Your donations help us support and protect San Diego’s most vulnerable families during this challenging time.
At Home Start, we are committed to providing assistance to local San Diego families in need. As we take time to reflect on the unprecedented challenges of last year, we are grateful to share this overview below of how Home Start served San Diego children and families devastated by the effects of the pandemic.
In 2020, thanks to our generous donors and community partners, our 7 core program areas provided the following services:
- Rental assistance: Home Start provided 216 households with rental assistance, keeping these families sheltered and off the streets.
- Shelter: We provided over 100 individuals experiencing homelessness with case management, food, stabilization resources, and hotel vouchers.
- Utility assistance: Over 40 residents of El Cajon at risk of homelessness received utility and rental assistance.
- Food distribution: We are providing 1000 meals a week to homeless neighbors living on the streets, thanks to our partnership with the Lucky Duck Foundation, AND we’ve connected over 300 families to CalFresh for food assistance.
- Transportation & Emergency support: Home Start staff assisted 116 individuals with transportation needs and 683 with emergency supports, including food and clothing.
- Diaper distribution: We had many generous donors supply us with diapers for more than 80 households.
- Drive-through events: Our Communities in Action program partnered with Encanto Elementary, Chollas Mead Elementary and local agencies to provide 153 families with care packages that included grocery gift cards, hygiene kits, and children’s books.
- Family Support: Our Community Services for Families staff provided 4,930 hours of case management for 150 parents in the child welfare system, 46 clinical assessments for families in the child welfare system, and 12 parent education classes (with 67 parents graduating!). Plus, 112 families were served through our First Steps family support services, 120 households were assisted with Domestic Violence services, and 52 children experiencing complex trauma received therapy services along with 569 comprehensive needs assessments.
- Financial & Tax Assistance: Home Start staff and volunteers completed 671 free income tax preparations, 70 back tax preparations and opened 93 matched savings accounts.
As a new year begins, Home Start is committed to providing rapid assistance to local San Diego families in crisis. Together, we can help them get through this pandemic and ensure they have hope for a brighter future.
Interested in supporting our programs? Please consider making a donation to our COVID response.