By Beacon Staff
A week-and-a-half ago, Transitions DMC board member Richard McEntyre made a public plea through local media outlets for more funding.
Couched as “Cause For Hope,” the newest campaign by Transitions has allowed the non-profit to house homeless people in local motels during the coronavirus crisis.
The Cause for Hope Campaign is geared toward securing a clean and safe environment for those who need the services. Some need support finding their footing after devastating loss; some simply require a place to lay their head at night to recharge and regroup.
But the money is running out, and going in further in debt could cost the organization the chance to finish its nearly completed homeless shelter on Main Street.
Enter Burlington resident and Community Foundation of Des Moines County board member Dennis Wilson. Moved by McEntyre’s letter, Wilson donated $23,124 of his family endowment, which is part of the Community Foundation that donates money to a variety of local causes and organizations.
The money will be divided between the Burlington Area Homeless Shelter, the Salvation Army COVID-19 relief fund and Transitions DMC.
“I’ve supported the Homeless Shelter, Salvation Army, and Transitions DMC for some time because I can still remember when I was a child my mother would have me be very quiet and hide when the bill collectors were knocking on our door. And I recall later as an adult thinking how she must have felt so abandoned without the help of agencies like these,” Wilson said.
The Transitions DMC board is meeting this weekend to discuss options.