25th Anniversary Annual Appeal Launched

Dear Friend,

Food, clothing, shelter, hope.  We need each of these to survive.  But we know many people who are desperately short of all four.  They are guests here at Joseph’s House.

By the time they reach us they have very little. We are asking you to help these folks with a gift o f $25, $50, $100…………..or more if possible. Your gift will allow us to help more  than 700 homeless guests this year:  Guests like Maureen (name changed), who, while coping with traumatic depression and lifelong alcohol addiction, lived on the streets of Troy for the past fourteen years. 

 She was welcomed into our shelter more than a dozen times during those years, but each time, her depression and addiction pulled her back to the streets.  Periodically she landed in jail.  This pattern continued until one year ago when she entered our shelter and told staff she finally had the courage to return to an alcohol rehabilitation program.  After that program she successfully transitioned into one of our supported apartments in the Lansing Inn.

Today, shelter staff attended her recovery program graduation.  We heard Maureen proclaim that she was celebrating her first year of sobriety; “Joseph’s House believed in me for a long, long time, until I finally was ready to believe in myself.”  I can’t tell you how proud Maureen’s comments made each of us feel. 

Testimonials like these are important because of the daily work we do.  Today we are trying to help Phillip, who after suffering a traumatic brain injury from a motorcycle accident in 1983 began coping with his cognitive impairment through daily drinking.  No one is willing to offer Phillip any housing in his condition.  Our shelter advocates are searching for creative solutions to help meet his most basic needs for housing, food and care.

For 25 years, Joseph’s House has played an important role in our community.  Sadly, the demand for our services is only growing. 

Through your generosity, we will continue to offer shelter, food and hope to those most in need while we continue to advocate and fight for creative and long lasting solutions that will end homelessness in our community.

What can be better than helping meet people’s basic needs? 

Can we count on you for a gift of $25.00 or more?  All donations to Joseph’s House are tax-deductible as allowable under law.

Thank you.  Your contribution means so much to all of us. 

Sincerely,

Justin DiVirgilio                                                Tracy Neitzel

President, Board of Directors                            Executive Director