One of the best parts of my job is being able to connect our donors with a community need that matches their interests, values, beliefs and convictions.

The Emergency Shelter of the Fox Valley had changed its name to Homeless Connections and needed to use this time of rebranding to draw attention to the growing needs of the homeless in our community.

SECURA Insurance Companies is committed to addressing homelessness as part of its dedication to making the community  a better place for all of its residents.

When we proposed SECURA offer a match from its SECURA Insurance Companies Charitable Fund to meet the need, the $15,000 in 15 days campaign resulted, but it didn’t end as expected.

To be more accurate, it didn’t end WHEN expected.

The match period started Nov. 16. As word of the campaign got out, holy cow, did our donors ever love it. It took only six days to raise the match, and then another one of our charitable funds offered an additional $5,000 match. It also was met quickly.

When it was all over, 16 funds within the Community Foundation were responsible for more than three-fourths of the $47,000 raised to benefit the individuals and families relying  on Homeless Connections’ shelter and training and assistance programs.

Our investment of a few phone calls, connected with our donors’ investment of contributions, helped to make things better for the “large numbers of individuals and families who are on the verge of homelessness,” as Homeless Connections Executive Director Jerome Martin put it.

“Homelessness and poverty are, unfortunately, real issues in our community,” he said.

Thankfully, our donors are willing to support real solutions.