Fort Lauderdale, FL(December 20, 2018) – House of Hope, Broward County’s largest and longest serving provider of substance abuse and mental illness programming, was recently awarded a $100,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Broward for its “Road to Independence” program.
“Managing addiction is just part of a resident’s recovery process; helping individuals reclaim their self-esteem and pride also plays a crucial role in getting sober and healthy,” says House of Hope CEO Sue Glasscock. “Providing the tools for learning new skills, finding educational and vocational opportunities, and ultimately securing rewarding work and stable housing is a critical part of what we do. We couldn’t be more grateful to the Community Foundation of Broward for their generosity and support of this truly life-changing program at House of Hope.”
The $100,000 grant will allow for 100 House of Hope or Stepping Stones residents, overcoming substance abuse and on the verge of homelessness, to work closely with two job coaches to secure employment, enter vocational training or complete their GED and obtain stable housing.
More than two dozen organizations applied for the Economic Independence grants and a total of $182,500 was awarded to three Broward-based organizations. To qualify for support, the Community Foundation required grant applicants to target heads of households by extending a helping hand through steady employment, access to higher education, career advancement pathways, stable and affordable housing and access to community resources for other basic needs, such as quality childcare, transportation and healthcare.
“Broward’s high cost of housing, coupled with too many low-wage jobs, means nearly 300,000 Broward families can’t afford even basic needs,” said Linda Carter, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Broward. “A minimum wage earner must work nearly 100 hours per week to afford the average Broward apartment. We must act now to keep thousands of our neighbors from falling into poverty.”
The Community Foundation of Broward has identified Economic Independence as one of ten “Issues That Matter” in Broward. The ongoing goal of the program is to stabilize families in crisis and move them toward economic independence, so they don’t end up homeless.
Support has been provided by the following Funds of the Community Foundation of Broward: The Celia Lipton Farris and Victor W. Farris Foundation Home Community Fund, Keith W. Dunn Restricted Endowment Fund, Annette Van Howe Women’s Fund, Jo Ann Hoffman Homeless Fund, Gilbert Corwin Fund, and Community Impact Fund.