looking to the future....

Dear Friends of Harbor House,
 
Staff and volunteers have been working hard to help families stay afloat in the midst of this global pandemic. We continue to feed the homeless and families in need, and the number of meals served continues to rise. We currently have more than 738 children signed up for our Adopt a Family program. Many of the households we have been serving have lost one or both incomes, leaving them unable to provide groceries or pay rent.
 
In the years that I have been working with this population, I have learned so many important things. I have heard hundreds of stories from people and have been moved by more of those stories than I can count.
 
The issue that has continued to haunt me is that of young people in foster care. Today, there are more than 437,000 children in foster care in America. Of those, 55,000 are in California. An astounding 36% of California foster youth become homeless within 18 months of aging out and 46% do not graduate from high school.  Less than 3% earn a college degree. So many of the saddest stories I know have come from children who aged out of foster care into homelessness.  
 
Because of the relationship between kids aging out of foster care and homelessness, we are working more closely with young adults aging out and entering independent living. We believe that one of the best ways Harbor House can have an impact on homelessness is by improving the success rate of these young people who are at risk.
 
In the midst of so much poverty and loss we remain hopeful in the work we do. We pray that you are well and staying safe.
 
“Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake.”
                                                                                                                          - Victor Hugo
                                                                                                          
 
Peace, 
 
Denise 
Executive Director
Harbor House
dcortes@harborhouseto.org
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