On Tuesday, May 5th, Homestretch hosted our fifth annual benefit breakfast at the Gannett USA Today Building in Mclean, VA. It was wonderful to see nearly two hundred friends of Homestretch assembled to participate in “Celebrating What Works, Building on Success to Transform Lives” (our breakfast theme) at 7:30 in the morning!
After introductory remarks from Tim McGough, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Homestretch, and Christopher Fay, Executive Director, the breakfast featured talks from three clients. Each spoke eloquently about their experiences at Homestretch and touched many hearts with their humor, honesty and profound sense of gratitude for the help they have received.
The first, Sandra, told how her husband turned to drugs and alcohol and its impact on h
er family. He lost all their money, sold their house without telling her, and when she asked him about it, he became physically abusive. She finally left him, taking the children with her to a homeless shelter; and from there came to us. She has now paid down all the debt that was in her own name, found a better job at a higher wage, and has seen her children prosper in school. At one point during her remarks she said proudly, “I am a soccer mom!”
The second, Larry, told what it was like to have decided with his family to stay in New Orleans to sit out Hurricane Katrina. When they realized too late how bad that decision was, he said he felt incredible guilt, sensing that his family would die and it would be his fault. They survived, although they lost everything, and FEMA relocated them to Virginia, where they were put in a shelter. From there they came to us. Within two years, they paid down all their debts, found good jobs, graduated, and have just purchased a beautiful home. Larry is a pastor and has found a parish to serve where he and his family are very happy. Larry says he now regularly preaches about things that he learned from Homestretch.
The third speaker, another woman named Sandra, spoke of having to flee a cult where she had found herself virtually a captive, where the environment was so controlled that she could not even decide what she could eat. Leaving was the hardest thing she ever did, and the process of rebuilding her confidence took two years. She is now working at a great job, her daughter is prospering in school, and she is getting married to a wonderful man in June. “Homestretch saved my life”, she said. “And now”, she went on, “I am proud to be not just a graduate, but a donor to Homestretch too!”
A fourth scheduled client speaker was to be Titi, a young 18 year old girl from Somalia whose family fled their country after being threatened by death squads. Unfortunately, Titi’s talk had to be re-scheduled. Titi’s story was about how her family found their way while in Homestretch, learning the language and culture, finding work and building skills, and helping each other: since children learn the English language quicker than their parents, how important it is to do what they can to make a success of their new life in America. Titi also just learned that she was being awarded a scholarship by the American Association of University Women to attend the college of her choice.
From a homeless shelter to a college campus – in a mere two years! That is what Homestretch is all about and one of many reasons to “Celebrate What Works.”
By any measure the breakfast was a great success. More than $100,000 was raised through this event to help homeless families in Northern Virginia move from crisis to self-sufficiency.
The breakfast is one of two major fund-raising events Homestretch has held each year for the past several years. The other is a Wine Tasting and Silent Auction, which will be held this year on Friday, October 2nd, also at the Gannett USA Today Building in
McLean, VA. (For more information on the October event, please visit the Homestretch website at http://www.homestretch-inc.org/.)
After introductory remarks from Tim McGough, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Homestretch, and Christopher Fay, Executive Director, the breakfast featured talks from three clients. Each spoke eloquently about their experiences at Homestretch and touched many hearts with their humor, honesty and profound sense of gratitude for the help they have received.
The first, Sandra, told how her husband turned to drugs and alcohol and its impact on h
er family. He lost all their money, sold their house without telling her, and when she asked him about it, he became physically abusive. She finally left him, taking the children with her to a homeless shelter; and from there came to us. She has now paid down all the debt that was in her own name, found a better job at a higher wage, and has seen her children prosper in school. At one point during her remarks she said proudly, “I am a soccer mom!”The second, Larry, told what it was like to have decided with his family to stay in New Orleans to sit out Hurricane Katrina. When they realized too late how bad that decision was, he said he felt incredible guilt, sensing that his family would die and it would be his fault. They survived, although they lost everything, and FEMA relocated them to Virginia, where they were put in a shelter. From there they came to us. Within two years, they paid down all their debts, found good jobs, graduated, and have just purchased a beautiful home. Larry is a pastor and has found a parish to serve where he and his family are very happy. Larry says he now regularly preaches about things that he learned from Homestretch.
The third speaker, another woman named Sandra, spoke of having to flee a cult where she had found herself virtually a captive, where the environment was so controlled that she could not even decide what she could eat. Leaving was the hardest thing she ever did, and the process of rebuilding her confidence took two years. She is now working at a great job, her daughter is prospering in school, and she is getting married to a wonderful man in June. “Homestretch saved my life”, she said. “And now”, she went on, “I am proud to be not just a graduate, but a donor to Homestretch too!”
A fourth scheduled client speaker was to be Titi, a young 18 year old girl from Somalia whose family fled their country after being threatened by death squads. Unfortunately, Titi’s talk had to be re-scheduled. Titi’s story was about how her family found their way while in Homestretch, learning the language and culture, finding work and building skills, and helping each other: since children learn the English language quicker than their parents, how important it is to do what they can to make a success of their new life in America. Titi also just learned that she was being awarded a scholarship by the American Association of University Women to attend the college of her choice.
From a homeless shelter to a college campus – in a mere two years! That is what Homestretch is all about and one of many reasons to “Celebrate What Works.”
By any measure the breakfast was a great success. More than $100,000 was raised through this event to help homeless families in Northern Virginia move from crisis to self-sufficiency.
The breakfast is one of two major fund-raising events Homestretch has held each year for the past several years. The other is a Wine Tasting and Silent Auction, which will be held this year on Friday, October 2nd, also at the Gannett USA Today Building in
McLean, VA. (For more information on the October event, please visit the Homestretch website at http://www.homestretch-inc.org/.)
