CAI-NJ Mar.2020 (w) (1)

LOOKING AHEAD JUNE M. BRETZ | CAI-NJ CHAPTER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

When I first arrived at CAI, I was repeatedly asked what drew me to the association. The answer is simple… I was blessed to be born into a home where community service was not an option, it was a lifestyle. I also spent the bulk of my career serving in charities and working with those less fortunate. It was the best life I could have chosen. Now, I feel fortunate to continue that path at CAI. Because at CAI, it’s not about houses, brick and mortar, it’s about building better communities... and that is a mission I stand behind! For decades, our members have been actively finding ways to support local charities. This year, to take our work to the next level, we announced the launch of the CAI-NJ Foundation. But now, let me take this opportunity to tell you a little more… WHY We are an association committed to building communities, whether that’s a community of houses, a condo association, or a co-op of apartments. So, while there are hundreds of meaningful charitable causes to support, it just makes good sense to stand behind the many nonprofit organizations that are working every day to eradicate homelessness. Our vision: That every man, woman, and child has a home and a warm, safe place to lay their head. WHAT The CAI-NJ Foundation will act as an umbrella platform for our philanthropic efforts. The Foundation will focus on galvanizing the entire membership, primarily through group volunteer opportunities, collection programs (food, clothing, etc.), and awareness efforts. Our goals in this formative year will be to work alongside our committees to support existing programs and to plan the launch of new, meaning- ful programs that will help alleviate homelessness. The CAI-NJ Foundation will not be a separate entity, and

unlike traditional foundations, it will not focus on grantmak- ing. The Foundation will be governed by the CAI-NJ Board of Directors and Chapter President Jennifer Nevins will serve as the 2020 Chair. THE NEED According to a 2019 report of The Council of Economic Advisers, “Over half a million people go homeless on a single night in the United States. Approximately 65 percent are found in homeless shelters, and the other 35 percent— just under 200,000—are found unsheltered on our streets.”

“Our vision: That every man, woman, and child has a home and a warm, safe place to lay their head.”

WHO Homelessness almost always involves people facing des- perate situations and extreme hardship. Difficult choices. Limited options. Extreme duress. And homelessness can affect anyone — men, women, children, young and old, of all races and all backgrounds. Homelessness goes beyond the boundaries of chronic poverty. Homelessness plagues our mentally ill, our domestically abused, our honored vets, our foster children who ‘age out’ of the system, and so many more. It’s a hidden epidemic in our own backyards. In fact, it is a very real threat looming over the head of mil- lions of middle-income families just ‘one paycheck away’ from losing their homes. Homelessness affects us all. Besides the fact that doing good in the community is just the right thing to do -- and the best way to create an CONT I NU E S ON PAGE 47

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