Hope for Housing: Central Massachusetts
A program to prevent family homelessness
Hope for Housing: Central Massachusetts is a new program developed in partnership with the Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance. Its purpose is to utilize the collective buying power of congregations to prevent family homelessness. A steering committee drawn from participating congregations directs the work which is co-chaired by the Rev. Robert Bachelder, WAMS’ Minister and President, and the Rev. Henry Donoghue, Senior Priest at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Worcester.
How does the program work? HFH purchases food gift cards in bulk from participating supermarkets including Big Y, Shaw’s, and Stop & Shop and sells them to participating congregations. Congregations sell their cards in turn to their members who use them for regular grocery shopping. Members receive the full face value of the cards they purchase.
Since HFH buys cards in bulk, it receives a discount from the supermarkets which is typically 5%. Every penny received goes directly to help families remain in their homes. The professional work of counseling and intervention is conducted by the Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance in Worcester.
What impact can HFH have? If just 10 congregations were to sell $50.in gift cards to 40 families each week, $52,000. would be generated. This would enable some 70 families to remain in their homes instead of entering the emergency shelter system which is disruptive to family lives and costly for taxpayers. And it does not cost congregation members anything.
HFH: Central Massachusetts is modeled after a successful program operated by the Barnstable Interfaith Council on Cape Cod. It was launched in October 2007 with a $20,000.grant from the One Family Foundation and with sixteen congregations having agreed to participate.
For More Information About Homelessness Prevention Program |
If you would like to learn more about the program, please call Bob Bachelder at 508-832-3937 or e-mail wamsucc@bigplanet.com. He and Matt Ryan, the volunteer HFH coordinator, will be glad to meet with your committee.
For More Information About WAMS, UCC |
Minister for Mission and Service
The Rev. Robert Bachelder, Minister & President
128 Central Street
Auburn, Massachusetts 01501
Telephone: 508-832-3937
Email: minister@wamsucc.org
