Isabella McElrath
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Stacey Riemer
My project seeks to equip women with the skills and confidence to fight homelessness during their 6 month stay at The Hope House Foundation located in Huntersville, NC. Through a brief educational program implemented during their time at the transitional shelter, women will gain basic skills and advice that will supplement the services already being provided by Hope House in order to better secure housing stability in the future for themselves and their family. Through resources shared in the larger community, including those of Davidson College, along with past, present and future donors, women will develop basic computer and programming skills, interview strategies and confidence building seminars while having the security of a safe place to sleep at night. Through observation at Hope House and broader research on homelessness in North Carolina, I have concluded that utilizing the time spent at Hope House to help the women acquire skills and strategies targeted towards furthering their education will put them on a path to receive a higher income, guiding them towards long-lasting housing stability.