WELCOME

A Letter from our President

Dear Friends:

Twenty-five years ago I met my first “homeless” family, the first of hundreds I have met since then. It still shocks me to realize that this family, and the many, many more I have met over the years, were NOT in a third world country, NOT in a large city slum, and NOT in a poverty stricken, depressed rural area. They were right here in New London County! Right here in the Mystic area!

The causes of the families’ homelessness were numerous and varied. Some were displaced due to a fire, a flood, or a condemned building. Some became homeless as a result of local development, or due to gentrification. They could find no other place to live because of the lack of affordable housing in our area. Their incomes were too small to meet their most basic needs. Sometimes an illness, or a mental health or addiction problem, precluded them from finding stable housing. Whatever the reason, from the newborn baby to the elderly, they could find no place to live.

Imagine the anxiety, the fear, the anger, the cold, the hopelessness. Homelessness and its terrible burdens are still with us, and the problem is getting worse.

But there’s something you can do to help! The goal of MASH is to find shelter for all homeless families, but our top priority is to help stabilize those homeless families with young children. To do this, we maintain five apartments in the area that provide emergency and transitional shelter. These apartments are safe and wonderful places that the children and their families can call “home” until they are able to secure permanent housing.

You can help us help these desperate families by generously donating to MASH. Without your support, we simply cannot accomplish our mission.

We are called upon to be our brother’s keeper, and this is an excellent opportunity to fulfill that calling. Not only will you be providing the families with a safe place to sleep at night, but you will sleep better too, knowing that you are doing your part to care for the less fortunate among us.

Please be as generous as possible, and thank you for helping MASH to make a difference in the lives of our homeless families.

Sincerely,


Willemina L. Ward