Highland County Homeless Shelter seeks community help amid funding cuts

The Highland County Homeless Shelter is sounding an urgent alarm as entered 2026 with a $40,000 loss in federal funding, a cut that threatens to leave some of the county’s most vulnerable residents without a safe place to sleep.

For many who walk through the shelter’s doors, this isn’t just a building. It’s the first warm meal they’ve had in days. It’s a bed after weeks of sleeping in cars or abandoned buildings. It’s the moment someone looks them in the eye and says, “You’re safe now.”

This funding cut puts all of that at risk.

We are concerned about what this means for the people who depend on us, Every dollar we lose is a person we may have to turn away a mother, a veteran, a teenager, a neighbor. These are real lives, and they matter.

The shelter already operates on a lean budget, stretching every donation and every hour of staff time. The loss of $40,000 may force painful decisions that could reduce bed capacity, limit services, and leave families without support. 

What’s at stake?
    
• A warm bed for someone who has been sleeping outside.
    
• A safe place for families escaping unsafe situations.
    
• Meals for residents who haven’t eaten in days.
    
• Case management that helps people find jobs and permanent housing.
    
• Transportation to medical appointments, job interviews, and essential services.

Highland County has always been a place where neighbors look out for one another. The shelter is calling on that spirit now more than ever.

We refuse to give up on the people who come to us for help. But we cannot do this alone. We need our community to stand with us because the alternative is to turn people away and that is something we cannot bear. 

If you would like to get involved, here are some examples of how you can help.
    
• Make a financial contribution of any size.
    
• Encourage local businesses, churches and civic groups to get involved.
    
• Organize fundraisers or donation drives.
    
• Volunteer time, skills or services.
    
• Share this information to raise awareness.

Every contribution, whether it’s $5 or $500, helps keep the doors open for someone who has nowhere else to go.

For more information or to support the shelter, please contact the Highland County Homeless Shelter at (937) 393-0634, ghawkinshchs@yahoo.com or visit www.highlandcountyhomelessshelter.com.

Greg Hawkins 
Executive Director 
Highland County Homeless Shelter