Press releases

Trust grants $30,000 to help
House of Hope

PRESS RELEASE DATE: MARCH 23, 2011

The William A. & Helen S. Thomas Charitable Trust has awarded House of Hope a $30,000 grant, which will enable the agency to assist families seeking emergency financial assistance this year.

“This grant will enable us to assist 100 families with an average of $300 each,” said Patrick Slattery, executive director of House of Hope. “These are people who might otherwise be evicted from their homes or have their utilities shut off.”

As the primary safety net agency in Martin County, House of Hope has seen an immense increase in requests for services over the past three years, with no end in sight. In 2010, House of Hope helped 681 families with $145,000 in emergency financial assistance to cover critical bills such as rent, electricity and medical costs. By comparison, in 2007 – before the economic meltdown – House of Hope assisted 328 families with $122,000 in emergency financial assistance.

“Many of those now seeking assistance had been solidly standing on the middle rungs of the economic ladder,” Slattery said. “They are now teetering on the bottom rungs because of reduced work hours and pay or, worse yet, complete job loss.”

The late William A. and Helen S. Thomas were generous philanthropists throughout their lifetime. Prior to William Thomas’s death in 2001, he resided in Stuart with his wife of 61 years, Helen. He was a salesman for ARCO Company for many years and the chairman of the board for Enabling Technologies Braille Embossers and Printers. Before her passing in 2005, Helen Thomas was a nurse and a staunch supporter of medical education. As part of their legacy, they established the William A. and Helen S. Thomas Charitable Trust, which is managed by U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management.

House of Hope is a nonprofit agency that provides food, clothing, case management and emergency financial assistance to Martin County people in need. The agency is Martin County’s largest provider of food to the hungry, and serves as a safety net for hundreds of families, working people and senior citizens who are struggling through hard times.

For more information about House of Hope, call (772) 286-4673 or visit www.hohmartin.org.