In the first year of operating New Hope, the staff and board learned that family homelessness is a much bigger problem in Bloomington and Monroe County than originally anticipated. Although the main shelter house and additional rental units provided space for a number of families over the course of the past year, it quickly became clear that more space would be needed to better address this issue in our community. As a result, New Hope is in the process of expanding to a second shelter house on the same block as the first. Once renovations are complete, this will more than double our capacity, allowing us to house up to seven families at a time between the two houses. Based on experience, this will not be enough to accommodate all of the families in Monroe County who need assistance, but it will certainly help.
Over the past few months, several community members and organizations have stepped up to help make this expansion possible, volunteering hundreds of hours and various forms of skilled labor to renovate the old home into a shelter that will hold four families once complete. We are extremely grateful to all the individuals and groups who have donated their time and money to this project so far. We couldn't do it without you!
Read more about the 301 project and the community's involvement in the Herald Times here:
Community steps up to help New Hope expand.
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