National Center for Senior Women

The difficult we do immediately, the impossible takes a little longer

Hello. My name is CeliaSue Hecht. I’m almost 70 years old and have been living in my car for 5 years. I am looking for caring individuals who are interested in helping older women without homes like me to escape living in their cars or on the street. Specifically, I am seeking an investment of $12,000 that will enable me to establish a secure place to operate a non-profit organization called The National Center for Senior Women Without Homes that will make the public aware of the plight of senior women and work with others to rescue as many of these women as possible from the devastating effects of living in cars and on the street after age 50.

N O N P R O F I T ... OPEN FOR BUSINESS

About the Non-Profit

As the first director of this non-profit, I will implement the following:

1. Research - Conduct and publish a survey of homeless women, aged 50 or older, living in the Central Coast of California area (Marina, CA). There are 1,000+ women without homes here and thousands more in northern and southern California and across the country.

2. Education - Write and distribute articles to media and to local leaders exposing the reality of homelessness among older women

3. Mentoring - Create and manage a one-on-one mentoring program between volunteers and homeless women

4. Advocacy - Participate in public events and relevant local meetings representing the needs of older homeless women

5. Growth - Assist others to establish similar programs in other geographical areas

In order to implement these services, I am seeking $12,000 that will be used to (1) establish a small home/office for the headquarters including rent and utilities for one year; (2) purchase stationary, business cards, and office supplies, and (3) a camera to take photos and videos. start up costs to create a non-profit $2,500. Plan to establish the non-profit in Marina, CA. There are affordable rentals for businesses for $300-500 a month.

None of these project funds will be used for my personal living expenses such as food and medical care. I pay for these with my small monthly Social Security check.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at 702-225-8206 or via email at news writer at yahoo.com.

About Me

I was born and raised in Bayside, Queens, New York.

My work/life experiences includes working as a newspaper reporter/editor and newsletter editor for various non-profits and professionals. Worked as Interim Executive Director for a non-profit dealing with AIDS in the early 90’s in LA. My work has appeared in Vox Media, New York Times, LA Times, SF Chronicle, Reno Gazette Journal, Las Vegas Review Journal, Las Vegas SUN, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Auburn Journal, Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, Jewish Journal, Mercury News, Record Courier, Medium, Tahoe Daily Tribune, USA Today, Virginia City News, Nevada Appeal, Boca Raton News, Monterey County Weekly, Salem-News, Cedar Street Times, The Desert Trail, Hi-Desert Star, Sun Sentinel, Senior Spectrum and magazines such as O, Parents, WeekendEntrepreneur, Traditional Home, Build, In Style, Real Woman, Marie Claire, Nevada Business magazine, E magazine, In Light Times, NorthBayBiz magazine, Bay Woof, Coastal Canine, and others.

More info about me:

https://celiasuewriter.wordpress.com/vip/

I left the home I was living in for four years in 2014 due to domestic abuse and violence like 50% of women who wind up without homes and many who experience being without a home for the first time after 50+.

For the past few years, with the help of my handy laptop computer (my only valuable possession), I have written and distributed a number of hard-hitting articles about the problems of senior women without homes including the following:

https://www.vox.com/first-person/2016/9/29/12941348/homeless-over-50-statistic

https://medium.com/@cshechtwriter/invisible-women-of-california-a4a09f037317

About the problem

Elderly homelessness is on the rise, especially for women. Housing is healthcare and seniors sleeping in cars and on streets are prematurely aging and dying, says Dr. Margot Kushel. The suffering is unspeakable.

NYC ER Dr. Kelly Doran has contributed to a report that says: As the baby-boom generation has aged, the number of homeless people 62 and older jumped 68.5% across the United States from 2007 to 2017, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Older homeless adults have medical ages that far exceed their biological ages (20 years older)... (Brown et al., 2017; Brown, Kiely, Bharel, & Mitchell, 2012).

“My observation as an ER doc: we need far more options for people who are homeless due to (or who otherwise struggle with) medical issues...and who do not have co-occurring substance use or mental health issues,” said Dr. Kelly Doran. "More and more seniors are experiencing homelessness, many for the first times in their lives. Homeless seniors have unique health needs and face risks of violence.“ Especially women.

In the process, I have learned not only how challenging it is to lose your supportive network over 50, deal with aging issues including health issues and survive losing your sanctuary against all odds. Women without homes are invisible and need an advocate and a helping hand up and out.

Summary

Given my first hand experience as an almost 70-year-old women sleeping in my vehicle and my background as an accomplished journalist, I am in an excellent position to represent women like me. I have the passion and determination to make things happen for a group that is largely invisible to the general public.

Today, I'm ready to take this mission to the next level. With your help, we can make it happen!

CeliaSue Hecht