A Story of Thanks

From the clients of the Duffy Health Center

Each week through the holiday season the Cape and Islands United Way will share stories of how your support enables impactful partnerships and collaborations that address so many needs in our Cape and Islands Community.

Dear United Way Donors,

We are writing to thank you for what you have done for us, the clients of the Duffy Health Center. We would like to share with you how this center and its programs make a difference in our lives.

Do you know that when Covid began, the staff put their heads together to find a way to help us have showers, receive masks and hand sanitizer, charge our phones and be safe? The “Food and Shower Program” which moved outside to the parking lot during Covid, provided us with the opportunity to make connections with staff when the rest of the world was closed off to us. Word of mouth on the streets told us about the showers and 60 of us utilized them every week. They also provided snacks, toothbrushes, shampoo and socks, help getting to testing sites and quarantining if we were sick. But it was so much bigger than that.

Word of mouth on the streets told us about the showers and 60 of us utilized them every week.

All of this was possible because of partnerships like the one with the Cape and Islands United Way.

Make a gift to support programs and services like this

The staff met us where we were and we made new relationships. As we began to trust more, our barriers began to grow smaller. Our detox referrals quadrupled because we felt we could ask for help. Some of us finally accepted services and moved into sober houses, recovery meetings and many of us are still there now, a year later.

Another program that has helped us in so many ways is the “In from the Streets Program.” It might be hard to imagine, but when storms come through and there is no room at the shelter, or the weather turns very cold, this program allows us to stay at a hotel for a while and be warm, safe and fed. It also provides us with respite after an illness or operation, before returning to the streets. Sometimes when our most basic needs are met, we can begin to sort out other problems and make further progress in our lives. We feel more human and we feel cared for.

When storms come through and there is no room at the shelter, or the weather turns very cold, the "In from the Streets" program allows us to stay at a hotel for a while and be warm, safe and fed.

Duffy Center works with 3,400 of us across Barnstable County and the number is growing because of skyrocketing rents and lack of available apartments. For us, Duffy represents hope and family, and we don’t know how to put a price on that. We do want to thank you for everything you do, to keep it going.

Sincerely,

Duffy Health Center clients

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