By Cynthia Hochswender
Photos by Lisa Nichols

In this season more than any other, the nearly 5,000 people who experience homelessness on any given night across the state—including 480 here in the Litchfield County region—need a place to call home. 

It isn’t just the loss of holiday traditions in a safe home setting; it’s also the weather. Winter in Connecticut is not for the faint of heart.

Keeping residents in their homes or seeking homes for the displaced is important 365 days of the year. But the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness understands that, in the winter months, the need feels especially acute.

For nine years now, the Coalition has organized a campaign called “be homeful for the holidays,” with underwriting from the Connecticut REALTORS Foundation, that is specifically targeted at family homelessness. To date, the campaign has helped keep more than 1,500 families with more than 3,000 children out of emergency shelters.

The “be homeful for the holidays” campaign kicks off in October and runs through the end of the year. Its goal is to raise money that will be used to keep children and their families in their homes, so they never need to enter a homeless shelter—during the holidays or at any time throughout the year.

To help raise money and awareness, Connecticut Realtors host fundraising events and set up displays at area libraries that feature a Paddington plush bear and Paddington book, and decorative trees or wreaths with scannable QR codes that make donating easy.

Paddington is the cuddly “spokesbear” of the campaign. Generations of young readers have loved the visitor from Darkest Peru, who arrived at Paddington Station in London, in the children’s books by Michael Bond. Along with a distinctive blue toggle coat and red felt hat, he has a note around his neck that asks, “Please look after this bear. Thank you.”  

A commuter spots the bear, brings him home, and makes him part of the Brown family. For each $25 donation made during the campaign, a child currently in a shelter for the holidays receives a Paddington plush bear. Through this campaign, more than 5,000 bears have been donated to children in homeless shelters across the state. The Connecticut REALTORS Foundation sponsors the bears, so that all donations in total can go directly toward preventing family homelessness and keeping children and families housed.

The Litchfield County portion of this statewide holiday campaign is organized by Julie King, the manager for multiple offices in Litchfield County of William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty. Not only does she marshal agents and staff to take part in the campaign, she also works with the ownership of the parent company to donate generously. Sotheby’s fundraising parties are held in conjunction with townwide holiday celebrations in Washington and Salisbury. In the past nine years, the company has raised approximately $50,000 for the campaign and the fight to end family homelessness here.

This year’s events will be announced on Instagram @livelitchfieldhills. To donate online, visit CTR Foundation.—behomeful.org