The ongoing support of your donation today will help provide necessary assistance for an individual, and family in need – and prevent future homelessness. As a Bright Lite Charity Champion, your donation, big or small, will allows us to do our critical work. We can provide help by offering support, food, toiletries, clothes and hope to those facing homelessness.
Summary
People of all genders, races, ages, and backgrounds experience homelessness. Chances are you have walked by or shared a train car with someone who is homeless. In most cases, common causes of homelessness include - mental illness, substance abuse, untreated medical issues, traumatic events, violence and abuse, lack of affordable housing and difficulty sustaining employment. Every night, nearly millions of homeless sleeps on the street, in the subway system or in other public spaces.
Challenge
For every person sleeping on sidewalks or on trains, 20 more are sleeping in shelters. Every individual living on the streets has his or her own story. Some are very educated and just down on their luck. Some are struggling with dependency. Others lost everything to medical bills, and some suffer mental illness. Every night, nearly 4,000 people sleep on the street, in the subway system or in other public spaces. However, the vast majority of New Yorkers experiencing homelessness spend the night within the city’s shelter system where they remain unseen.
Among those sleeping in city shelters, for example in New York more than
- 12,000 are single men
- Nearly 5,000 are single women and
- Nearly 47,000 are adults or children in families.
- The large majority of street homeless New Yorkers are living with mental illness or other severe health problems.
- African-American and Latino New Yorkers are disproportionately affected by homelessness.
- Approximately 57 percent of New York City homeless shelter residents are African-American, 31 percent are Latino, 8 percent are white, and 4 percent are of another or unknown ethnicity.
Solution
Bright Lite Charity mission for the homeless is to help provide services that meet their immediate needs and transforms their lives from poverty, hopelessness hunger and other crises to hope. We provide compassionate care services, including meals, clothing, hygiene kits and coming soon food pantry, supports for men and women in vocational readiness training and our Residential Programs, mental health and emotional wellbeing interventions as they journey towards recovery.
How Your Donation Will Be Used
Bright Lite Charity mission for the homeless is to help provide services that meet their immediate needs and transforms their lives from poverty and hopelessness to hope. Some items in need include:
- Packaged food items, like granola bars or bottled water
- Toiletries or practical care items, like a hygiene kit or travel size items
- New socks
- Gift card to fast food or grocery store chain
- Metro-card
- Clean T-shirt (in summer)
- Gloves, scarf, knit hat, coat or blanket (in winter)
We Thank You
It doesn't take much to change the life of someone in need. Your one-time or monthly gifts, matters so much. Please give as generously as possible. If you can only give a little at a time, it’s okay to make multiple donations. Every little bit counts.
My appreciation for your wholehearted donation goes beyond what words can describe. We greatly appreciate your willingness to be a helping hand. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!
Please help Bright Lite Charity respond now. Our organization is committed to excellent stewardship of your gift.
Thank you for your partnership to end homelessness.
Sources: NYC Department of Homeless Services, Coalition for the Homeless
