Why Your Donation is Important

I am currently reading the book Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond, and I came across a quote that resonated with me:

“Poverty is diminished life and personhood. It changes how you think and prevents you from realizing your full potential. It shrinks the mental energy you can dedicate to decisions, forcing you to focus on the latest stressor - an overdue gas bill, a lost job - at the expense of everything else.”

This quote made me think not only about when my mom and I were unhoused, but also about our transition. Even when we moved into our apartment, the every day stressors of life were still there. She had to start fresh with buying furniture because we lost everything in a fire, but we also needed food and other necessities. The gas bill and light bill were ever present. So, all of the attention had to go to the biggest stressor - at the expense of everything else. I can remember us living in that apartment for almost 3 years without heat or hot water. A friend of hers rigged it so that we had electricity. We had to boil water on a hot plate to take a bath.

I bring up this story to show that even when unhoused people get apartments or homes, there are still needs, and they won’t be able to tend to all of them. This is why I founded Welcome Home Dayton. I wanted to take that one big stressor off of their plate so that they could focus on other things. It was and has been my prayer that what we do will lighten the load for our clients.

Please consider making a donation to our cause on the “Ways to Give” page of our website. $20 could buy a family a shower curtain. $35 could buy a family a comforter set. $60 could buy a family a pot and pan set. $90 could buy a family a full size bed frame with headboard. $150 could buy a family a full size mattress.

Your donation will help us continue to change lives, one home at a time.