Hope's Doors St Charles _best_ Instant

“Rent has gone up 40% in three years. The nearest homeless shelter is twelve miles away. People fall through the cracks because they don’t look like the stereotype of homelessness. They’re former teachers, restaurant managers, veterans.”

That was three years ago. Today, James works as a maintenance supervisor for a local apartment complex and volunteers at Hope’s Doors every Saturday morning, fixing leaky faucets and broken chairs. hope's doors st charles

“It was pouring rain. February. I’d been turned away from two other places because I didn’t have a referral or an ID. But here, a young woman named Destiny opened the door before I even knocked. She just said, ‘You look like you need dry socks.’” “Rent has gone up 40% in three years

“We operate on the ‘open door principle,’” Maggie explains. “If a door is closed, fear lives there. If a door is open, hope can walk through.” This spring, Hope’s Doors launched a capital campaign to purchase its building—currently leased from a retiring landlord. The goal: $450,000. So far, they’ve raised $112,000, largely in $20 and $50 donations. They’re former teachers, restaurant managers, veterans