You Make Help Possible For People Like Mandy

Be a Rainbow in Someone Else’s Cloud - Maya Angelou

Let me tell you about Mandy. When Mandy first came to us, she was desperate. She lost her job. She lost her apartment. Her car was the only thing she had left. Eventually, she lost the car too. This left Mandy with only the streets. She lost most of her front teeth from untreated dental disease and being knocked out in violent exchanges on the streets. She just had to get off the streets before things got worse! She needed a place to live, but she was afraid to stay in shelters. They’re packed and it’s difficult to sleep. She was afraid and exhausted all the time, feeling exposed to violence.

Mandy’s health was poor and access to water was crucial wherever she went. Without it she’d get nauseous very quickly. A friend told her she’d be safe and that she’d find help at the Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless Resource Center. So, she started her long walk. Her skin exposed, her lips dry and burnt and her back ached, but she knew that every step would bring her closer to a new beginning. We must be here for individuals like Mandy, but we can’t do it without you! You live it every day. It is hot, very hot under the Albuquerque sun. But did you know that heat and dryness can be even more dangerous to someone’s health and puts them at risk of death in an even greater way than winter?

Your investment will be doubled by a matching grant from Western Sky Community Care, up to $2,500.

Every gift is an opportunity to provide access to health care for women like Mandy and others who are experiencing homelessness in Albuquerque. Will you help clients like Mandy, so she doesn’t have to live on the streets? So she’s not exposed to the heat that’s even more devastating for someone who’s sick? You should know that Mandy’s friend was right. We welcomed her with a warm smile. We gave her a comfortable spot to rest her achy back and legs, so she could get her strength back. Then, one of our staff brought her across the street to the Dental Clinic, where she was fitted for dentures, ready in a few days. Mandy told me that she can’t wait to eat solid foods again. And she is confident that her new smile will make it easier to find a job. Mandy’s final stop here at AHCH was meeting with a case manager to complete her housing assessment so we could find her a safe place to live.

You should have seen Mandy’s smile. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen!

Sadly, the need in the Summer is larger than ever before. With many shelters closed for the season and more people traveling in the area, more residents and visitors will rely on us for help. Your donation today means increased access to free quality care, better social supports, an immediate path from street to housing, and hope where there was no hope before. You help provide access to health care. Housing. An end to homelessness for someone like Mandy. Because of you we can expand our outreach efforts and deliver medicine to people who can’t make it to the clinic. With your help, we can expand treatment for substance use disorders. Thanks to generous donors like you, last year our staff touched the lives of 7,000 women like Mandy, men and children experiencing homelessness– whether they faced an urgent need, a devastating disease or sought to improve their quality of life in other ways. Your gift to Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless has an immediate impact and allows us to expand our work in the community. But our work isn’t done yet. Especially in the heat of summer, the need is huge. Will you help make Mandy and others like her smile again? Will you give them hope? Thank you so much for your continued support. Your friend in Giving PS: You can help those without a social or economic safety net find a home, health, and new possibilities. Please make your donation today and know it’s going to be worth more thanks to the special matching grant. Heat and Homelessness are deadly. Thank you!