This little cutie is Winnie, holding the key to her family’s new apartment!
Her parents came to our adult shelter in June of 2022 after living under a bridge in Hartford. They were both using drugs and just getting into methadone to get themselves clean. After being here for about a week they asked to stay here and not transfer back to Hartford as they thought being out here would be good for their sobriety. A very short time later Mom found out she was pregnant. She wanted to stay out here so she could keep the baby and be clean as well. They were transferred over to our family shelter a bit earlier than a normal family would be due to Mom having some health issues. In November after a lot of time working with our Case Manager, they were matched to a Rapid Rehousing opportunity.
Then on December 10th Mom went into labor and sweet little Winnie was born. She had some minor health issues in the first month of her life and had to stay in the NICU. Mom and Dad were there every day to see her and care for her. We coordinated their stay in a cold weather shelter in Hartford, so they didn't have to travel as far to be able to see her. On the 10th of January they all came back to New Hope House and were here until Easter weekend when they got the keys to their own place. They moved into their place with items that were donated through the Clothing Bank, Etc. and to our shelter program. They were so appreciative of all the help and support we gave them while they were here.
Their situation is just one of the many times Cornerstone has made a significant difference in a family’s life through one of our ministries thanks to donations from people like you. When you donate to Cornerstone, you are helping families like Winnie’s have a roof over their head and support to find permanent housing. Your donations also provide hot meals to hungry neighbors in our Community Kitchen or groceries through our Food Cupboard. Donations of clothing and household items have helped shelter residents move on and local families in need of clothes for school or work and furniture for their home. Our diaper bank helps families with young children with a necessity not covered by SNAP (food stamps).
We know times are tough for everyone right now, but your support means you care enough to join us in helping those who are struggling the most to keep their families housed, fed, and clothed.
Less than 10% of our income goes to administrative costs. The majority is used to operate our shelters, food programs, and directly help people in our local area.