Fighting Homelessness – One Person, One Cup, One Neighborhood at a Time
This holiday season, United Way and Starbucks are teaming up in the fight against homelessness. When you make a donation at unitedway.org/starbucks between December 1-31, 2019, The Starbucks Foundation will match your gift, up to $200,000.
The Starbucks Foundation chose to partner with United Way because we work to create positive, lasting change for people in need. This campaign focuses specifically on the fight against homelessness in part because of our commitment to help our neighbors find homes – and stay there. No two people experiencing homelessness have the same story. That’s why United Way brings people and resources together — from all walks of life and across the community – to create innovative solutions that tackle some of our nation’s toughest problems, including homelessness.
Whether it’s help with rent or utilities, job training, access to healthy food, quality child care, or affordable health care, United Way tackles the various causes of homelessness and connects individuals to services that work for them. The three stories below show how we do it.
Bill’s Story – Bill, his wife and teenage daughter lived in a stable apartment for 15 years. But when their landlord opted not to renew the lease, they spent months exhausting every lead they had to find a place they could afford. Their family’s story was headed toward a crisis and the stress was showing in their daughter’s challenges at school. Because of a unique partnership United Way convened between their her school and the community’s nonprofits, the family received help locating a new apartment just in time. Bill calls it their palace. United Way considers this a story of homelessness avoided. Bill was also connected to employment training to help him get a better-paying job and their daughter was connected to tutoring and other supports to help her succeed in school.
Amy’s Story – Dylan was five years old when his father left and his mother Amy moved the family into a shelter. The stress and instability resulted in tears, tantrums, and separation anxiety for Dylan. United Way stepped in to connect Amy to a high-quality after-school program where Dylan could receive care and tutoring while she looked for a job. Amy is now employed and taking financial education classes. She is working hard to become self-sufficient, all because they were able to find support for challenges connected to a lack of housing.
Matt’s Story – Matt, having grown up in a family who struggled with addiction, started young and spent 30 years living in rooming houses, in shelters, or on the street. When he qualified for a permanent supportive housing unit, he had a place of his own for the first time in his life. More than a home, this unit represented the opportunity for a fresh start. He enrolled in substance abuse treatment and, with his newfound sobriety, Matt is grateful for the opportunity to rebuild his life. He reached out to family he hadn’t heard from in years, and it didn’t take long before he’d reconnected to both his mother and his brother. These days he speaks to both of them regularly and has enrolled in career training programs. United Way considers Matt a story of determination and hope — one that was made possible by its nonprofits partners focused on housing solutions for everyone.
This is what the fight to end homelessness looks like. And with your help we can do more.
Give today through December 31, 2019 on unitedway.org/starbucks, and The Starbucks Foundation will match your gift up to $200,000 to double your impact. On behalf of people like Bill, Amy, and Matt, we invite you to join the fight.
#GiveTogether #LiveUnited
