Dear CEF Family,
A CEF Member named David recently described his experience here by sharing, “At CEF, no dream is too silly. Any dreams you have, they will help you – and not stop!”
Looking back over this year, I’m in awe of the truth in David’s description. “CEF sticks with the person,” he says. This year, the stick-with-it nature of CEF Members and Advocates has been nothing short of transformative.
Donna has been working with the same 2 Advocates at CEF for 6 years. This year, she left her 3rd shift job at a gas station to move into a full-time position supporting women in recovery – one of her greatest passions. She has also been studying for years to get her GED, and before this year is out she is going to get it!
And 6 years after transitioning out of homelessness, Donna has diligently built her credit score up and saved thousands of dollars. Amazingly, she just might buy her own house in the coming year! “Sticking with it” for Donna means achieving life-long dreams.
Melissa is one of Donna’s Advocates. Motivated by her experience working alongside Donna toward these dreams, Melissa started a Masters in Social Work degree at UNC. Donna has been one of her biggest cheerleaders in turn. “Sticking with it” for Melissa means committing her career to this work.
CEF “sticks with it” in lots of ways. We seek solutions to ending homelessness that “stick,” by creating innovative and collaborative initiatives that really work. We advocate for system changes that “un-stick” our community from cycles of homelessness. And, we stick together, through sorrow and grief, and in joy and jubilation.
By donating to CEF, you are saying loud and clear to the Members we serve: We’ll stick with you. We’ll stick with you until you find a place to call home, and then until you buy a home of your own. “Any dreams you have,” we’ll stick with you. It’s an amazing gift to put your dollars straight into people’s dreams. Thank you for your incredible support.
CEF Co-Directors
Maggie West, Janet Xiao, and Jonathan Young
P.S. We’ll be sharing more stories of “Sticking with it” through the holidays. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! #CEFstickstogether
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