Uniting people facing homelessness with loving, supportive communities they can call home
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Dear Friends,
Our mission is simple: unite people facing homelessness with loving, supportive communities they can call home. How do you do that in a time when we are expected to isolate ourselves? How do we connect someone living in a car to a job, a stable environment to live in, and a supportive community when people are losing jobs? Our environment is deeply unstable and resources are scarce.
These questions bring me back to how we, Friendship House, define community.
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First, a community is wherever you call home. For many, home right now is your physical space, and those isolated in that space with you. For others, their home is our empowerment center – opened for sparse hours at a time to ensure our friends know they can come home. Maybe, though, home has expanded to be your neighborhood streets – still a space you may be confined to, but a space you may not have seen as often as you do now.
Community is how we respond to each other. I have seen hundreds of social media posts where people are offering to buy groceries or deliver medicines for people unable to get out. Others are supporting nonprofits and small businesses. I have seen and felt countless gestures of love and have witnessed support and acceptance.
Community is also uniting. It’s coming together as a collective to do the right thing for each other and for the larger group. Friendship House has been involved with the uniting of organizations of various types, coming together to protect and serve each other, including ensuring something as simple as access to public bathrooms for our most vulnerable, homeless population. Our community has grown to include the world as we unite on a common front battling such a horrendous and scary virus, sharing what works and what does not.
This pandemic is teaching us our community is the collective human race – from China, to Italy, to the United States, we are a united, loving, supportive front that will learn, adjust, and respond so the needs of the community are met. And we do this because we love. We love each other, we love our planet, and we love God. Together, that love is greater than anything else we can imagine. That is community.
Your friend,
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Kim Eppehimer
Executive Director
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Timeeka is what my mother named me when I was born into this world. But by age 15, my nickname was BLACK when I entered the prison system. Growing up as a child I had everything I needed except my mother and father.
"It’s not that I didn’t want to change. Each time I was released from prison, I didn’t have the support system to change."
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All events are subject to change.
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ANNUAL MEETING
MORE INFORMATION TO COME
We are looking forward to the day we can be together again and celebrate 2019’s achievements.
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ANNUAL PARTY
THURSDAY OCTOBER 1st
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JUNE 12th & 13th VIRTUAL WALK
Grab a friend, a dog or treadmill and remotely walk with us! All proceeds go to Friendship House.
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VOLUNTEER PICNIC
SUNDAY JULY 19th
1pm – 4pm
Brandywine Springs Park
Rudy William Pavilion, 3300 Faulkland Rd, Wilmington, DE 19808
Food will be provided!
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Honor a special person in your life!
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Questions? (302) 652-8133 or
info@friendshiphousede.org
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Started over 30 years ago by our dear friend Jane Ashford, this fundraiser is an opportunity for you to celebrate someone in your life by making a donation to our Transitional Housing program. Every spring we plant bulbs and flowers in our gardens with funds from this fundraiser. These gardens have become a place of sanctuary, rest, prayer, and beauty for our residents.
During this time, where we are asked to practice physical distancing, this is a wonderful way to be a loving, supportive community to a special person in your life with a monetary donation to help us plant flowers in our gardens. We will send a beautiful floral card to that special person with your personal message acknowledging your donation (no dollar amount is listed).
A card can be sent to anyone in your life you would like to acknowledge during this spring season - a family member on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, a graduate, as a birthday present, or to someone special.
Our housing program is able to help our residents find a way home because of you: our loving, supportive community.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, Friendship House has remained open to offer emergency assistance to our community. We are amazed how the numbers of those in need continue to increase. We are so grateful for the support of our community and we are especially grateful for your desire to help us serve. Even if you are not physically with us, you are helping by following the Governor’s orders by staying home and keeping physical distance when out. You are helping by keeping us and those we serve in your prayers.
We do have occasional needs for specific items. We are being careful on how and when we accept these for the safety of our staff and guests. Therefore, please only send in donations in response to our staff’s direct request. We will give a detailed list of current needs with drop off explanations to people who have offered their help.
One of the most important things you can do is offer monetary donations. Friendship House is committed to the well being of our staff and the needs of our community. We have not decreased the pay for any full time employee. In addition, we are getting requests daily for financial assistance and emergency shelter requests due to COVID-19. A record number of Delawareans have already submitted for unemployment. Many of those are on the brink of homelessness. Although the state is doing everything it can to avoid a financial crisis, it is inevitable that it will not be enough. This is where Friendship House’s ability to fill gaps is critical. We are needed by our neighbors. You can help. Please consider a donation to help us help those most in need.
Thank you for all you do for us!
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Make a donation today!
Thank you for your loving, support and believing in our mission.
Your gift truly makes an impact!
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For the month of May, Friendship House will receive a $1 donation from each purchase of the $3 reusable GIVE BACK WHERE IT COUNTS Bags at the ACME store located at 1812 Marsh Rd., Wilmington, DE 19810
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The CARES law now gives $300 annual deduction for charitable giving (no itemization needed).
Previously, individuals were only able to deduct contributions if they itemized deductions on their personal returns. As a result of the 2017 tax law changes, the number of individuals who did so dramatically declined. CARES will allow for this deduction regardless of whether they will be itemizing their deductions, but only for the 2020 tax year. For those that do still itemize, CARES provides an increase in the Adjusted Gross Income cap from 60% to 100%. On the corporate side, the cap is raised from the historical 10% to 25%.
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Nominate Friendship House!
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In honor of National Volunteer Month, SignUpGenius wants to celebrate nonprofits that are making a difference! Say "thank you" to your favorite nonprofit by nominating them to win one of three $500 prizes by April 30th.
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