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2023 MID-YEAR IMPACT REPORT
January 1 – June 30
FROM THE DESK OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dear Friend, I’m writing to you at this halfway point in 2023 with deep appreciation for the changed lives we are celebrating thanks to your support. The need is greater now more than ever: Just released, the “Point-in-Time” Homeless Count conducted in January 2023 has revealed that the homeless population in LA County has reached an all- time high of 75,518, representing a 9% increase from the previous year.
2023 HOMELESS COUNT LA County
And yet, every story and statistic contained in this report offers evidence that we can end homelessness, one family at a time. Your prayers, financial support, and volunteer efforts are the fuel that makes possible Door of Hope’s three core programs: Transitional Housing for unhoused families, Alumni Support for re-housed families, and Homelessness Prevention for families at risk of homelessness.
+9% 75,518
69,144 +7%
64,436
Key to success in all three of these programs are the holistic services we offer— allowing clients to move beyond crisis to long-term success. One of the best ways to make that happen is when moms and dads enter and advance in the workforce. That’s why Door of Hope has worked hard over the last year to rapidly expand its Job and Career Development services—as this report focuses—built around four different pathways: • Job Search • Small Business and Entrepreneurial Resources • Career Exploration and Preparation • Success in the Workplace Open to clients across all three core programs, these services include coaching, classes, and scholarships for vocational education so that clients can increase their earning potential. This report highlights the successes of our expanded Job and Career Development program this past quarter. Please read on to hear how your partnership is making success sustainable for Scott, Lily, and Wendy. We’ve all heard the wisdom that “actions speak louder than words.” Well, at this midway point in the year, your actions have shouted volumes. And hundreds of families send gratitude for your compassion! 2020 2022 2023
Giving thanks for your generosity,
Rev. Megan Katerjian, Executive Director
“…let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” –1 John 3:18
Homelessness Prevention Program Employment: The key to being home for good
Thanks to your generosity, we just concluded a successful “Power of Prevention” campaign to help 200 struggling families remain in their homes this year! With a cost of just $5,000 per family, we are using your support to provide emergency rental assistance, financial counseling, mental health services and more to prevent homelessness before it starts.
A recently-released statewide study on homelessness makes a stunning case for prevention: Just $300–$500 a month in rental assistance could have kept 70% of unhoused people from losing their homes.
A key differentiator of Door of Hope’s Homelessness Prevention Program is the holistic services we offer for long-term success. Over the last year, we have expanded these holistic offerings to include Job and Career Services, which has been life-changing for families like Scott’s. Scott is a single father who was facing eviction because of several financially costly and emotionally
traumatic events, especially the tragic death of his oldest son during the pandemic. Door of Hope was able to provide Scott with emotional support while assisting him with back rent, offering him stability and clarity to help him move forward. But Scott is also a highly skilled and intelligent tradesman who needed help in navigating some of the barriers to obtaining his HVAC contractor’s license. His Door of Hope case manager walked with him through the necessary requirements and helped him create a plan for preparing for the exam, saving money for the fees, and getting current on all other bills. “They got me fired up,” Scott exclaimed. “But most of the footwork really happened from me.”
Scott is well on his way to becoming a contractor and maintaining his home. And he’s especially grateful that Door of Hope is a faith-based organization, as he has seen God working in his life! He shares, “That feeling when you feel like you have no one, and you get that reaching hand. It’s the best feeling in the world! There are big things in store for me for the rest of my life.” 100% Housed 1 Year Later
142 Families Served
$388,277 In Rental Assistance 666 Case Management Sessions 100 Support Group Sessions
Transitional Housing A pathway to the future
Door of Hope’s Transitional Housing program has been an emergency lifesaver for thousands. As families move from their car, the street, or an emergency shelter into the comfort of their own home-like unit at Door of Hope, a sense of normalcy starts to set in.
But what happens when families move from stabilizing to dreaming about the future? That’s where Door of
Hope’s Job and Career Development services come in. Lily had been forced to leave home with her three sons when her marriage turned abusive during the pandemic. Fear and desperation gripped her heart as she desperately sought an emergency shelter for three fleeting weeks. Then she began to panic, with only enough money to stay at a cheap hotel for one week. Lily lamented, “I never thought in a million years that I would find myself asking, ‘Where am I going to sleep
“Thanks to Door of Hope, I tried so hard to get certified, get employment, and save money. It’s been a journey, but it has helped me grow as a mom and as a person. I feel so blessed.”
tonight?’” Fortunately, she was accepted to Door of Hope and moved into our Bravo house.
Lily was granted a Door of Hope scholarship for a CNA program in 2021 and a phlebotomy program in 2022. And she went on to gain several more certifications, hoping for the day when she would gain full- time employment at a hospital. With support from her case manager, Lily followed through on every one of these programs and is now employed as a CNA and working toward moving full-time into phlebotomy. In April she secured housing and has now graduated from Door of Hope! Lily’s journey demonstrates the precious pathway to the future you helped make possible! For years Lily had been a stay-at-home mom, and now she was faced with an immense decision as to how to support her family. While living at Bravo, she watched as another mother came and went, wearing nursing scrubs each day. Something struck a chord in Lily’s heart and mind, and she decided to explore the health care field. Thankfully, Door of Hope had just the right offering in its Job and Career Development Program to help Lily take the next step.
663 Case Management Sessions 535 Life Skills Sessions
531 Adult Therapy Sessions 386 Child Therapy Sessions
54 Families Sheltered
16 Graduations
Alumni Support Looking forward, giving back!
What happens after graduation? Lots! Our Alumni Support Program follows and encourages families after they’ve graduated from our transitional shelters into their own home. And that also means we get to celebrate their ongoing growth and success. Wendy is one of the graduates we’re celebrating.
126 Alumni Families Served
147 Case Management Sessions 147 Spiritual Care Sessions 140 Adult Therapy Sessions 86% Housed 5+ Years Later
At four years old, Wendy knew what it meant to be homeless. She was exposed to domestic violence all through childhood and so it seemed “normal” to her…so normal that when she began to experience abuse in her own relationship, she had no frame of reference for genuine love, safety, or a stable home life. Once Wendy realized that she and her boys were in real danger, she fled, even though she knew it would mean sleeping in their car and possibly giving up her dream of finishing her degree… But thanks to Door of Hope, Wendy’s dream is still alive—she graduated from our CASA Program in February of 2022 and remains safely housed today! Wendy is a first-generation college student, and as a Door of Hope alumna and scholarship recipient she continued with her education. This month we celebrate her college graduation with a B.A. in Liberal Arts along with a teaching credential in Special Education for children with autism spectrum disorder. Wendy has accepted a new teaching position at LAUSD and will start working in September.
Wendy admits it was a tremendous struggle and says she could not have kept going without the love and support from the community around her, including the scholarships she received from Door of Hope. “I do one day want to help underprivileged kids, especially those who were affected by domestic violence. It will happen. I know God has put that in my heart to give back.”
Your gifts continue to invigorate a vibrant Door of Hope Alumni Program—one of the keys to sustainability in housing and career success!
@thedoorofhope
221 E. Walnut Street | Suite 112 Pasadena, CA 91101
626-304-9130 doorofhope.us
@doorofhope
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