OUR IMPACT
HomeAhead has had an immeasurable impact on our clients, our program as a whole, and our case management team. Before we started working with you, we relied mostly on free, piecemeal donations from wherever we could find them. This meant that every time we’d move someone in (easily more than 60 people since 2019) that we’d spend countless hours reaching out to people, driving all over town to get a couch from one person, a table from another, kitchenware from another, etc etc. Then we’d have to store them until the move-in day, and move all the items a second time when the move-in day comes. After all of this, we might end up with a piece that doesn’t fit the apartment or meet that clients specific needs and we’d need to find yet another replacement. Also, being a team of busy bees, we aren’t always able to track down everything we’d like to provide in time for a move-in. This would sometimes lead to moving people in with incomplete furnishings, which we try to avoid at all costs because we believe that moving clients in with ALL of the furnishings, toiletries, and kitchenware, is essential to their success in housing. We acknowledge how difficult it can be for many of our clients to transition from living on the streets to living in an apartment- and one of the best ways to mitigate these difficulties (along with hands-on case management of course) is to make sure our clients have all of the things they need to feel comfortable in their new apartments! HomeAhead has made it so that we can plan with your team ahead of time, head straight to your storage units on the day of the move-in, and pick out whatever we need! When it makes sense, we even get to bring our clients along so they can choose for themselves! It is truly amazing the impact this has had on our program. You’ve saved us invaluable time, energy and resources AND helped to ensure that our clients have the best shot at being successful in housing!
CASE MANAGER | BOULDER SHELTER
I just wanted to tell you that the furniture (from HomeAhead) is the best Christmas gift I've ever gotten and I slept so good last night. Sending you many blessings and much love.
CLIENT | LONGMONT
Home Ahead provides an invaluable, unique resource for our participants in the Boulder County Housing Stabilization Program and across the county. Most of our participants are unhoused and literally homeless when they begin our programs. Most are fleeing domestic violence, toxic and unsafe relationships, battling mental health and/or substance use, have disabilities, and often have been homeless for quite some time. Most have no furniture or household items. Most have no transportation or access to a van or truck. Most are unemployed, underemployed, living on a very limited, fixed budget or have no income. Most have no family, friends or support network in the area and many are new to the area and don’t know anyone. Our programs provide rent assistance and our housing support specialists are able to provide resources like vouchers to the Sister Carmen and ARC thrift stores, possibly a Walmart gift card, but we have no means to support them getting those items into their new homes. Many times, families are thrilled and relieved to sign a lease, but move into an empty unit. Their relief is short lived when they have to figure out ways to furnish their homes. It is very difficult to bring household items on the bus and impossible to bring furniture. HomeAhead alleviates this immense burden twofold by providing critical furniture and household items and delivering and moving those items into their new homes. The immensity of these resources is difficult to articulate as it truly allows participants to breathe again, to settle into a space that can be their safe sanctuary, to feel like they are home. All of the many families that I work with have been so grateful for your support. I have heard that staff and volunteers are kind, warm, compassionate, timely and non-judgmental, another and equally important layer of support that you provide. Home Ahead is literally life changing for our participants and provides a service that no one else can or will. HOUSING SUPPORT SPECIALIST | BOULDER COUNTY HOUSING & HUMAN SERVICES
I work with justice-involved individuals transitioning from the jail into stable housing, and HomeAhead provides invaluable support in making their new space comfortable. Having a private space complete with quality furnishings is an essential component of breaking old habits and, I would argue, staying sober: if you have a comfortable space, there is less of a need to rely on negative influences or to hang out with the wrong people. No other organization in the community provides these services.
TRANSITIONAL HOUSING COORDINATOR | BOULDER COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
The help and support from HomeAhead to provide furnishings to those transitioning out of homelessness makes a significant difference for my team and our clients. As a case manager, I am often buried in paperwork to get clients approved for housing vouchers, approved for an apartment, and get connected and set up with community resources. Once they’re housed, I work hard to help clients maintain their housing and thrive in the opportunities that housing provides, which includes an endless array of support services tailored to each person. With so much to do all the time, it is a huge, invaluable relief knowing that I have the support of HomeAhead to find, supply, and even deliver great quality furniture and other household items for my clients! On top of that, the service of delivering the furniture is essential to me because I live with chronic and severe back problems. It’s just a huge relief having the HomeAhead team as a partner in our mission to help folks get off the streets and into housing.
For the client, who could accurately articulate the good feels that comes from being presented a furnished home, after living on the streets for years? This gift of service that HomeAhead provides improves the quality of lives of individuals and the quality of the community. HomeAhead already goes above and beyond to serve us and our clients so I don’t have any suggestions at this time for improvement. Thank you for everything!!
CASE MANAGER | BOULDER SHELTER
Home Ahead is a crucial resource for linking our newly housed clients with furniture, linens, and kitchen supplies they otherwise would be unable to afford. As a case manager, I have had only positive and helpful experiences with the Home Ahead team! Home Ahead makes an enormous difference in the lives of our clients, and I am so grateful to collaborate with them often.
HOUSING CASE MANAGER | MENTAL HEALTH PARTNERS
