Springfield, IL (WAND) – For people moving from homelessness to stable housing, the transition can be difficult. Heartland Housed launched the Welcome Home Basket Initiative, helping people get basic necessities for their new home.
“A lot of times we have people that are in shelter who are working full time or in transitional housing [who] are ready to exit who save up for a security deposit, they save up for first month’s rent,” said Josh Sabo, the Executive Director of Heartland Housed. “They get into housing and want to prepare a meal, and they don’t even have a pan to do that.”
The basket contains many necessities, including pots and pans, dishes, silverware, bedding, towels, hygiene items and cleaning supplies. Community members provide many of the items included in the basket.
“We hope it’s just reinforcing all of that effort and hard work that they’ve put in to making the big jump that they’ve made,” said Molly McDonald, System Support Administrator at Heartland Housed. “I hope that they know that this is just another way that we want to support them, and I hope that it gives them that boost where they are excited and ready.”
Programs like this help the organization provide wraparound support for people in any part of their journey out of homelessness. Once baskets are assembled by Heartland Housed staff, they are given to caseworkers and other organizations to provide to clients when they move into housing.
Heartland Housed keeps a list of all the supplies they need for the baskets, as well as Amazon and Walmart wish lists. To find those links and read more about the program, visit their site.
