For Some, There is No Place Like Home for the Holidays
Abby Mack | December 1, 2021
Here at McCurdy, our everyday jobs are centered around real estate from selling homes to helping others buy homes. So, when we thought about giving back this holiday season, homelessness was at the forefront of our minds.
This year as part of our Giving Comfort and Joy initiative, we are partnering with several local non-profits that have a huge impact on the Wichita homeless community. Through this process, our eyes have been opened even more to the needs of our community and we hope that your passion to help will grow with us.
What You Think You Know
Homelessness is a complicated issue, and we feel it's important to shed some light on some of the most common misconceptions.
One of the biggest misconceptions about homelessness is really just a lack of understanding of their circumstance. These individuals have no support system, and we must remember they are humans and deserve the same dignity and respect as everyone else.
LaTasha St. Arnault, President and CEO of HumanKind Ministries, explains that “there are millions of Americans who suffer from substance abuse, behavioral health disorders, trauma, or generational poverty... However, if they have a roof over their head or family supporting them through those challenges, somehow it is more acceptable. But as soon as we see a homeless person on the street with these same issues, now we think it is their fault.”
Join Us in Giving Comfort and Joy
With this strong need in our community, especially during the winter months, we have decided to support several non-profits in Wichita.
HumanKind Ministries’ Operation Holiday
From homelessness to home, HumanKind has been serving our region's most vulnerable for over 135 years. They have homeless shelters, affordable housing, and host an annual distribution event, Operation Holiday.
Operation Holiday is Sedgwick County’s largest holiday assistance program and served more than 14,000 individuals, families, and children in 2020. Through donations, they are able to provide basic needs and toys to our area’s most vulnerable.
As sponsors of Operation Holiday, we are excited to participate in this amazing event in several different ways. Our team will be part of several volunteer days including warehouse setup and passing out donations. HumanKind needs over 1,000 volunteers to make this event happen, so sign up to help! If you don’t have time to help during these days, join us in donating to their children’s coat fund, this year they are needing 7,000 children’s coats.
Family Promise
With customized case management, Family Promise of Wichita helps homeless families with children achieve sustainable independence. They offer 3 phases for their Sustainable Independence Program starting with emergency services, then a rotation program, and finally, graduate stabilization. Almost 76% of their guest families find permanent housing with their help.
We recently had the honor of calling their annual benefit auction where they raised over $61,000! Instead of collecting our benefit auction fee, we were able to take that check and donate it back to this amazing organization.
If you would like to help these homeless families, Family Promise has many volunteer opportunities from being a day house volunteer to pet sitting, all you have to do is sign up!