Miracle Messages

08/11/2026

We often talk about homelessness as a housing crisis, and it is. But it's also something else: a connection crisis.

When people lack consistent, caring relationships, research shows it impacts far more than their social lives. Relational poverty affects physical health, emotional wellbeing, and long-term financial and housing stability.

Our CEO Mary Carl and Advisory Council President Bonnie Boal recently joined Sarah Johnson, Executive Director of Pathway To Tomorrow, on the Pathway Podcast to explore this idea in depth. Together, they make the case that rebuilding social support systems isn't a nice-to-have, it is essential.

We think this is a conversation worth sharing far and wide. Give it a listen and let us know what resonates with you. 🎧

👉 Listen to the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/eKxW_UYR

07/23/2026

"Older adults are the fastest growing population experiencing homelessness and many women are experiencing homelessness for the first time later in life."

We wanted to share this important Community Chat, hosted by United to End Homelessness https://www.facebook.com/UnitedtoEndHomelessness/ (a key initiative of Orange County United Way), exploring why older women in Orange County are increasingly at risk of losing their housing, often after decades of stability.

The conversation featured Brateil Aghasi, CEO of WISEPlace https://www.facebook.com/WISEPlace, a local nonprofit providing housing and supportive services for women in OC, and one of Miracle Messages' community partners. Moderated by Carrie Buck of United to End Homelessness, the discussion covered:

🏠 The structural drivers — fixed incomes, rising rents, and a shortage of affordable senior housing
💔 The life events that often trigger it — the death of a partner, eviction, or depleted savings
🧭 The added challenges of navigating homelessness later in life — mobility limits, health decline, and isolation
✅ What actually works — long-term rental assistance, permanent supportive housing designed for older adults, and wraparound services including relational support and community connection

Watch the full conversation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnYLnpqKUrk

Thank you to WISEPlace and United to End Homelessness for leading this important dialogue.

Our May Community Chat explored the growing risk of homelessness fo...

07/10/2026

Our team is in Washington D.C. this week for the National Alliance to End Homelessness conference, and we're already leaving the opening sessions with a lot on our minds and in our hearts.

Keynote speaker Julián Castro, CEO of Latino Community Foundation; former U.S. Secretary of HUD; and former Mayor of San Antonio, set a powerful tone for the week.

While there is genuine reason to celebrate an overall reduction in homelessness from last year to this year, the data tells a more complicated story when you look closely. Adults 65 and older actually saw a nearly 7% increase in homelessness, a sobering reminder that progress isn't always evenly distributed.

Perhaps even more striking: 94% of Area Agencies on Aging identify lack of affordable housing for older adults as their single biggest challenge.

At Miracle Messages, we know that older adults experiencing homelessness face unique barriers, including profound isolation and disconnection. We'll be sharing more reflections from the conference this month's newsletter. Stay tuned. 💜

07/06/2026

This story stopped us in our tracks and we think it's one everyone needs to read.

Kristina Marie is a Navy veteran who has done everything right. She has reached out for help, connected with services, advocated for herself through serious illness, pursued her master's degree, and cared for her family, all while fighting housing instability and barriers to medical care.
Her story challenges one of the most harmful myths about homelessness: that people experiencing it simply aren't trying. Kristina is trying. Every single day.
At Miracle Messages, we know that connection is one of the most powerful tools we have. When systems fall short having even one consistent, caring relationship can make the difference between surviving and giving up. That's why we match volunteers with people experiencing homelessness for weekly phone calls, help families and friends reunite after years apart, and provide direct cash assistance grounded in trust and dignity.
If you know a veteran, or anyone, who could use a friend in their corner, please share this post or reach out to us. No one should have to fight alone.
Read Kristina's full story here: https://missionrollcall.org/veteran-voices/your-stories/the-programs-exist-so-why-is-she-still-fighting-alone/

06/24/2026

We have some exciting news to share! Miracle Messages now has 10 active chapters across the United States, with more on the way! 🎉

When we released our Impact Report back in March, (https://bit.ly/MMImpactReport2025) we had eight chapters. We've already added two more since then, bringing our community of dedicated volunteers to cities across the country: from Austin, Dallas, and Fort Worth, TX to Burlington, VT, Eugene, OR, Minneapolis, MN, Santa Cruz, CA, Richmond, CA, Santa Fe, NM, and Boulder, CO.

Each chapter represents volunteers who believe that no one should experience homelessness alone and who are doing something about it in their own communities. We are so proud of this growing family and grateful for every single person making this work possible.
Stay tuned, there's so much more to come. 💜

06/18/2026

Two recent headlines in the housing and homelessness world look like progress.

https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2026/05/point-in-time-homelessness-report/
https://www.hud.gov/news/hud-no-26-038

HUD's newly released 2025 count found that homelessness fell nationally for the first time since 2016, with sheltered and unsheltered numbers both ticking down. Around the same time, HUD opened more than $4 billion in new Continuum of Care funding intended to support the full continuum of homeless services, from street outreach and emergency shelter through permanent housing.

It sounds promising, but the data underneath tells a more complicated story. Even with the overall drop, chronic homelessness and homelessness among older adults both rose this year, and permanent housing capacity still reaches under 10% of the people who need it. Advocates have also pointed out that much of this year's progress was driven by targeted resources, like emergency housing vouchers, that are now being scaled back.

This is exactly why we keep saying: the continuum isn't complete without relational support. Outreach teams, shelters, and housing placements can get someone through the door, but what we see every day at Miracle Messages is that reconnecting someone with family or community is often the difference between a placement that sticks and one that doesn't. As the funding conversation shifts, we need that relational piece built into the continuum, not treated as an extra.

06/10/2026

This is Pat and her sweet dog Snow. Since 2023, Pat has been matched with her Phone Buddy, Sandra, and what started as a simple weekly call grew into something more like family. Sandra checks in regularly, no matter where she is. Whether she’s at home or traveling, she makes the time to stay connected: sharing photos from her daughter’s graduation or moments from a family trip to Paris. For Pat, those glimpses into Sandra’s life mean everything. They are reminders that she is included, remembered,and cared for. Their calls are filled with joy. “I love Sandra. We’re like old friends who found each other again after a longtime,” Pat says. “Our voices go up an octave when we answer the phone, it’s pretty cute to hear how excited we are.” For Pat, this connection has been life-changing. “She is my lifesaver and my best friend,” she says. This has became a relationship rooted in consistency, care, and genuine friendship. A reminder that sometimes, the most powerful form of support is simply knowing someone is there.

Become a volunteer with Miracle Messages and you can become the support someone desperately needs. https://www.miraclemessages.org/getinvolved

05/28/2026

We recently received an amazing gift from the artist Lucy Sokoloff at Cedars Fine Art Studio Cedars Life in San Anselmo, CA. Cedars offers award-winning day programs and residential services of nearly 200 adults with developmental disabilities. We piloted a virtual art program with our Miracle Friends, volunteers, and Cedar Life staff and participants. We are proud to partner with them and to receive this incredible artwork from Lucy. In the second half of 2027, they will be presenting a solo exhibition of Lucy's work and we can't wait to see more of what she creates. You can see more of her artwork in the photos following this one.

05/20/2026

We are currently in need of volunteers for our Miracle Friends program. Here's what volunteers have said about working with us: "It's a lovely, positive community and very heartening to see that - despite everything going on in the world - there are still folks that are kind and compassionate." "I say hi to people I pass on the street now, especially our unhoused neighbors if they acknowledge me. I want them to know I see them, that they matter to me."

98% of our volunteers would recommend volunteering with us to a friend. Join our community today and you will make a difference in someone's life, including your own.
https://www.miraclemessages.org/getinvolved

05/12/2026

Let this sink in: In many parts of CA, you'd have to work 100+ hours a week at minimum wage to afford a modest 1BR apartment while meeting other basic needs.

In our latest issue brief, we spotlight the Thriving Community Fund, a statewide pilot designed to test the impact of combining direct cash with trust-based relationships delivered through community-based organizations. The fund provided a one-year basic income intervention to 110 individuals experiencing homelessness or housing instability, offering $750 per month. Together, we demonstrated the power of collaboration while learning across different geographies, experiences of homelessness, and service sectors. We are grateful to be in this space of innovation & impact with organizations that identified the following priority populations and focus areas:

🌟 Families Forward (Orange County): homelessness prevention for families
🌟 WISEPlace (Orange County): women experiencing recent or current sheltered homelessness
🌟 Association Of Faith Communities (Santa Cruz County): individuals in safe parking programs with earned income
🌟 EAST OAKLAND COLLECTIVE (Alameda County): homelessness prevention focused on African American/Black men
🌟 Homeless Prenatal Program (San Francisco County): homelessness prevention for fathers and families.

Check out the brief to learn more: https://lnkd.in/gsqXgBmM and please consider volunteering with us today: https://www.miraclemessages.org/getinvolved