August's Spotlight is on Avalon Housing!
The Avalon Housing Mission Statement: Avalon builds healthy, safe and inclusive supportive housing communities as a long-term solution to homelessness. We envision a community where all our neighbors have homes and the chance to thrive.
Across the country and in our community, a massive shortage of affordable housing, insufficient wages and structural racism have led to record levels of homelessness. Since their founding in 1992, Avalon has advocated for housing as a basic human right. They build affordable housing across Washtenaw County for our neighbors who are homeless and struggle with mental and/or physical health issues. Avalon provides not just housing, but built-in care and support to help people stay in their homes. With housing stability, their clients are able to recover from mental and physical illness, grow healthy relationships, engage in their communities, complete their education and gain employment. Avalon serves 800 people (including 200 children) who live in Avalon’s 29 properties, in Ann Arbor Housing Commission properties or in private rental properties in the County.
Details
Events to support Avalon Housing
Home for Good - Avalon's Annual Fundraiser
October 18, 2023
6:00 pm –9:00 pm
Avalon's annual Home for Good fundraiser will be Wednesday, October 18, 2023. When you sponsor and attend Home for Good, you provide funds to help their tenants and clients stay in their homes for good. This year's event will be held from 6-9 pm at the Ann Arbor City Club, 1830 Washtenaw Avenue in Ann Arbor. Join for a strolling dinner, music and stories from people who love and support Avalon! Learn more and purchase tickets at avalonhousing.org/homeforgood or by clicking the link above.
Resources that Avalon provides
Avalon builds and manages permanently affordable housing and provides services and programs that help their formerly homeless tenants and clients stay in their homes.
However, Avalon doesn't manage a waiting list or provide direct services to people in our community. Tenants and clients are referred to Avalon Housing through a list maintained by Housing Access of Washtenaw County (HAWC). This list connects people who need homes with housing opportunities at Avalon Housing and other organizations. People must first contact HAWC at 734-961-1999 to get on their list. Visit housingaccess.net for more information. It is also recommended that people keep checking in regularly with HAWC after they've gotten on their list.
How to support Avalon
Educate, advocate and donate! Get the facts: educate yourself about housing and homelessness issues, poverty and racism. Show up at City Council, Planning and Zoning Commission meetings in your community and voice your support for affordable housing developments. Donate to Avalon: your contributions provide the services (case management) and programs (like food pantries, youth development, employment support) that their clients need! avalonhousing.org/donate
How to volunteer with Avalon
Avalon welcomes volunteers at their weekly food pantries located at a number of their properties in Ann Arbor. They also need help triaging incoming calls and managing the front desk at their main office location in Ann Arbor. They also have groups that help them with seasonal grounds work and landscaping (cleaning garden beds, weeding and planting native plants and perennials). For more information about volunteer opportunities, please visit https://avalonhousing.org/volunteer
Why Zingerman's Loves Avalon
Zingerman's has been a long time supporter of the incredible work that Avalon does to provide stable housing for individuals and families in our community. Their holistic approach to confronting local housing insecurity, systemic racism, and difficulty finding access to health and human services for those facing homelessness helps Avalon focus on a long term solution that assists in finding and creating a sense of home, autonomy, and hope for so many people in our area. We admire the work they do as an organization greatly and know that our community would not be the same without their passionate advocacy and dedication.