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. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in late March, we have continued to provide signature services in our 7 core program areas. With the help of generous donors and grants, Home Start has been able to offer these additional services since the pandemic:
- Rental assistance: We have provided 45 households with rental assistance between CDBG, foundation funds, and HEAP.
- Family Support: Our staff has assisted with 3,270 hours of case management for 125 parents in the child welfare system, 39 clinical assessments for families in the child welfare system, 9 parent education classes with 38 parents graduating, 18 new families enrolled in family support services, 45 households assisted with Domestic Violence services, 37 children with complex trauma provided therapy services and 342 comprehensive needs assessments.
- Shelter: We have provided 82 individuals experiencing homelessness in El Cajon with case management, food, stabilization resources, and hotel vouchers with El Cajon CDBG, (25% exited into stable housing and others were linked to transitional housing and other programs).
- Utility assistance: Over 25 residents of El Cajon at risk of homelessness have received utility and rental assistance.
- Food distribution: We are providing 1000 meals a week all over East County, thanks to our partnership with the Lucky Duck Foundation and 304 families have been connected to CalFresh for food assistance.
- Transportation & Emergency support: Assisted 100+ individuals with transportation needs and 422 with emergency support including food and clothing.
- Diaper distribution: We have had many generous donors supply us with diapers, which has allowed us to provide to all our clients in need – approximately 60 households so far.
- Drive-through events: Our Communities in Action program has partnered with Kitchens for Good, Encanto Elementary, and Chollas Mead Elementary to provide 113 families with care packages that included grocery gift cards, hygiene kits, and children’s books.
- Financial & Tax Assistance: Completed 406 free income tax preparations, 46 back tax preparations and 46 matched savings accounts.
Interested in supporting our programs? Please consider making a donation to our COVID response.