by the Ventura Homeless Prevention
The Ventura Homeless Prevention keeps many of our neighbors in Ventura from experiencing the double traumas of eviction and homelessness in the year ahead. In 2023, thanks to our generous donors, Ventura Homeless Prevention provided over $83,000 in rental assistance that kept 70 households (103 adults and 64 children) from losing their homes. In 2022, $101,000 in donations allowed us to keep 78 households with 125 adults and 69 children in their homes. In every case, a one-time, temporary financial setback had left neighbors who’d been paying rent on their own for years on the cusp of eviction. With our one-time help, all of them were able to stay housed and resume paying their own rent again. We are grateful we were able to help so many and that, on average, it only cost $1,150 per household or $500 per individual to keep our neighbors housed. Not surprisingly, the number we are able to help each year is determined by the amount of money we have on hand.
From 12:30-2 on February 24, the third Saturday of Valentines’ month, we are holding a fundraiser we are calling “Keeping People Housed: That’s Amore.” We hope you’ll join us and Supervisor Matt LaVere for a delicious Italian meal, live music, an online and in person auction, a wine pull, and a chance to meet some of the people we were able to help this past year thanks to the support of our donors.
If you like to help by purchasing a ticket or by donating, you can go to our our website (venturahomelessprevention.org). There’s a link to the auction at that location as well; auction bidding will be open from February 10-25.
Yet another way you could help would be to encourage businesses you frequent to donate an item or a service for our auction. You/They can either email me at [email protected] with the details or fill in our easy online form here:
https://venturahomelessprevention.betterworld.org/donate-an-item.
We hope to see you and many of your friends and colleagues on February 24. It should be a fun event, and I know you’ll enjoy meeting several of the hard-working Venturans we helped in 2023.
