The LGBTQ Home for hope

at 2831 N Hutchinson St, Philadelphia , 19133 United States

1. Public Services
2. Housing & Homeless Shelter

Description

Overview The Home for Hope is the first and only shelter in Pennsylvania specifically for LGBTQ individuals. It is a subsidiary of Divine Light, a group of addiction recovery homes in the Philadelphia area. To address the unique needs of the LGBTQ community, this specific shelter was founded in 2015, and is a 37 bed homeless shelter and recovery center in Philadelphia, PA for LGBTQ identified people who face myriad difficulties. "Recovery" can mean alcohol, drugs, abuse, trauma, sexual assault, or any other life event that may require a restoration/normalization period. We also have residents who have no recovery issues, but are simply homeless, often through family abandonment when they "came out." At any given time, about 70% of the residents are transgender, with the other 30% being LGBQ. There is an urgent need for such facilities because LGBTQ people face homelessness ,violence and murder at disproportionate rates versus the general population. We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Immediate Funding Need (https://www.gofundme.com/lgbthomeforhope) Our most immediate need is for a new furnace. The old one is broken beyond repair. Professional estimates indicate a new one will cost $30,000. This is our URGENT fundraising goal, and one with which the organizers and rallygoers of the Great Wall of Love have pledged to assist us. We receive no public funding, whatsoever, and our monthly operating costs are covered by private donations and whatever the residents, themselves, can scrape together. We have no surplus funds to cover the purchase of the furnace. Winter is just a couple of months away and Philadelphia is known for its often frigid weather, so we need to act fast. Any surplus collected (wouldn’t that be nice?!) over $30,000 will go to the shelter's general operating budget. Please help us by contributing what you can, seeking corporate sponsorship or matching funds from your employer, and sharing this GoFundMe page with as many people as possible. Background LGBTQ people, while only approximately 10% of the population at-large, comprise roughly half of all homeless people in the U.S. Yet, they are frequently turned away from regular shelters in blatant acts of discrimination. A survey published in 2011 concerning the experiences of Trans People in shelters revealed: "The majority of those trying to access a homeless shelter were harassed by shelter staff or residents (55%), 29% were turned away altogether, and 22% were sexually assaulted by residents or staff." (http://www.transequality.org/issues/national-transgender-discrimination-survey) Many publicly funded shelters, which claim to be all-inclusive and "safe," are anything but when it comes to the LGBTQ community. Presently, the residence receives no public shelter funding, whatsoever. Our monthly operating expenses of roughly $9000/month are paid via private donations and whatever the residents, themselves, can contribute. Our mission is to provide residents with three meals a day and a warm bed in a safe and affirming environment that helps them recover and prepare for better lives in the future. All of our paid staff is LGBTQ, some of whom are present or past residents. Local mental health professionals provide onsite customized treatment for the residents who need it, and they generously work on a sliding scale based on what we can afford to pay them at the time. Since early 2016, we have been working with the city of Philadelphia in an attempt to secure operational funding assistance. We greatly appreciate the interest Mayor Kinney has taken in helping us since his inauguration. We remain hopeful such goodwill will bear fruit in the form of the financial assistance we so desparately need.

General Info

The Home for Hope is the first and only shelter  in Pennsylvania specifically for LGBTQ individuals.  It is a subsidiary of Divine Light, a group of addiction recovery homes in the Philadelphia area.  To address the unique needs of the LGBTQ community, this specific shelter was founded approximately one year ago, and is a 37 bed homeless shelter and recovery center in Philadelphia, PA for LGBTQ identified people who face myriad difficulties.  "Recovery" can mean alcohol, drugs, abuse, trauma, sexual assault, or any other life event that may require a restoration/normalization period.   We also have residents who have no recovery issues, but are simply homeless, often through family abandonment when they "came out."   At any given time, about 70% of the residents are transgender, with the other 30% being LGBQ.  There is an urgent need for such facilities because LGBTQ people face homelessness ,violence and murder at disproportionate rates versus the general population.   We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.  Immediate Funding Need (https://www.gofundme.com/lgbthomeforhope) Our most immediate need is for a new furnace.  The old one is broken beyond repair.  Professional estimates indicate a new one will cost $30,000.  This is our URGENT fundraising goal, and one with which the organizers and rallygoers of the Great Wall of Love have pledged to assist us.  We receive no public funding, whatsoever, and our montly operating costs are covered by private donations and whatever the residents, themselves, can scrape together.  We have no surplus funds to cover the purchase of the furnace.  Winter is just a couple of months away and Philadelphia is known for its often frigid weather, so we need to act fast.  Any surplus collected (wouldn’t that be nice?!) over $30,000 will go to the shelter's general operating budget. Please help us by contributing what you can, seeking corporate sponsorship or matching funds from your employer, and sharing this GoFundMe page with as many people as possible. Background LGBTQ people, while only approximately 10% of the population at-large, comprise roughly half of all homeless people in the U.S. Yet, they are frequently turned away from regular shelters in blatant acts of discrimination. A survey published in 2011 concerning the experiences of Trans People in shelters revealed: "The majority of those trying to access a homeless shelter were harassed by shelter staff or residents (55%), 29% were turned away altogether, and 22% were sexually assaulted by residents or staff." (http://www.transequality.org/issues/national-transgender-discrimination-survey) Many publicly funded shelters, which claim to be all-inclusive and "safe," are anything but when it comes to the LGBTQ community. Presently, the residence receives no public shelter funding, whatsoever. Our monthly operating expenses of roughly $9000/month are paid via private donations and whatever the residents, themselves, can contribute. Our mission is to provide residents with three meals a day and a warm bed in a safe and affirming environment that helps them recover and prepare for better lives in the future. All of our paid staff is LGBTQ, some of whom are present or past residents. Local mental health professionals provide onsite customized treatment for the residents who need it, and they generously work on a sliding scale based on what we can afford to pay them at the time. Since early 2016, we have been working with the city of Philadelphia in an attempt to secure operational funding assistance. We greatly appreciate the interest Mayor Kinney has taken in helping us since his inauguration. We remain hopeful such goodwill will bear fruit in the form of the financial assistance we so desparately need.

Company Rating

228 Facebook users were in The LGBTQ Home for hope. It's a 8 position in Popularity Rating for companies in Public & Government Service category in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

865 FB users likes The LGBTQ Home for hope, set it to 6 position in Likes Rating for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in Public & Government Service category

Summary

The LGBTQ Home for hope is Philadelphia based place and this enity listed in Housing & Homeless Shelter category. Located at 2831 N Hutchinson St PA 19133. Contact phone number of The LGBTQ Home for hope: (215) 867-8885