December 2021
Bring America Home NOW! Decades of incremental change have not resolved homelessness. Join us here in calling for a permanent end to homelessness!
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National Call In Day to support Build Back Better - Dec 21st
There are powerful special interests working day and night to undermine President Biden’s “Build Back Better” plan, which has the overwhelming support of the American People. We must invest in working families, children, communities of Color, and tens of millions of American who are struggling through the COVID19 pandemic. We are in urgent need of affordable housing, Medicaid expansion, affordable prescription drugs for seniors, and a fair family leave policy now!
Call your Senator TODAY to tell them "Leave no America behind!"
Along with NOW, the National Organization for Women, and other coalition partners, NCH and the Bring America Home NOW campaign are holding an Emergency National Call In Day on Tiesday. December 21, 2021.
Tell your Senators: “No cuts to affordable housing, health care, and family leave in President Biden’s Build Back Better Act – Invest in families & our communities now!!
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Homelessness began as a nationwide epidemic in the 1980’s. Since, an entire generation has been raised in a world where it is normal to see human being sleeping on the street.
All too often, those who die on the streets are not connected to family or support systems who can hold a funeral or properly honor them. Because of this injustice, NCH, the National Consumer Advisory Board and the National Health Care for the Homeless Council commemorate December 21—the longest night of the year—as Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day.
While we struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic, the epidemic or homelessness has grown, with more people living and dying without housing.
Let us remember all those who lost their lives for lack of housing, reflect on the shocking inhumanity of homelessness, and call for meaningful policy changes to ensure that no life is lived or lost in homelessness.
- Watch the national service on Facebook Live
- Register your local Observance and share the names of those lost in your community
- Learn more about Homeless Persons' Memorial Day
- Read about increased mortality in a recent TIME article
- Encourage your community to use the Mortality Tool Kit to address health care and tracking needs
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NCH Staff Spotlight: Lori Pampilo Harris
Lori is joining NCH as a contractor focused on housing policy and racial equity policy.
Lori has had the privilege to work with the public sector at every level of government, with elected officials, federal entities and NGOs who seek to increase high-level engagement on complex issues and invest in the communities they serve. Her approach recognizes the trust and relationship-building necessary to address and repair historic and present-day harm, while collaborating towards a new and transformative system.
Lori has been supporting COVID-19 responses in the State of California, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Tribal Nations and local communities, working to quickly rehouse individuals and families experiencing homelessness and who are at disproportionately at risk of COVID-19, centering on racial equity.
Lori has also served as Senior Adviser on Homelessness to Mayor Buddy Dyer of the City of Orlando and launched the Homeless Strategy Office for the City of Austin. Lori also spent nearly 14 years with Habitat for Humanity International in various leadership capacities with expertise in disaster recovery and response, affordable housing policies, emergency shelter solutions, resource development and advocacy. This included four years in Haiti, after the devastating 2010 earthquake.
As a Native Hawaiian and Filipina, Lori also engages in AAPI and Native peoples’ initiatives and advocacy, promoting self-determination for indigenous people and their civil rights.
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Thank you to all who have included NCH in your end of year giving.
There is still plenty of time to be our HOUSING HERO in 2021!
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Grammy Award Winning Gospel Artist Reverend John P. Kee announced as Bring America Home NOW campaign Faith Spokesperson
The Bring America Home Now Campaign (BAHN), a national campaign to end homelessness being spearhead by NCH, will launch an unprecedented national grassroots interfaith campaign to end homelessness on Tuesday, March 17th, 2021 (details TBA).
We are honored to have Grammy Award Winning Gospel Artist Reverend John P. Kee as the campaign's official faith Spokesperson! Reverend Michelle Bush of Washington, DC, and Reverend Dr. Rodney Sadler of Charlotte, NC are the Co-Chairs of the BAHN Interfaith Committee.
"We need the moral and grassroots power of the interfaith community if we are going to end homelessness once and for all---this includes Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and those from all spiritual backgrounds and faiths. Ending Homelessness is a real authentic way to deepen one's faith, and serve the human family by ensuring that all Americans have access to safe, decent, affordable housing," said Donald Whitehead, NCH Executive Director.
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Listen to the Voices of Homelessness
Have you Heard? NCH has been sharing the unique stories and voices of our members who have themselves been unhoused. Listen in where ever you get your podcasts (we suggest AudioBoom), or watch the recording on YouTube to match faces with voices.
These folks are have powerful stories!
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National Speaker training in January
We will be holding a national Zoom training event for the “Faces of Homelessness” Speakers’ Bureau for those with past or current lived experience with homelessness. Attend this free event from 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM on Wednesday, January 26th and Thursday, January 27th to speak professionally and get paid to tell your story to schools, places of worship, conferences, for-profit businesses, and non-profit organizations. Get paid for every speaking engagement and help dispel the myths around US homelessness and poverty.
During this training, you will learn from current speakers and other experts how to: overcome nervousness; read the audience; ensure audience engagement from students to religious organizations; have a concise presentation; and, more! Join a community of those who have also experienced homelessness and use your experience to impact audiences and change attitudes, opinions, and possibly someone's direction in life.
How to attend:
- Signing up online: https://qrco.de/NCHTraining
- Call: 202-462-4822,ext. 703
- Email: [email protected]
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Free COVID Testing
Free COVID testing for congregate settings!
The below listed regional testing hubs allow shelters to directly enroll in a screening testing program. This is a great opportunity to expand testing in coordination with the funding going to the state health departments from the CDC. The program is no cost but the shelter would need to have someone who can collect specimens. It might make the most sense for facilities that have a clinic or nurse.
Alternatively local public health departments can train shelter staff to collect specimens. Test results are returned within 48 hours so this is not a rapid testing strategy but for shelters that want to incorporate regular testing into their infection control strategies this is a great resource going into the winter.
The programs are coordinated through the following regional hubs. Enrollment information can be found on each site.
West - Lets End This Together
Midwest - Coordination Center - COVID Testing (testedandprotected.org)
Northeast and South - Operation Expanded Testing – Eurofins Clinical Enterprise
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Connecting to Loved Ones
No one should go through homelessness alone.
Miracle Messages helps people experiencing homelessness rebuild their social support systems and financial security, through family reunification services, a phone buddy program, and basic income pilots
Get involved as a volunteer, or to get in contact with loved ones! Either call 1-800-MISS-YOU or visit them online at https://www.miraclemessages.org/.
National Coalition for the Homeless, 2201 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20037
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