The National Alliance against Homelessness states, “After a 50-year war on poverty, the evidence is in: work, personal responsibility, and a healthy economy are fundamental to individual and family well-being and provide the best pathway out of poverty”. In other words, employment and affordable housing solutions are foremost the most important and fundamental task at hand, helping the heads of households find employment and climb the ladder to their own success.
It is the responsibility of our County and State leaders to provide a platform for an organization like Cape Hope and others working with those experiencing homelessness to once and for all curtail the devastating effects of homelessness.
We have poured countless hours of labor and thousands of dollars into restraining the issue but not addressing the problem and or providing a solution. What is the solution? Give people a place to live and a job to pay for it, along with services to help them address the underlying issues and obstacles leading to their homelessness, and the problem is solved.
Our program, the Cape Hope Project – Hope for tomorrow, Transition living program, will work given the opportunity and funds to get it off the ground. This program will be built into the philosophy of the rescue mission. The Majority of people don’t want to be homeless. For most, it is a terrible and hopeless situation looking into the eyes of homeless children, who had absolutely no part in creating their current situations are faced with a lifetime of consequences. Some will, by the grace of God and help from others recover and lead somewhat normal lives, while others will only fill the new jail being built just miles up the road from this meeting.
Cape May County you have a choice –
Transitional housing works, look at the statistics of other counties offering the same hand up. You will find it works ALL the TIME, The dream of freedom and economic independence. Is the responsibility of all leaders to the American people whom they serve?
“There is nothing new about poverty. What is new, however, is that we have the resources to get rid of it.” Dr. Martin Luther King, 1964 Nobel Peace award.
Denise Venturini-South
Director