Homeless Hotline: 1-800-810-4434
Homeless Shelter Services
One of the primary goals of the Red Cross is to “to prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever it may be found.” Often this is at the scene of a natural disaster. But sometimes it is at the scene of a man-made misfortune like the housing catastrophe facing many Americans.
The current foreclosure crisis does not bode well for Americans struggling to maintain their homes. According to a study by the National Coalition for the Homeless, released in April 2008 there’s a nationwide surge in demand for homeless services and many agencies are seeing this trend in middle-class enclaves that have previously been immune to homelessness. Those facing homelessness include the working poor, who were among those hardest hit by the collapse in sub prime mortgages. But others are middle-class families who scarcely expected to find themselves unable to afford their homes. "Shelters are full, and it's getting worse," says Michael Stoops of the National Coalition for the Homeless in Washington. "There are more homeless homeowners, people who first try to downsize, then wind up living with family and friends or in vehicles.”
Fortunately, Bucks County residents have a safety net. Our emergency shelter provides a safe haven for those who have lost their home, or whose housing is no longer safe. Last night we provided a place for “Laura” and her children. “Laura” fled her abusive husband, is completing a nurse’s aid training program and starts a new job this week. We also provide shelter for a couple who’d been living in their car for the past month because their jobs and money had run out. We serve veterans, chronically mentally ill adults and those with no place else to turn.
We provide more than shelter. We provide the kind of supportive services that can help a family achieve self-sufficiency. Working with our partner agencies and scores of volunteers who selflessly provide hundreds of hours of care each month, our program is dedicated to helping each person we serve develop the skills and abilities they need to be successful.
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