As we celebrate the end of one year and look forward to a new year, I want to thank you for your friendship and support. Thanks to YOU, Harmony House sheltered 858 adults and children in 2019 and served another 129 survivors through our community outreach program. YOU enabled these victims to become survivors; to break the chains of physical and emotional abuse and regain hope and independence.
And, for the first time since 2010, we sheltered fewer people in 2019 than in the previous year! In 2018, we sheltered 868 individuals and in 2019, we sheltered 858; a decrease of ten people. This is cause for celebration because in every previous year since 2010; we have seen significant increases in the number of people sheltered at Harmony House. Though it’s too soon to know if the drop in numbers is the beginning of a trend and is due to awareness efforts like iCare, as well as improved access to services through our community’s Family Justice Center, it’s still significant. In this season of new beginnings, it gives us reason to hope that maybe, just maybe our community is turning the corner on this horrific epidemic.
But that doesn’t mean we can take our eye off the ball. We must work harder than ever to raise awareness about the red flag warning signs of unhealthy relationships and to help those impacted by domestic violence by providing access to shelter and supportive services such as employment readiness and permanent affordable housing. In 2020, Harmony House will focus on providing more prevention education programs in an effort to teach vulnerable young people about healthy relationships and the warning signs of intimate partner violence. We’ll also be working to enhance and expand our employment readiness and housing assistance programs, all the while continuing our core emergency shelter and support programs.
Thank you for your commitment to our mission and for your continued support. YOU are the wind beneath our wings and together we can and will make a difference.
Happy New Year to you and yours!
