Now in its 14th year, Housing Assistance Corporation’s (HAC) Shelter Cape Cod Telethon will raise awareness towards the housing challenges facing the region and raise funds to help local individuals and families who are homeless or struggling here on Cape Cod.
The event, which takes place on Thursday, December 14, from 5 to 9 pm, at the Cape Cod Community Media Center will air live on local cable access channels 98 and 99 and be streamed live on www.CapeMedia.org.
Over the course of four hours, viewers will have an opportunity to not only learn about the housing work HAC is doing, but how other agencies and organizations are making a positive impact on Cape Cod and the Islands. Guests will include Jay Coburn, CEO of Community Development Partnership in Eastham; JR Mell, regional director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cape Cod and the Islands; Heidi Nelson, CEO of Duffy Health Center; and Regina Giambusso, executive director of the Cape & Islands Veterans Outreach Center.
“This year’s telethon is going to be very special because we’ll be introducing our new CEO Alisa Galazzi and talking to several clients we’ve helped over the past year,” said HAC Director of Community Relations Laura Reckford. “Viewers will be able to see and hear just how their donations help people on Cape Cod.”
Clients will include those from HAC’s Angel House shelter which serves mothers overcoming addiction and their children as well as a family helped through HAC’s Family Self-Sufficiency program
A spotlight will be placed on HAC’s programs to combat homelessness, including its four family shelters on Cape Cod – Angel House in Hyannis; Carriage House in North Falmouth; the Village at Cataumet in Bourne; and Scattered Sites in Hyannis – as well as its homeless outreach program to those living in the streets and woods of Cape Cod; its case management program for those who are chronically homeless; and its homelessness prevention efforts.
The night will also feature several holiday-themed performances from children’s choirs and musicians on Cape Cod. Both Matt Pitta, news director at Cape Cod Broadcasting and Mindy Todd, host and producer of “The Point” on WCAI, will serve as co-hosts of this year’s telethon.
Former Dennis Selectman Wayne Bergeron, a longtime HAC volunteer who helps organize the telethon with his wife Janine and their daughter Rebecca, said the event epitomizes the holiday season. “One of the reasons we do this every year is it gives a special meaning to Christmas,” he said.
HAC is currently seeking volunteers to serve as phone fundraisers the night of the telethon. Fundraisers will spend a half hour training and a minimum of a half hour on the phones, calling friends and families to raise funds in support of HAC’s mission to ensure all on Cape Cod and the Islands have access to safe, stable, decent housing. Residents interested in volunteering can register online at www.sheltercapecodtelethon.org or by contacting HAC Volunteer Coordinator Mary Everett-Patriquin at volunteer@haconcapecod.org or at 508-771-5400, ext. 279.
Businesses or individuals looking to sponsor the telethon can contact HAC Event Coordinator Deanna Bussiere at dbussiere@haconcapecod.org or at 508-771-5400, ext. 270.
About Housing Assistance Corporation
HAC is a 43-year-old nonprofit based in Hyannis, whose mission is to ensure that all on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket have a safe, stable, decent place to live. HAC operates four homeless shelters on Cape Cod; develops affordable housing; oversees Section 8 vouchers for the region; conducts foreclosure counseling; holds educational workshops for first-time homebuyers and those looking to rebuild their credit; and keeps residents in their homes through its homelessness prevention program. To learn more about HAC’s programs and services visit www.HAConCapeCod.org.
