When I’m not watching Ryan’s baseball games, I am proud to work with Wellspring Family Services, a nonprofit human service organization committed to ending family and employee homelessness. That’s why we decided to add a little fun – and fundraising – to our Baseball Fan Grand Slam trip.
Help Us Raise $100,000 to End Employee Homelessness
Our goal is to raise $100,000 to help end family and employee homelessness in our communities. We are asking for pledges, not donations. You will make your donation directly to Wellspring after our trip. If you want to play ball with us, pledge a dollar amount per home run we see on our trip. If you are more of a fan than a player, make a donation of a fixed amount.
Wondering how much to pledge per home run? This might help. In 2022, baseball teams hit an average of .90 home runs per game. We will be watching two teams play at every stadium in the MLB. With 30 stadiums, the average pledge of $1 will result in a $54 pledge. We will need about 2,000 pledges of $1 to make our goal. Will you help?
When you make a pledge, we will add your name to our list donors. At the end of the trip, I’ll send you an email with your total pledge. I’ll also give you a link to a website set up by Wellspring Family Services to accept your donation. The donations will go directly to Wellspring, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. You will receive a tax receipt from Wellspring after you make your donation.
Is Employee Homelessness Really a Problem?
When I tell people I help families and employees experiencing homelessness, most people picture an adult male in need of a shower, with visible evidence of an addiction or other mental health disorder, living in a tent on a city street. This is actually a relatively small subset (about 16%) of US residents who experience homelessness on any given night.
Most people experiencing homelessness look like the fans above. They are more likely than not to be employed and living paycheck to paycheck. They probably have young children in their household. And they are hoping that no one ever finds out that they are homeless.
That’s Why We’re Supporting Wellspring’s Employee Stability Program
Wellspring’s Employee Stability Program works hand in hand with Wellspring Employee Assistance Program (and other EAP benefit providers) to reduce and address employee homelessness. Wellspring designed the program as an employee benefit and offers it through employers to all employees.
The benefit program includes two components: employee stability services designed to help any employee, regardless of income level, address a short-term financial crisis that could impact housing stability. The second component is a fund created by employers, employees, and donors that will help employees retain stable housing and employment. The fund will provide low-income employees experiencing homelessness, at immediate risk of homelessness, or escaping domestic violence with financial support to address the unexpected costs.
You can find out more about employee homelessness and the Wellspring Employee Stability Program on our Home Runs for Housing page.
Thank you for helping to make this trip a home run for housing!
