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September on the Outer Cape has a feeling all its own. The light softens and Route 6 opens up. For those of us here year round, this is the month we exhale.
It's also a month we take stock. As we prepare grant applications for the year ahead, we've been looking hard at our direct financial assistance program, and the numbers say something important.
Between January and August, HOW made 1,327 monthly stipend payments of $100 on behalf of women living with lower income. That's more than $134,000 in direct assistance over eight months. A check to help with rent or a utility bill paid before the shutoff notice. A phone line that stays on so a doctor's office can reach the women we serve.
Provincetown residents account for nearly half of the recipients, though women in all four towns rely on this program. The demand holds steady month after month. And as federal changes reduce SNAP and MassHealth benefits, more women are going to feel the gap. This program is often what stands between a woman and a crisis she can't recover from.
None of this happens without you. The donors, the volunteers, the partners who send women our way, and the women themselves who trust us with their healthcare journey and related needs.
Two more things worth your attention. Applications open this month for our next Peer Wellness Coach training cohort, a professional level curriculum offered at no cost to those accepted. If you've ever thought about doing this work, read more below.
Be sure to read below about the Patio American Grill that broke another record, raising over $225K for HOW's annual operations!
Thanks for reading this month's newsletter - we're glad to have you here as part of the HOW community as we head into fall.
With warmth,
Gwynne and the Helping Our Women Team
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