A heartfelt thanks to everyone who contacted the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness after reading in a Monitor article earlier this month that additional volunteers are needed when the emergency winter shelter opens on Dec. 16.
Transitioning the winter shelter to a permanent structure last year was only possible thanks to the tremendous support CCEH received from all corners of our community. The proactive and persistent coverage by the Monitor has been instrumental in educating all of us about the stories and challenges faced by those experiencing homelessness. The evidence-based promise of Housing First, the importance of permanent supportive housing, and the affordable housing crisis are all part of our shared vocabulary now. Thank you.
A special thanks also to the continued dedication and compassion of the countless volunteers who help turn the winter shelter and the resource center into places of care and respect that say: We see you, you are not alone, you are a part of this community.
In 2017, an outpouring of generosity made possible the creation of the winter shelter and the purchase of the Tom Fredenburg House, which houses the resource center, the Housing First Concord staff and the CCEH office. This November, CCEH launched its second three-year campaign, Safe Spaces II: The Next Step, with a goal of raising $1 million in private donations; $200,000 of these funds are needed to transform a building on Green Street into four new apartments for people coming from homelessness.
Thanks to all the generous donors who have already pledged their support.
The Rev. MICHAEL LEUCHTENBERGER
Concord
(The writer is chair of the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness board of directors.)