The members of the Rotary Club of Jamestown, NY participated in the YWCA’s annual, mobile, “chilly” fundraising endeavor on February 22 at 5:00 PM.According to Jamestown, NY Rotary Club’s President-Elect, Michelle Jones, the Coldest Night of the Year event is our new National Walk for Homelessness, and here in this community, it is raising money for people and families experiencing homelessness, hurt, and hunger.
Last year’s CNOY event raised more than $15,000 for the YWCA’s Transitions Supportive Housing Program. This vital program provides housing and case management support services for single women and women with children who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Transitional housing provides a unique and critical component in addressing homelessness by offering up to two years of stable housing paired with supportive case management. This approach allows women to stabilize their lives, develop essential skills, and achieve goals that enable them to secure and maintain long-term permanent housing. Through personalized support, case managers assist clients in accessing resources and unlocking their full potential, empowering them to build a foundation for lasting success,” said Jacqueline Cook, the YWCA’s program director (Choosing Action.)
Funds raised will help YWCA Jamestown do this work until injustice is rooted out, until institutions are transformed, until the world sees women, girls, and people of color the way we do: Equal. Powerful. Unstoppable.
Inquiries and/or donations may be sent to PO Box 732, Jamestown, NY 14702.
.As previously reported New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said that “homelessness in New York state has grown sharply, more than doubling between January 2022 and January 2024.” “Homelessness grew by 53 percent from January 2023 to January 2024, more than four times the rest of the nation,” DiNapoli went on to say. He continued, “The large spike was driven by New York City and the influx of asylum seekers, but the rest of the state also had double- and triple-digit rate increases, led by Glens Falls, Saratoga and the surrounding counties.”
Additionally, locally, the numbers of homeless or unhoused people are bleak according to DiNapoli’s report.