Most of us have experienced the loss of a loved one. It’s a difficult time, but we find comfort in the presence of family and friends. Funerals, memorials, and other rituals help us say goodbye, surrounded by love. But what about those without a home? How do they experience their final days? Who is there to care for them when their time comes to an end?
In the short time I’ve been in Austin at Community First! Village, I’ve attended three memorial services for neighbors who passed away. These services were a beautiful reminder that everyone deserves to be honored and remembered. Yesterday, another neighbor passed away in his home. The difference between dying alone and dying in a community where people care cannot be overstated. He died peacefully knowing there were people who cared for him.
But for many experiencing homelessness, there’s no such peace. Dying alone on the streets, in the woods, or under a bridge, with no one to care for or remember them, is a tragic reality. Without stable housing, they are denied the basic dignity of spending their final moments surrounded by love.
Community Forever Village wants to change this.
Our mission is to provide affordable, permanent housing for men and women coming out of chronic homelessness. We believe everyone deserves a place to call home, especially in their final days. By creating a supportive community, we can offer them not just shelter, but the love and care of neighbors who will walk with them through every stage of life—even the last.
With your help, we can give those coming out of homelessness the dignity they deserve. Together, we can ensure that no one dies alone or forgotten. Let’s offer them a home, a community, and the love they need to live and die with dignity.
Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
