[give]502 awards $20,000 grant to Coalition for Host Homes Pilot Project

[give] 502 awards $20,000 grant to Coalition for the Homeless

(Louisville, KY) — [give] 502, a giving circle of nearly 40 young professionals and component fund of the Community Foundation of Louisville, has awarded the Coalition for the Homeless a 2017 grant of $20,000 for its “Host Homes Pilot Project to End Youth Homelessness.” This is the fourth grant awarded since [give] 502 was founded in 2014.

The Coalition for the Homeless works to prevent and eliminate homelessness through advocacy, education and coordination with member agencies and community partners. The Host Homes Pilot Project is a component of its current initiative to end youth homelessness in Louisville by 2020. By rallying the community to invest in the Host Homes Pilot Project, the Coalition aims to provide safe, compassionate, temporary housing for young adults ages 18-24 years old as an alternative to living on the streets or in emergency shelter. Host Homes will provide a stable home and support network while young adults navigate all the delicate steps of finding and securing their own permanent housing or reuniting with family.

The Coalition and its partners will recruit families to serve as hosts for up to three months while the young people work with a case manager on a permanent housing solution. Partner organization Home of the Innocents will hire a program coordinator to recruit, thoroughly screen and intensively train the families. Homeless young adults will choose which family they would like to stay with, and the program coordinator will help facilitate a successful match.

“Only by investing in the youth of today can we make real change in the future of our community,” said Natalie Harris, Executive Director of the Coalition for the Homeless. “It is a big task that needs many hands and hearts, and Host Homes is a model where many can contribute to our future. We are so grateful to [give] 502 for enabling this project to come to fruition.”

“We are absolutely thrilled to award this year’s grant to Coalition for the Homeless. The Host Homes project fits our mission perfectly and will accomplish exactly what our group originally set out to do – provide an impactful game-changing grant to be a catalyst for a nonprofit’s new and innovative project,” said Daniel Mudd, [give] 502 Chairman. “It’s incredible to see nearly 40 young professionals come together for such a wonderful cause each year – it just shows you how thoughtful, giving and powerful millennials can be through collective giving. We can’t wait to continue to work with Coalition this year to help get this program off the ground!”

[give] 502 has awarded a total of more than $80,000, thanks to 90-plus members pooling their time and money for an annual grant. [give] 502’s past grants went to Cabbage Patch Settlement House (2014), Paws with Purpose (2015) and Americana Community Center (2016).  Each year, members review applications from greater Louisville-area nonprofits, conduct on-site nonprofit visits, hear presentations from three finalists and select one winner-take-all award recipient based on votes from each member.

“It is wonderful to have such an enthusiastic group of young professions that are making a difference with their philanthropy,” said Susan Barry, President & CEO of the Community Foundation of Louisville. “I believe that it is crucial to promote the upcoming generation of philanthropists who can adapt and understand the needs of the community. The impact that [give] 502 has on our community, and on this new project for the Coalition for the Homeless, just reinforces the great work that they do. I am proud to see that they are working as a force for good in our community.”

ABOUT [GIVE] 502

[give] 502, a component fund of the Community Foundation of Louisville, is a “giving circle” of young professionals in Louisville. It is founded on the guiding principles of generosity, investment, venture philanthropy, empowerment and transformation. The objective is simple: compassionate young professionals embracing philanthropy seek solutions to community challenges through collective giving. Over the course of the year, each member donates $502 (corresponding to Louisville’s 502 area code).  Members combine their gifts and vote on one impactful winner-take-all grant for a Louisville-area nonprofit each year.  By combining their donations, members are able to impact the community with greater significance than if they had donated individually. Learn more by visiting them on Facebook @give502 or through their donation page on the Community Foundation’s website https://cflfund.net/netcommunity/give502.

ABOUT COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS

Founded in 1986, the Coalition is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission of preventing and eliminating homelessness in Louisville through advocacy, education and coordination with its more than 30 member agencies and community partners. Its current initiative is to end youth homelessness in our city by 2020. More than 800 young adults under the age of 24 (who are unaccompanied by a parent or other adult) experience homelessness each year. Learn more at louhomeless.org.

ABOUT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF LOUISVILLE

The Community Foundation of Louisville is a force for good. As a leader in philanthropy, we connect donors, nonprofits and civic partners to create lasting impact in community so people and place thrive. Founded in 1984, the Community Foundation is the largest charitable foundation in Kentucky with more than $500 million in assets and more than 1,450 charitable funds.  Each fund has its own name and charitable purpose as defined by its donors.  In 2016, these funds made over 9,000 grants totaling $52 million, approximately 80% of which stayed in Kentucky and Southern Indiana to support area nonprofits. To learn how you can be a part of this force for good, visit www.cflouisville.org.