NORFOLK, Va. – At the Norfolk group home on Church Street, the veterans and their caretakers are more like family.
But soon, many vets, including Cleve Stone, could be left without a place to call home.
“To try to find another place to go to, it would be hard on me, and it would be hard on other people too,” said Stone.
A Hand in Need is in a dire situation.
The nonprofit houses disabled seniors and veterans who would otherwise have no place to go. The folks living there need 24-hour care, but that can get expensive.
"A lot of bills go unpaid," said Tiffanie Smith, the director of A Hand in Need. "A lot of things go unpaid to try to keep the doors open, and it gets hard."
This month, Smith said she got an unusually high water bill for $1,772.22.
Smith said the bills keep piling up, and with inflation on the rise, she said it's getting harder to keep the lights on.
A Hand in Need now faces the real possibility of shutting down the house on Church Street and its two other homes in Hampton Roads.
"We’re hurting," Smith said. "We have tons of bills I’m still trying to figure out how to pay."
A Hand in Need is funded by donations and the seniors pay rent through social security. Many of them, however, simply can't afford it and are staying for free.
Smith says rent costs less than if they were in a nursing home, and charges folks anywhere between $2,500 and $4,000. That covers a place to sleep, three meals a day, hygiene products, clothing, and the staff salaries.
“Some of them don’t even have shoes because they came from the hospital from the house, and they’re house is now gone,” she said. “They don’t have their house anymore.”
Smith has been paying out of pocket to keep the doors open but says she can't for much longer. She's desperate for the community's help so the seniors don't end up on the streets.
"We would like the community to acknowledge we’re here and just a little light on us will brighten up our day," Smith said.
For Cleve Stone, the group home offers more than just a roof over their head.
"It is really nice now," Stone said. "It’s getting better and better and better. I feel even better now."
The nonprofit is asking for donations to help the seniors and veterans they serve. There is now a GoFund Me for A Helping Hand if you'd like to help.
Despite this hardship, the director says they still have beds available for anyone in need.
