Volunteer

There’s nothing like sharing your time and talents to demonstrate your support. We’d love to have you … get involved in one of our committees … or help out at one of our events.

Another way to help is by volunteering for a nonprofit serving the homeless. Many times homeless people feel disconnected from society. Your personal interest and interaction can make a huge difference in helping the homeless put down roots, gain housing, and rejoin the community.

Advocate

The good news is that the number of people affected by homeless in Connecticut is declining. The not-so-good news is that, because of an extreme lack of affordable housing in the state, many working families have difficulty stabilizing their housing situation because of the high cost of rent. At any time, an unexpected, catastrophic event, like the loss of a job, could easily lead to the loss of housing. At the same time, there is a lack of public understanding about how people lose their homes and what it takes to get them rehoused.

If you’re committed to helping solve homelessness, you can carry some important messages. This can be anything from educating your neighbors and friends about the realities of affordable housing in the state, to speaking out at your town’s zoning meeting, or to contacting your local and state legislators.

So many issues affect a person’s ability to keep their home. And, just as many can prevent them from finding a replacement home. Find out how homelessness happens, what can lengthen or exacerbate homelessness and, on the upside, the new solutions that are truly making a difference. Learn more

Many Connecticut residents do not fully appreciate how many of their neighbors are struggling to afford housing and, as such, can be one emergency away from losing a safe, stable home. Please help us carry important messages to your circle of family, friends and neighbors. The more everyone knows, the greater progress we can make toward curtailing homelessness in the state.

Here are some facts you may wish to share.

Who better to speak the powerful truths of homelessness than those who have experienced it firsthand? Current and formerly homeless individuals, our LEADers, serve as a link to the public. They meet with youth and community groups, faith organizations, legislators and community stakeholders to raise awareness about homelessness and to help erase the stigma attached to homelessness. They are also strong advocates for the necessity for stable, safe and affordable housing for everyone.

Would you like to request a speaker to address your group? Please contact executivedirector@growstrongct.org.

Individuals, cities and towns can only do so much on their own to address homelessness. Much of the funding to create affordable housing and to get homeless people all the help they need comes from government. If you feel strongly about this issue, it’s important that you make your opinions known to your elected officials. You can count on groups like ours to regularly push for governmental funding. But, the voices of individual citizens like you, when joined with ours, will have so much more impact. Learn more

Want to stay in the know about housing the homeless? Get on our mailing list. You’ll hear from us periodically with news about:

  • Progress made in reducing number and length of homeless episodes
  • New solutions that are geatting results
  • Fundraising events that support ending homelessness
  • Urgent issues and how to contact your state and national representatives