Changing Seasons, the Same Support - A Letter from the CEO

With the cooling weather and the winter holiday season almost upon us, many of us are warmed by thoughts of taking part in our annual traditions with friends and family. However, some of our neighbors have more dire realities on their minds.  I urge us all to take the time to think about our unhoused neighbors and what the cold weather season will mean for them.  

The Point-In-Time Survey, released earlier this year, reported a 28% increase in the amount of people living unhoused in 2024 compared to 2023. This is an unfortunate reality for many of our neighbors who are unable to afford the rising cost of living, struggling to access basic needs, or living with vulnerabilities.  Unfortunately, we do not expect this number to decrease this winter season.  

What can we do?  IW has been developing creative solutions to respond to the needs of our neighbors. Beginning in November, all our shelters will expand to make room for more clients, and our Progress Place facility will have an overflow shelter to ensure that there is extra space to ensure our unhoused neighbors have a place to come inside to stay warm and connect to services. You can make a difference for our clients by giving in-kind or financial support to our Magical Giving Season campaign. This effort ensures that our neighbors in our shelters and other programs know that we care about them this holiday season. To learn more about this campaign or to donate, click here.  

Thank you for your continued support of and care for our neighbors. We look forward to more opportunities to work together to help our clients on their path to stability.  

 Courtney Hall, CEO