More than 20,000 children in Massachusetts experience homelessness each year—though Horizons for Homeless Children is working to change that by providing high-quality early education, comprehensive family support services and opportunities for play to children living in shelter.
The Roxbury, Massachusetts, non-profit is a favorite of V2’s, so we wanted to spread awareness for the amazing work that they do. This year, for example, CEO Kate Barrand and her team opened the doors to the Edgerley Family Horizons Center in Roxbury. The center stands to support and improve the education, health and well-being of Boston’s homeless families by providing on-site early education programs as well as access to a variety of social services (like much-needed health care) to help parents navigate the many complexities of homelessness. You can check out a virtual tour of this inspiring, state-of-the-art facility here.
In addition to their work in Boston, Horizons provides Playspaces in 90 family shelters across Massachusetts. These spaces are child-friendly rooms designed to reflect the needs of children ages 0-6 experiencing trauma and are staffed by dedicated a volunteer corps of 1,000 Playspace Activity Leaders (PALS).
How do they financially support all of this? In addition to relying on generous donors, Horizons regularly hosts programs to raise money to build brighter futures for those experiencing homelessness. Its annual Women’s Breakfast has run for more than 20 years and features inspiring keynote speakers (last year’s virtual event featured a discussion with Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give, while the 2022 breakfast will hear from Dr. Richard Antoine White (R.A.W.), a world-class symphony musician and college professor). Save the date for October 27, 2022!
This holiday season, we made a donation to Horizons in our clients’ names. If you’re looking to support Horizons’ mission yourself, you can: