The Fall 2024 Strive to Thrive Lincoln class awarded a $5,000 grant to Friendship Home to support its mission of providing crisis services, emergency shelter, advocacy, and transitional housing to survivors of domestic violence.
Friendship Home’s crisis services include short-term mental health and substance abuse counseling, as well as help accessing medical and behavioral health resources. Advocates work with each survivor to assess risk and identify options and support systems. Survivors and their children also have access to confidential shelter, including communal housing and single-family apartments. During their stay, advocates and case managers collaborate with survivors to help them set and achieve personal goals.
In addition to emergency shelter, Friendship Home offers transitional housing and services that empower survivors to heal and plan for the future. These include confidential scattered-site and tenant-based Housing First apartments, along with financial education services and peer support groups. The transitional program is designed to help individuals take the next steps toward permanent housing and long-term economic stability.
Through its wide-ranging services, Friendship Home helps survivors find both physical and emotional safety. The organization envisions a future where its services are no longer needed — a future in which domestic violence is rejected by the community and every home is a place of love, support, and safety.
Dani Jurgens, development director at Friendship Home, expressed her gratitude for the grant.
“The wonderful thing about this grant is that it’s unrestricted, allowing it to support a child in need of extra assistance from one of our children’s advocates, provide a family with a set of sheets for a comfortable night's sleep, or offer crisis services to those checking into the shelter," she said.
She also reflected on the impact of support from the Strive to Thrive Lincoln program.
“It means so much to us to know there are individuals who truly believe in our mission and offer their support," she said. "Whenever I reflect on it, I’m deeply moved by the generosity of those in the community who, despite being strangers, are willing to help those in need. It truly means the world to us, and we were thrilled to hear that we received this grant!”
Strive to Thrive Lincoln is proud to recognize and support the impactful work of Friendship Home and looks forward to seeing its continued contributions to the Lincoln community.
To learn more or donate, visit friendshiphome.org.