During the month of November, Stearns Lending employees donated personal hygiene items for individuals who seek assistance at homeless shelters across the country.
Courtesy HomeAid During the month of November, Stearns Lending employees donated personal hygiene items for individuals who seek assistance at homeless shelters across the country.

HomeAid chapters across the country spent November holding events and undertaking activities to draw attention to alleviating hunger and homelessness in the U.S.

With headquarters in Newport Beach, Calif., the 27-year-old building industry charity focuses on homeless youth, veterans, homeless families, hunger, and chronic homelessness.

"We were very glad to bring special attention to and take substantive steps to address homelessness during HomeAid's Homelessness Awareness Month in November," says Peter Simons, CEO of HomeAid America. "Homelessness remains a major problem in this country and its causes are numerous and diverse, including job loss, medical crisis, domestic abuse, alcohol or drug addiction, and post-traumatic stress syndrome in veterans." It is estimated that 80% of the homeless are only situational and can be moved back to self-sufficiency, and HomeAid builds housing and conducts community outreach for charities helping these people in need.

All of HomeAid's 17 chapters participated in the effort during November and a major social media campaign was held on Facebook and on Twitter, and some of the specific events and activities that were held included: —HA Orange County and HA San Diego each held a month long "30 ways in 30 days" campaigns
—HA Houston held a "Picture This" display of photos taken by homeless kids at Angel Reach
—HA Southern Nevada ran a 2-week food drive to benefit US Vets and Serving Hope LV
—HA Washington DC conducted a month long Care Kit distribution
—HA Sacramento held a month long blanket drive
—HA Atlanta participated in the Health and Housing Innovation Forum held by United Way
—HA Inland Empire served Thanksgiving Dinner at the Corona Norco Rescue Mission, in addition to conducting Care Kits Days with Pardee (TRI Pointe) Homes and CalAtlantic Homes
—HA Puget Sound and HA Twin Cities conducted Care Kits Days with Bank of America volunteers
—HA Northern Virginia conducted its annual toy drive for homeless kids
—HA Colorado spent 4 days assembling and delivering Care Kits to local shelters
—HA Northern California conducted a toy drive with BIA Bay Area PASS
—HA Portland had an event sponsored by ProBuild to collect hygiene items for local shelters
—HA Hawaii participated in Giving Tuesday as part of its weekly calendar of events
—HA Los Angeles, our brand new chapter, held an activity at the Brookfield Residential retreat
—HA Southeastern Michigan conducted a Care Kits Day with Stearns Lending

For a complete listing of the HomeAid HHAW events held, visit: http://www.homeaid.org/hham2016