November is Homeless Awareness Month.

November is Homelessness Awareness Month

Government agencies tell us that the number of homeless people is increasing. Last year alone, 60 homeless people died here on the Cape. We cannot allow this to happen again given the growing number of homeless people. More needs to be done.

If we work together, we can do wonders. I see them every day as president Homeless is not hopeless. I recently saw one at an event we hosted with an internet sensation, Father Ray Kelly, singing Irish priest. The community came out in support of businesses, organizations and individuals who not only filled the house, but also donated more than $100,000 to help fight the growing problem of homelessness on the Cape. I can’t tell you how much we appreciate this support and outpouring of love. Thank you, Cape Cod.

While this successful event allows us to continue our work to end homelessness here, we must look to the future. Our model of helping people transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency works. We have been successful since our organization was founded by homeless people in 2007. But because of the growing need, we need to step up and help more people return to productive lives. We plan to increase capacity to allow residents who are willing to leave our temporary accommodation and move into suitable accommodation.

With November being Homeless Awareness MonthI am asking you to join us in helping our brothers and sisters find a place in our community. Please consider supporting any of the worthwhile organizations working with the homeless in our community. For information on how you can help our efforts in the hopeless, visit our website: https://homelessnothopeless.org

Deacon Richard Murphy, President, Homeless Not Hopeless, 119 Baxter Road, Hyannis

Help homeless students: visit the Cranberry Fair on November 23 in Harwich

Imagine you’re a 14-year-old kid, homeless and living on Cape Cod. Sometimes you stay with relatives, sometimes in a shelter, in the summer camping, and when nothing else helps, in your mother’s car. The school always asks for your home address. They just don’t understand that your aunt’s address and phone number are the only constants; Your mother’s cell phone minutes quickly run out each month. School is hard because all the other kids have new clothes, hairstyles, cell phones, and video games. All you hope for is clean clothes and hair plus a warm jacket as winter approaches. It’s also hard to concentrate in school because your stomach is often grumbling loudly.

Other students have a place to call home, but your parents’ income is such that they can’t afford new clothes and certainly not a video game or a cell phone. Your parents struggle to put food on the table and keep the heat on in the place you call home. It’s a way of life for many kids who call Cape Cod home.

Since 2012, the PSALM (People Sharing and Loving More) group with St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Harwich supports homeless and at-risk children in the Monomoy and Nauset school systems by donating ALL proceeds from their Cranberry Fair to students in need.

This process continues throughout the year. People spend the year sewing, knitting, woodworking and needlework. Others ask restaurants, businesses and artists to donate to our silent auction. Then, in the weeks leading up to Cranberry Fair, many gather to sort, clean and polish all the donated jewelry, as well as items for the Treasures of the Attic (think: holiday decorations and household items you no longer need). In the last week, they are busy making chili and other soups, as well as cookies, pies and other baked goods.

Now imagine that you are the same 14-year-old who is called to the office at school before the holidays. You walk away in horror, wondering what’s wrong this time, but instead you’re surprised with a beautiful gift bag filled with goodies, along with gift cards to local stores like CVS, Marshalls, Stop & Shop, or Shaws! You suddenly realize that the holidays won’t be so bad after all.

Since 2012, 558 students have been awarded $74,000. That’s a lot of gift cards. Last year, more than $13,000 was raised to provide for 100 students. This year’s Cranberry Fair will be held on Saturday, November 23rd from 9:00am to 2:00pm at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church on Highway 137 in Harwich.

Gail Olson Dennis Port

This article originally appeared on the Cape Cod Times: Letters: The head of the agency calls for more support for the homeless