beneficiaries
The Homeless Alliance, Inc.
$79,500
FAMILY
Homeless families with children have been the fastest growing sub-population of the homeless in Oklahoma City.
Meet two of them:
- John and Melissa have four kids, two of whom are newborn twins. John has cancer. Their eight-year-old daughter was sexually assaulted and is having trouble coping. Their mounting medical expenses mean they can’t pay rent. Consequently, they live at a homeless shelter.
- Latasha is a single mom who was laid off. Her savings ran out, so she and her daughter are living in their car. Although Latasha got a new job, she struggles to save up for the deposit for an apartment. Meanwhile, her daughter is embarrassed to go to school in the same clothes every day.
Homelessness has a profoundly negative impact on families, especially children. Witnessing violence, missing school, interrupted sleep and emotionally distressed parents can lead to trauma, behavioral problems, and developmental delays. The new WestTown Resource Center brings together a dozen agencies that work with families who are homeless or at-risk. All of those agencies, working seamlessly together, can provide the care and housing so desperately needed by Latasha and John and Melissa’s families.
A gift from Impact Oklahoma will allow us to expand our program for homeless families and make it a successful, replicable model of care, adapting national best practices to our local community. We estimate that over the next two years, we will be able to help at least 200 families achieve sustainable housing and become a national model for housing homeless families with children.
