The transition out of homelessness is a daunting one.
The nonprofit Alliance for Positive Change has launched a fundraising effort to purchase 50 home improvement kits for people who are moving out of shelters and into their own apartments.
The kits include basics such as linens, pots and pans, toiletries and cleaning supplies — items that may have been lost after years of homelessness.
“Very often, people are placed in an apartment but they don’t have the tools they need to live successfully in the apartment,” said Brenda Starks-Ross, deputy executive director and chief operating officer for The Alliance for Positive Change. “Home improvement kits help folks feel stabilized.”
Starks-Ross is hoping to inspire those looking to donate on Giving Tuesday, a worldwide annual charity drive that comes on the heels of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The goal for the Positive Homes for the Holidays Campaign is to raise at least $5,000 by the end of the holiday season.
“It may seem simple but many people don’t think about pots and pans, or that they need something in the windows like curtains and blinds,” she said.
The Alliance helps HIV positive and chronically ill New Yorkers get treatment and health care. It also helps homeless clients find housing, as well as provides hot meals and groceries.
Teresa Rodriguez, a recovering drug addict, now works to help other new clients at the Alliance. She recalled how comforting it was to get items such as mops and sheets and a blanket.
“I went from having nothing,” said Rodriguez, who moved into her apartment two years ago. “It gives you that first start and creates your future. It’s a little bit of kindness that goes a long way.”
For details on how to donate, contact the organization at alliance.nyc/.
