Greetings From our President/CEO
It has been a busy time for Amos House, with many exciting success stories this year. One of these miraculous stories I will share with you here. Others have been told at our events, such as the brunch at the Mother Child Reunification Program, our Golf Tournament, and our Training Program Graduations. We hope you will come and hear these stories of second chances and hope for yourself—on our campus, in our classrooms, and in our houses.
What we also know is that there are more Rhode Islanders than ever living in deep poverty. The Economic Progress Institute confirms that there are 68,800 Rhode Islanders living in deep poverty today, meaning that they have income of less than half of the federal poverty threshold (which means, for example, a yearly income of $9,061 for a family of three.) This is an increase in this category of 7,000 individuals from 2010.
Amos House exists to serve our community's most disenfranchised individuals and families. We are the organization in the state that helps individuals and families to meet their basic needs and improve their chances of getting the education, training, and assistance necessary to lift themselves out of extreme poverty.
Our day programs, which help homeless individuals start this journey, are at capacity and have been for months and months. This program is the entry point for our courageous homeless guests, where they can begin to put their lives back together.
From this starting point, real change begins to happen. “Josie,” for instance, came to us, six months pregnant with twins, homeless and just out of detox. She had an older daughter who had been taken from her due to her homelessness and active use. She came into the women’s program broken. “That day, as I sat on those front stairs at Amos House, I had no hope. That is the biggest difference in my life today—I know that I have hope and my life and the life of my kids are both filled with promise of great things.”
People served in any way at Amos House find this to be their community. Time and again, they explain how this is their home and that, for the first time, they feel as though they belong and are treated with dignity and respect. Amos House is and will remain their family, long after they find their successes and move on.
In this way, we build community not only here on our campus, in our programs, and in our houses, but we send stronger people out into the larger Rhode Island community, with new skills, new confidence, and new-found ability to bring themselves out of deep poverty and contribute to our community at large in a meaningful way.
We recognize that all that we do is possible because of the foundation of support we receive from our donors and friends. Thank you. We hope that you will help Amos House to continue to do this good work by donating at whatever level you are able. If you would like more information about any of our programs or services, please feel free to call or stop by.
Eileen M. Hayes, President/CEO