I committed suicide. To help.

A few days ago, we officially launched the „Home for Women” project. The idea is simple: to open a Home for Women in homelessness crisis, based on the experience of St. Lazarus Houses. Małgorzata Skała, who runs the "Ziarno Dobra" Association, works with women experiencing homelessness. Małgosia wanted to learn about the St. Lazarus Houses. She came, she saw, she learned. And thus the conclusion was born: women need such a HOME too. Of course, I liked the idea. But knowing that we're barely making ends meet supporting four St. Lazarus Houses for men recovering from homelessness and addiction, I approached the idea with some reservation. Then something happened that I hadn't planned. Małgosia told me about these Women. The stories I heard led me to a difficult decision.

The first group of women I heard about were women living in shelters. I want to introduce you to Łonia, Weronika, and Tatiana. While staying at the shelter, they were motivated to grow personally through employment and paying off their debts. The excellent work of the shelter staff and the motivation in the classes led by Małgosia Skała from the ZARNO DOBRA Association led these women to rekindle hope, to change how they think about themselves, and also to believe that by paying off their debts, these women would be able to afford to rent an apartment. At this point, I must mention that every person staying at the shelter and working must pay for their stay out of their own pocket. By paying off past debts and covering their stay at the shelter, the women are unable to save for rent. Thus, the hope for their own place disappears very quickly.

Someone might tell me that residents at the Women's House will also contribute to the costs of running the house. Of course. To learn responsibility and money management. But the contribution to the costs of running the Women's House will be half the cost of staying at the Shelter for People Experiencing Homelessness.

The second group Małgosia introduced me to were women living in non-residential places, i.e., vacant buildings. They stay there during the summer months and use the warming centers in the winter. Meet Iza. She's a woman who believes that by working and cutting costs (shelter fees), she'll quickly pay off her debts and get back on her feet. But how long can she endure living in such conditions?

Women living in vacant buildings who are trying to escape homelessness while also working are examples of immense determination and courage. Homelessness is a difficult situation that comes with many challenges, both physical and emotional. The decision to work in such a situation is proof of a desire to change one's life and strive for a better future.

The next group is Women „living” in a tent year-round (!). We meet Magda, who is in this situation. Homeless women who „live” in tents year-round face many unique difficulties and challenges. Their situation is often the result of complex social problems, such as poverty, domestic violence, addiction, or lack of access to local support (catchment areas). Living in a tent, especially in winter, carries serious risks to health and safety. Low temperatures, lack of adequate food, and hygiene can lead to serious health problems. Additionally, women may be exposed to violence or exploitation, which introduces an additional dimension of danger. They wanted to escape from this, and at the same time, they expose themselves to it. It should be noted that despite the lack of conditions, these women work professionally, believing that their situation will change.

Finally, I present to you the last group of Women: Bożenka, who uses crutches, Justyna, Arleta, Danusia, and Basia. All of them belong to the 60+ group. The lack of entitlement to a pension or very low pension incomes lead to a situation where they have no hope of fulfilling their last dream: spend the autumn of your life at HOME, not in an institution. All of them, despite their age, are resourceful, full of warm smiles. A Home for Women would help them fulfill their dreams, and at the same time, they could help others (!). We have ideas on how to utilize their free time so that they have a purpose in life and experience that they can still contribute to helping others.

It is important to understand that people experiencing homelessness often struggle with a variety of issues, such as lack of social support, difficulties accessing resources, or stigmatization. Each case is different, and exiting homelessness often requires comprehensive assistance, including psychological and social support, as well as access to housing. Support and tools that can help these women rebuild their lives are extremely important. The House for Women will certainly contribute to this.

In the end, I don't want to say goodbye to you.. Małgosia and I tried to secure a grant to open a Women’s Shelter. We made it through two of the three stages. Our project was rejected. I was very reluctant to launch a fundraiser to open the Women’s Shelter. Why? As you know, the four St. Lazarus Homes and all the activities of the Dobro się Niesie Foundation (including street outreach, transportation for the homeless, interventions, and food delivery to people in need and large families) represent a huge expense (an average of about 42,000 PLN per month). On average, 30% of this amount is covered by contributions from those under our care. We have to raise the rest from donors. But this is very difficult: on the one hand, skyrocketing living costs deter people from deciding to support us, and on the other hand, the number of people in need and the number of fundraising campaigns is enormous.

Therefore, knowing that we can barely keep the four Houses of Saint Lazarus afloat, I resisted opening a fundraiser for the Women's House. I knew that our existing donors could contribute to one or the other. That's understandable. But when I heard the stories of these women, I couldn't remain passive. I couldn't do nothing. I couldn't be deaf to their plight. That's why I committed „suicide” by opening the fundraiser for the Women's House, accepting that there might not be enough for both. But you can stop this „suicide”!!! YES!

I am asking you to donate to any of the fundraisers. Please invite your friends and acquaintances to donate to the second fundraiser, the one you did not choose. Only in this way will we keep the St. Lazarus Houses for men and open a House for Women. Please share this post on your social media. Let's invite companies you know to support us. Let's make some media buzz! Please do not let us have to choose who to help and who to turn away. Please, not for yourself. But for others. Let's save another life. Together.

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