Happy National Volunteer Month!

Our volunteers are the heart of HOW. Thank you to our Board members, Associate Board members, interns, and volunteers for making a difference in the lives of our clients. You're our heroes!

On April 18, we had a Volunteer Appreciation party to let our volunteers know how much we love them. Click here to enjoy photos from the event.

Are you interested in joining the HOW volunteer team? 
Visit www.how-inc.org/volunteer to learn more! 
Volunteers are especially needed for our Spring Cleaning Pack Day on May 5.

Tickets on Sale Now for the HOW Summer Social

Join the HOW Associate Board on Thursday, June 7 for delicious food and beer, games, a raffle, friends, and fun at Begyle Brewing Company in support of HOW's housing and support services for families who have experienced homelessness. 
Join us!


Our Spring Cleaning Drive is wrapping up this week, but there's still time to give the gift of a clean home to our HOW clients! You can send a gift online via our Amazon Wishlist >>

Thank you to our community partners and donors who have already contributed to the Drive!
Thank you to artist Gloria Riviera for leading a Paint 'n' Sip workshop for HOW clients on March 28. It was a joy to share a relaxing, creative, inspiring evening together! Thanks also to the volunteer team at Groupon for building our cardboard easels.
The "Housing First" Approach
HOW follows the Housing First model for assisting individuals and families experiencing homelessness. But Housing First isn't just a tagline, it's a guiding philosophy for empowering people as they rebuild their lives.

Housing First is the belief that people need basic necessities, like a safe home and food, before they can attend to other needs, like getting a job, budgeting, making healthcare appointments, or entering a substance abuse recovery program. Housing First doesn't require clients to solve their problems before they can get a home, because people are more likely to achieve their goals and gain stability after they have safe shelter.

Studies have shown that Permanent Supportive Housing programs like HOW's have a long-term housing retention rate (meaning that clients remain in secure housing over a period of years) of 98%. Another study found an average cost savings on emergency services of $31,545 per person housed in a Housing First program over the course of two years. 

Interested in learning more about Housing First? This fact sheet from the National Alliance to End Homelessness is a great place to start.

  http://www.how-inc.org | 773-456-5770