Help Remove Housing Barriers for People with Developmental Disabilities This End of Year Giving Season
HOPE resident Brandon has been renting his affordable Independent Living home for five years. (HOPE)
October 14, 2020
Dear Friend,
As a fellow supporter of HOPE, I want to share with you why their mission to create affordable homes for people with developmental disabilities is so important to me…why I believe that together we can make a positive change in the lives of those they serve. I believe in their mission because it has changed my life.
I have been a HOPE resident for five years now. When I was younger, I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to afford my own place. I remember when I was 17 years old, and my dad finally told me it was time to get a job. I wasn’t sure I could do it, but he said that I could and that he believed in me. He was right. My father had a strong influence on my life, and I have had a job ever since. But back then, just like now, having a job isn’t enough. Most people with disabilities can’t afford today’s rents.
“I believe in their mission because it changed my life.”
I am proud to say that I have now been employed for the last ten years in the same job. And, with HOPE’s support, I have been able to live independently for the last five years. I can’t tell you how much that means to me. Because of my stable, affordable home, I can prepare for work, keep up with my training, exercise, and afford all of my other expenses. My home provides me a place to hang out with friends and family and to be a part of my community.
I know that there are a lot of other people just like me who need affordable housing to follow their dreams. So I ask you today to support HOPE with a donation. Your gift will go to their 250 by 2025 campaign that began in 2019 with the goal to create 250 new homes for people with developmental disabilities.
If I could talk to my 17 year old self, I would tell him to get ready for a wild ride and not to stop when I hit barriers. Please donate today to empower people like me to move past housing barriers and toward a life of greater independence.
Sincerely,