Overview of Homeless to Hope Fund

Q: What is the mission of Homeless to Hope Fund?
A. The Fund provides financial reimbursement to communities and community organizations that assist homeless individuals and families in securing a path to permanent housing and stable living.

Q: Who started the Homeless to Hope Fund?
A. The Fund was started by the non-profit Palmetto Project in February 2016 at the encouragement of Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg. Today, along with Mayor Tecklenburg, the Fund is supported by Mayor Keith Summey of North Charleston, Mayor Will Haynie of Mount Pleasant, and Mayor Wiley Johnson of Summerville through the Mayors’ Commission on Homelessness and Affordable Housing.

Donations

Q: What are the ways I can donate?
A: Donations to the fund can be made in a number of ways:
• Online: www.homelesstohopefund.org/donate/
• By Mail: Homeless to Hope Fund – Palmetto Project, 6296 Rivers Avenue, Suite 100, North Charleston, SC 29406
• By attending or sponsoring the August 25, 2019 Homeless to Hope Benefit Concert: www.homelesstohopefund.org/benefit-concert/
• By purchasing Raffle tickets to win either 2 VIP tickets to the Hootie & the Blowfish Group Therapy 2019 Concert with backstage passes OR a guitar signed by Darius Rucker and members of Hootie & the Blowfish and Edwin McCain at www.homelesstohopefund.org/raffle/

Q: How does the Homeless to Hope Fund help the homeless?
A: 100 percent of the benefit concert proceeds are dedicated to the Homeless to Hope Fund to be used to help in emergency situations for people who are experiencing homelessness to get them into housing and help them to access programs that will assist them on the road to self-sufficiency through a network of service providers in the region. Based on the direction of the Mayors’ Commission on Homelessness and Affordable Housing, funds from the Homeless to Hope Fund was used to help launch the new Navigation Center, a day center that opened in 2018 to help people experiencing homelessness to find the programs and support they need from local service providers and health partners to create a path for self-sufficiency while accessing basic needs such as laundry facilities during their time of transition.

Q: Who manages the Homeless to Hope Fund?
A: The Homeless to Hope Fund is managed by The Palmetto Project, a statewide non-profit organization headquartered in Charleston.

Q: Are Homeless to Hope Fund donations tax deductible?
A. Yes, as a fund of the Palmetto Project, a 501(c)3 organization, all donations are deductible.

Q: Who can make tax deductible donations?
A: Anyone–governments, corporations, nonprofits and individuals–can donate to the Homeless to Hope Fund.

Q: Is there a donation deadline?
A: The need is ongoing. Donations are welcome at any time.

Q. Who benefits from the collected funds?
A. Homeless to Hope Fund is used to assisting homeless individuals and families in their transition to permanent housing through service providers in Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Summerville, and North Charleston for certain expenses.
Examples of allowable expenses include emergency housing while permanent housing is secured, utility deposits, security deposits, first month’s rent, and assistance in obtaining identification necessary to securing a lease.
The Fund does not provide support in cases where there are other available public or private funds.

Q: How does the Homeless to Hope Fund create change?
A: The Mayors’ Commission on Homelessness and Affordable Housing’s philosophy is “Housing First.” That means that basic housing is an essential first step in assisting homeless citizens in finding a path to stable and independent living.
The Homeless to Hope Fund provides support to community organizations and service providers who help these homeless with that first step… and a plan to move forward. The Fund is part of a larger community network and provides short-term linkages necessary for long-term solutions to homelessness.
The Mayors’ Commission is working on multiple holistic approaches to addressing the issues of homelessness and affordable housing, including the making plans for the first-ever Resource Center, a day center that will help people experiencing homelessness to find the programs and support they need from local service providers and health partners to create a path for self-sufficiency while accessing such basic needs as showers and laundry facilities during their time of transition.

Get Involved

Q: How can I get involved?
A: The ability of people to work willingly together for the betterment of their community and themselves is a valuable resource. We believe that volunteering one’s time and talents are the greatest gift one can give to others in need.

Reach out directly to any of the community service organizations providing services to those experiencing homelessness in our community. Or contact the Navigation Center through Military Community Connection to provide financial support, in-kind donations or to volunteer.
For more Information: Jeffrey Fleming Chief Operating Officer Palmetto Project 843.266.5683 jfleming@palmettoproject.org