Homeless Families
It is a reality we all wish we did not exist. Families and children who are hungry with no place to call home. How will they survive, much less grow and thrive? The sad fact is that last year in Fairfax County children were 39% of the homeless population and 59% of the homeless were persons in families. The number of homeless families increased at a faster rate than any other segment of the homeless population. Perhaps they are suffering job loss, illness, abuse, abandonment or divorce. Their predicament causes their families to be homeless - their children innocent victims of their situation. For many, the only housing options are staying in an unhealthy situation or going to a shelter.
While many in the Washington Metro area have profited from the rise in property values and their equity gain, those in need of affordable housing are suffering. This housing boom has exacerbated their living situation. While most homeless families in Fairfax County are employed (67%), earning enough to pay for housing is out of reach. The average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment is approximately $1,200. A family would need to earn more than 4 times the minimum wage to afford this.
Homeless, Not Helpless
Prompted by this urgent need in our community, members of Beth El Hebrew Congregation established Beth El House. Our program is much more than transitional housing.
Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime.
Currently serving three families, the home provides a safe, supportive and constructive environment. However, the supplemental support these families receive from a professional case manager and child services coordinator is the cornerstone of their success. Families in our program receive life-skills training, education and/or job training, mental health counseling, financial and credit counseling and parenting classes.
Families may live at Beth El House for up to two years and also receive a year of follow-up services upon their graduation. Residents are required to follow house rules, attend house meetings, and pay a subsidized rent. A family graduating from Beth El House leaves with skills that will ensure their continued independent living and self-sufficiency.
Beth El House President Barbara Rosenfeld delivered these remarks at a special Shabbat service honoring Beth El House on October
27, 2006
For more
information about Beth El House,
please call us at (703) 912-1992 or send
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