Category: News

Practical Philanthropy – Monthly Giving

Posted on February 28, 2020

David and Nicole Aldridge support TAP with consistent monthly gifts. When asked about why monthly giving works for them, they shared that they practice the principle of giving ten percent, saving ten percent, and living on the rest. Their practical approach of including TAP in their budget each month has paid dividends for the community TAP serves, as their monthly investments have helped us reach thousands of people in the areas of housing, education, employment, and safe and healthy environments.

Paying it Forward

For the Aldridges, personal philanthropy is about investing in organizations that align with their values. The concept of paying it forward resonates deeply with them. “Part of it is recognizing that we are very fortunate to have been very privileged growing up,” explains David. “That privilege has provided us with many opportunities. A lot of people weren’t born with those opportunities [we were given]. There are a lot of structural things about our society where people are set up with disadvantages.” David sees their monthly giving budget as a way to help create opportunities for people who weren’t born with them, or who may have made bad decisions in the past. “TAP will help them work through that and turn the page to a new chapter in life. That’s what we look for [in a charity].”

A sense of urgency also motivates them. “There is a responsibility we have as human beings to do what we can to help each other and to look out for one another. Organizations like TAP and local groups that are trying to take care of people, I think those are more important than they’ve ever been,” says David.

Ordinary People Making an Impact

The Aldridges are a great example of what works when it comes to investing in our community. Sargent Shriver, who was the architect of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s war on poverty, wrote of people who support TAP that “poverty can be overcome, if not entirely, at least very substantially, by ordinary people, using ordinary means, with extraordinary spirit.” The Aldridges have demonstrated how this is true—their monthly giving is a way of exercising a consistent effort that, over time, creates an extraordinary impact.

To join the Aldridges in the practice of monthly giving, please visit tapintohope.org and set up a monthly recurring gift through our online giving form. 

HELP Finds Dignity and Worth in the Journey from Homelessness

Posted on February 4, 2020

They say that moving is one of the most stressful events in life—but that’s not how Hannah Oakes sees it. From her perspective, it’s a celebratory occasion. On moving day, she’s been known to gather together a few helpers and a truck. She has a housewarming gift ready. Maybe there’s even a pizza involved.

Moving day is different for Hannah because she’s helping young men and women who are homeless to move off the streets into permanent housing. Hannah, who works in TAP‘s Homeless Employment and Learning Program (HELP), sees her job as not just about serving clients, but about finding ways to help them experience dignity and worth in the process.

The little touches, like the housewarming gifts packed by Legacy International, “are a way of not just saying ‘here’s your empty apartment,’ but being able to go a step further and make the experience dignified for you,” says Hannah.

Employment First

While moving a client into permanent housing is always a highlight, usually it’s a last step. Hannah works with youth ages 16–24 who are homeless, at risk of becoming homeless, or transitioning out of homelessness. Most of them don’t have support systems, for a variety of reasons: they may have been kicked out of their parents’ houses or aged out of foster care, or be in recovery from addiction at one of the shelters in the area. “We always have to look at it from an employment first perspective and then after we get employment established we look into housing,” Hannah explains.

She spends time each week working with young people on developing résumés and cover letters, and coaching them on the job search and application process. For an additional learning opportunity, Wells Fargo partners with HELP to provide mock interviews. Hannah also teaches weekly life skills classes at partner organizations around the valley. “We always relate the life skills back to jobs,” she says. “We talk about nutrition, how to spend less money on food, what lunches to pack for work, self-care, coping skills, appropriate appearance for work, and budgeting.” The program also helps youth with tangible support for employment, such as paying for work uniforms or interview attire.

HELP Success Stories

The focus on work is paying off. At any given time HELP is working with 70–80 individuals, and typically places more than 60% of these young people into employment. Hannah recalls two individuals who went through mock interviews with Wells Fargo and later landed real interviews with the company. Both of them had come to TAP from other partner organizations in the community that work with homeless individuals. Both needed résumé assistance, help with budgeting, and interview attire. “Both have been there for over a year; we were able to give [Wells Fargo] two really successful employees,” states Hannah proudly.

Respecting Everyone’s Unique Story

Not every success story looks the same. “Some people come into the program and they are really motivated and have all the pieces and just need a little push, or a very specific kind of help,” explains Hannah. “Other times a person is coming in and they’re unsheltered, don’t know where their next meal is coming from, they’re heavily using and they’ve never had a job. Then the program is about really seeing those people each day or each week to help them along with the baby steps of success.”

Hannah recalls a specific youth who came to the program in 2017. He was kicked out of his home at age 16 but managed to graduate from high school despite being homeless for more than two years. At the time that he came to HELP he was sleeping outside, had untreated mental health issues, and was initially hostile. “In the first few months I saw him every day; I took him to the hospital multiple times for suicidal ideations and psychotic breaks,” recalls Hannah. Over time Hannah was able to work with him and gain his trust. Today, he’s permanently housed in an apartment and receives Social Security income, which he supplements with side jobs. For almost two years he hasn’t missed any mental health appointments or bills. He can look back and acknowledge his steps to success and is happy with how far he has come.

Reaching Out

“We’re reaching out to the fringes of the homeless population and allowing them to feel dignity and worth and to access [the help] they don’t know how to gain otherwise” says Hannah. “The ultimate goal regardless of what specific service they receive is to get them at least one step closer to stability.”

Finding a Home

Posted on January 30, 2020

Did you know that the Federal Reserve, Forbes, the National Association of Realtors, Harvard, and many more experts say that home equity (the home’s current market value minus what’s owed on the mortgage) is one of the top contributors to American household wealth?

That’s because unlike other assets purchased with a loan, homes actually gain value as you pay them off. Right now you might be thinking, “This sounds great, and I’d like to purchase a house, but I have so many questions: How do I start? How much is a down payment? How do I find a lender? What do ‘escrow’ and ‘PMI’ mean?”

Or maybe you already have a home but you’re facing foreclosure and the possibility of losing it. You’re wondering what your options are—or even if you have any—to prevent the foreclosure.

The good news is that TAP’s Housing Counseling program can help anyone find answers to these questions.

When you hear “housing counseling,” you might not know what it means. Our HUD-certified counselor, Ashton Fallen, oversees the program and does everything from negotiating foreclosure preventions to demystifying the homebuying process and assisting you through the steps. She can even help with a down payment for your first home, if you meet certain qualifications.

Lena Griffin, a first-time homebuyer who worked with Fallen, says, “I was unaware of how to navigate the process from the role of the realtor, mortgage agent, and myself; the importance of a home inspection; the steps in the process and the order they occur in; the rights of the homebuyer; as well as the different types of mortgages, and the pros and cons of each.” Speaking for many homebuyers, Lena says there is so much information, it’s difficult to organize and understand it all.

Below is a sampling of the most common comments we hear about the homebuying process.

I don’t know where to start

The homebuying process can be daunting. “It’s important to be informed and know all your options,” says Ashton. Our Housing Counseling program is open to anyone, and the best place to start for a newbie is the first-time homebuyer workshops. At a typical workshop, you’ll be introduced to the basics of homebuying, including where to get started, how to find a realtor, how to find a lender, and what to look for when touring a house. These are held monthly at various locations around the Roanoke Valley. Click here to find a list of upcoming workshops and register.

The process is too complicated

If you’ve thought about buying a home, you know that going from looking at a house to closing on it is a path with many steps. Even people who have purchased a house before don’t fully understand the whole process. Ashton says, “Knowledge is power. There are many cases in which people didn’t know what they were signing up for.” TAP offers one-on-one counseling to work with a certified housing counselor each step of the way.

I don’t have the money

The top reason many people continue to rent despite wanting to own a home is that they don’t think they have the money yet. For those who qualify, TAP offers down payment assistance, or DPA, to help first-time homebuyers overcome the first financial hurdle of the homebuying process. If you can save half of the down payment, TAP’s DPA will match it up to $4,000.

I have a house, but I’m about to lose it

For those facing foreclosure, it sometimes seems inevitable. Unexpected circumstances may feel like a force pushing you out of your home. Ashton emphasizes, “You need to know your rights.” There are options even when it feels like hope is lost, and TAP’s Housing Counseling can provide foreclosure assistance. Ashton remembers a client, a single parent to three children, who was behind on bills and constantly stressed, struggling, and scared. When she came to TAP, the bank was on the verge of transferring her information to the foreclosure department. With Ashton’s help, the client submitted a loan modification application, which was accepted in the nick of time. She is now on a modified repayment plan and still in her home with her kids.

“I felt alone, stupid, and frustrated,” says Lena, “[but with TAP’s help] I had more confidence in purchasing my home. I only wish I had started with the counseling earlier.”

Buying a house doesn’t have to be intimidating, and you don’t have to go through it alone. TAP’s Housing Counseling is open to anyone in the Roanoke Valley and Alleghany Highlands. To get more information or make an appointment, contact Ashton Fallen at (540)283-4917 or ashton.fallen@nulltapintohope.org.

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