On Saturday, October 10, 2020, the Coalition for the Homeless recognized the ten year anniversary of World Homeless Day. Our traditional in-person fundraising and awareness event was transitioned into a virtual brunch, allowing individuals to stream the event from the safety of their homes. This unique format also means that our virtual brunch is still available for streaming at any time, increasing the accessibility of this event for all. Donations are still encouraged—we are halfway toward our online goal of $25,000 and could use your help getting there!

Board Chair Lance Gilliam welcomed the audience, providing a short history of the Coalition and remembering Rabbi Karff. Coalition President/CEO Mike Nichols reminded us all of the unique role of the Coalition as lead agency to The Way Home, particularly our role in the Community COVID-19 Housing Program (CCHP).

Introduced by Coalition VP of Development Sara Martinez, Keynote Speaker Chris Gardner discussed his unique perspective on the impact of COVID-19 and how powerful friends, family, and community can be in times of struggle. He inspired us to remember “the power of one” and the impact each of us can have on our community.

Our very own Manager of Landlord Engagement Ashlie Young spoke a stirring poem, a portion of which can be found below:

“Could you imagine?
Living in a world for years with no access.
Basic necessities were not within an arm’s reach.
Roaming the same community that seems to bypass you every week.

Feeling unheard and unseen.
Tugging at your pride and dignity.
Banking on your life for the chance of just one possibility
Not a hand up, but a heart out.”

We were also thrilled to honor Alan Watkins, former Chairman of the Board at the Coalition, as our 2020 Community Advocate Honoree. In President/CEO Mike Nichols’ words, “Alan is a true example of leadership on tackling social issues and achieving results.” Thank you, Alan, for your continued commitment to our community.

Mike finished off the presentation with a call to donate. Read his inspiring words and consider making your gift today.

“I know the stories of direct services – serving turkey dinners on Thanksgiving, handing someone a warm coat – those are the heartwarming stories that open pockets wide. The work of the Coalition is a little but harder to illustrate, but it culminates when the partners of The Way Home work together to give someone the keys to their own apartment. Their new home. And, thanks to the Coalition we’ve been able to do that more than 19,000 times since 2012.”

Thank you to our speakers for generously sharing their time, our sponsors for ensuring this event was free to attend, and all who viewed and shared our virtual brunch. We appreciate the part you have played on our journey to make homelessness brief, rare, and non-recurring. 

As always, thank you to our generous sponsors for their ongoing support of the Coalition.