Once upon a time, Shanita was one of thousands of DC residents experiencing homelessness. She had no stable housing and no idea where to turn for help.
One day, a fellow DC resident experiencing homelessness told her about HopeOneSource, a messaging platform that is helping vulnerable DC residents connect to available social, career, and housing services. Shanita pulled out her phone and signed up for HopeOneSource right away. When she signed up, Shanita told HopeOneSource what services she was interested in accessing from a menu of available services.
Almost immediately, Shanita began receiving short text messages on her phone about the services she needed. Each message told her where, when, and how to access a specific service.
Shanita now had hope. It wasn’t long before Shanita accessed free clothing, meals, and a haircut. Then came a message she was hoping for most, a message with information about housing assistance.
With the details provided in the message, Shenita connected to housing assistance, and she is now stably housed.
"HOS has had an extremely positive impact on my life,” says Shenita. “I can make it now. I can stand up on my own. I don't think I could've done it without the help of HopeOneSource. With this service you send out more than texts. You send love and hope.”
Shenita is one of the growing number of DC residents who once were experiencing homelessness who are now stably housed thanks to HopeOneSource and the hundreds of participating local service providers who send messages about their available services through the platform.
Today, HopeOneSource serves over 2,000 DC residents at-risk or experiencing homelessness, helping them connect to the services they need to prevent or end their homelessness.
Our work is far from done. There are still many more DC residents who need our help to access the critical services they need. Help us reach our goal of serving 3000 vulnerable DC residents by 2020!
