Housing Program has increased our budget by $75,000 a year. Just to continue at our present levels of service, we will need to ask you, our friends, for an additional $195,000 a year. But we also know that during 2011, our community will lose 70 transitional housing apartments for families. We know that daycare vouchers are at risk due to federal and county budget cuts. We know that jobs are harder to find and our guests need more support for longer. So just maintaining is not enough for the hurting in our community.
Personally, I’m energized by these challenges. I know that our congregations, foundations, corporations and you, our partners, will step up to the challenge as well. I believe you care about your neighbors and will give, even to the point of personal sacrifice. I believe your life will be enriched as a result. Please thoughtfully consider what you can do to help WIHN help your neighbors this year and dig deep. We have provided an envelope for your convenience. In past years, we have asked for your gift all at once. This year we are asking you to consider doing significantly more by spreading your gift over the year. Please indicate your preference on the enclosed insert.
May your upcoming holiday season be filled with the joy that comes from helping others!
Sincerely,
Scott P. Shackleton
President, Board of Trustees