Sharon Bulova, Chair of the Board of Supervisors for Fairfax County, visited Homestretch on March 26th as a guest of Kevin Reynolds, who is the President of Cardinal Bank, along with other friends.  Thank you for visiting us!

• Subsidized and furnished housing in a location that is unknown to the abuser, and in a community where he is likely not to find her;  
• Enrollment of the children in a new school or child care provider unknown to the abuser, and ongoing support for the children in their new school;
  
• Legal services, including protective orders and representation;  
• Safety planning;   
• Immediate relocation in safer locations if the abuser discovers her whereabouts;   
• Psychotherapy for mother and children;   
• Peer support groups;   
• Domestic violence education classes;   
• Health and wellness groups;   
• Financial literacy education (individual and group);   
• Employment assistance;   
• Micro-loans;   
• ESL classes;   
• Transportation assistance;   
• Child care assistance.

Homestretch was adopted by CASE Design the premier remodeling company on the metropolitan DC region.  In August of 2009, members of CASE Design installed five new kitchens in Homestretch apartments, and installed another five new kitchens in Homestretch apartments in early March 2010.  What an amazing gift to our families!

The nation’s top Public Relations firm, Edelman, has also adopted Homestretch for 2010, and will be instrumental in helping Homestretch make the most of our 20th Anniversary Gala in October.  Edelman is also helping Homestretch clients to learn how to prepare resumes, interview for jobs, and in general, how to find and keep jobs.  Thank you, Edelman!

We are extremely proud to have established a partnership with Excella Consulting. Last year, almost 50 Excella employees came to Homestretch, along with several staff members from Greater DC Cares, which helped plan the event, and undertook a series of projects in service to Homestretch and our families. For example, one team landscaped several of our town houses, while another team cleaned gutters and dug out an old dead tree stump. Meanwhile, another team painted the rooms in which we hold our Life Skills classes, and still another team sorted though the warehouse where we store donated furniture and when they were done, the room was organized and tidy and space was cleared for new donations. They accomplished all of this in only four hours – as a matter of fact, most of the teams were done early! Excella also had an art contest among our children to select a  holiday card for the company, which was great fun for our children.

Homestretch provided housing and services to 110 families with 250 children.

Of the 39 families that left Homestretch in the last 12 months, 31 families graduated into self-sufficiency.

The average unemployment rate among Homestretch adults has been 6%, a little over half of the national average – which is wonderful considering that all adults when entering Homestretch are not only homeless; most are unemployed and unskilled, and those who do have jobs upon entry are making an average of $7 an hour.

Homestretch partnered with Edelman, the nation’s largest P.R. firm, to provide workshops for our adult clients on resume preparation, interviewing skills, and how to find and keep a job.

Clients paid off debts of nearly $64,000. 

Clients saved $158,000, including amounts from tax refunds.
 
Homestretch is an intermediary for the Virginia Individual Development Accounts program.  Participants save up to $2,000 and get a match of $4,000.  They complete financial education training, provided by Homestretch, as well as a homeownership education class.  They get the match when they buy a house.  One graduate completed the training in October 2009, combined her matching funds with a second trust obtained through the Fairfax County Silver Lining Program and in February 2010 she closed on a townhouse.

 
Another family saved over $8,500 and was able to buy a home through the Fairfax County First-Time Homebuyer's Program. 

Five families enrolled in Partnership for Permanent Housing, a program that helps participants purchase a house within 5 years.

Three additional families have raised their credit score sufficiently, and have saved enough money, to qualify to become first time homebuyers and are now investigating the process.  This means that 10 families – or 10% of the families served within a year – have made enough progress to consider or complete home ownership.

Homestretch partnered with Capital One to get a computer into every client home.

Homestretch provided 9620 hours of case management.

Two students graduated from high school and went to college on scholarships provided by the American Association of University Women.

Homestretch provided every school age child and all pre-schoolers with a new backpack filled with school supplies at our annual Back to School Picnic in July.

Homestretch supported one graduate, one continuing student, and two new students at The Langley School, a prestigious private school – all on full scholarships.

Homestretch facilitated a Kindergarten Readiness program and a student tutoring program with the assistance of teachers from Fairfax County Public Schools.

Homestretch conducted back-to-school clothing and shoe drives for all children in Homestretch, coordinated enrollment in Parktakes classes and enrollment in other recreational activities (i.e., sports teams, etc.) for all families in Homestretch, ensured every child received a birthday gift and cake on their birthday, and ensured every child received ample holiday gifts.

Homestretch coordinated enrollment of children in Camp Hanover, a wilderness summer camp, as well as day camps in the area for all interested families in Homestretch.

Homestretch taught English as a Second Language to over 40 adults.