Santa on the Rooftop.

I have written many times over the years to share a story, a thought, a word. Well this year the word home has been heavy on my heart. Many of our mountain neighbors do not have a place to call home. This time of year can be even more challenging when you face the holiday season not knowing where you might sleep. And children, they seem to think about it on a more simple level. When they constantly move from place to place, stay in a car at night, or even have a bed in our shelter, they often ask...

"Will Santa even know where I am?"

It's a quiet question from a small voice, but one that I have heard over and over again when reading the Letters To Santa that the children staying with us write each year. As a child, you just look at things in a different way. This question is heavy for a child when they have heard stories about St. Nicholas, his sleigh and reindeer landing on the roof, then sliding down the chimney and placing those special presents underneath the Christmas tree.

But what if there is no place they can call home?

People experience the loss of their home for a lot of different reasons. This year we saw the largest increase in the number of people over the age of 55 who lost their homes and are now experiencing homelessness for the first time in their lives. Most of those older women and men have had serious medical needs that drained their last resources. Then there are the families who were living paycheck to paycheck, when their hours were reduced at work and it was the final straw, leading them to lose their home. These families often end up living in their car until they can “figure it out.”

This is where the work of Hospitality House of Northwest N.C. is so critical. Our staff spends every day providing emergency, transitional, and permanent housing, working to help these families and individuals find a new place to call home.

This year has been one of the most challenging years for our mountain neighbors, but also for our agency as we are facing multiple cuts to federally funded housing and hunger relief programs. It is a time when we as an agency have to make decisions about how to keep these programs running.

I need you to know that we are up to this challenge. Through November of this year we have moved 402 people out of homelessness, 35% of them children. That is already 155 more people than last year!

At this time of year, when we all come together to celebrate the season, moving that many people into their own homes again is a BIG-something to celebrate.

However, we know that in the months ahead we will need to keep this momentum going for those families, those older individuals, and most of all, for those children who ask that simple question...

"If I don't have a home, how will Santa find me?"

Thank you for being partners with Hospitality House in this critical, life-changing work. It is because of your support that we continue to find new homes for hundreds of people each year. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

With thanks and appreciation this holiday season,

Tina B. Krause

Executive Director

Hospitality House of Northwest N.C.