Creating a Wave of Hope in Pandemic Times: Homeless Hookup CLE and CATS Partner Up
Dean Roff- Founder of Homeless Hookup CLE
2020 has been a year unlike any other, it has challenged our perceptions, opinions and general view of the world, but it has also unveiled the beauty and luxury of our everyday experiences we have so often taken for granted... Our survival instincts kicked in when the pandemic became a reality. Navigating our health and safety and that of those around us while maintaining a sense of mental well-being and a sense of “normalcy” became priority. All of a sudden, humanity had to put themselves in the shoes of another throughout the year...we were all made to experience what it means to have empathy. We may even come to realize in hindsight that we have learned to appreciate each other and rely on one another more than we ever thought was possible! With that in mind, I would like to introduce you to Dean Roff, Founder and Director of Homeless Hookup CLE, a non-profit seeking to restore dignity to humans that have been through the roughest trenches of life, homelessness and poverty, even when we weren’t in the midst of a pandemic.
Learn more here: www.homelesshookupcle.com
Dean and his pooch getting ready to deliver donated goods
After serving in the military, Dean found himself struggling with depression, a lost sense of purpose and a need to make the pain go away through self-medication. Twelve years ago he found out his dad had died on the streets of Las Vegas, homeless and drunk. It was a jarring experience where Dean came to realize that he too would have the same fate if he did not make a change. He got help and stopped drinking in 2008, met the love of his life and found out 6 months later that he was going to be a father. He’s one of the lucky ones... not everyone has the ability or the support needed to find their footing. That’s why Homeless Hookup CLE was founded. It aims to bring hope, dignity, human connection and provide basic necessities to those in dire straits. In a recent conversation with Dean, he shared that his work would not be possible without the Cleveland community and partners like CATS. The solid platform of his organization’s ability to serve, is founded on the generosity of local, individual donors often donating more money than they can afford, because it feels right in their heart. Dean has created an organization that continuously inspires others to be their best selves. His mission has been featured on TV and radio alike and he will continue to create momentum as word spreads of his good deeds, including his most recent holiday toy drive that provided 106 families (= 302 kids) with a whopping total of 906 toys! Dean’s future goals include creating a halfway house and a shelter and in the short term, buying a new RV to replace their current shower bus and expanding the organization’s geographical reach to include other counties.
As a fellow non-profit organization aiming to restore human dignity, CATS has been a big supporter and partner of Dean’s work in recent months. The organizations have mutually been able to provide clothing for clients of both organizations through their clothing drive efforts providing much-needed warm clothing in winter time to people on the streets of Greater Cleveland. They co-promote each other's organizations on social media, where Dean highlighted that much of his funding comes from.They have also supported each other during some client emergency situations. Their ability to raise the standards of care and attention to those in need has been greatly enhanced by their partnership. I think they are onto something!
Dean Roff (HHCLE) and Ruthie Snow (CATS), Cozy Clothes and Let’s Help Women Period Collections
It seems they’ve shown us that the future is about collaboration, truly “seeing” each other, elevating those with the cards stacked against them, empowering the community through decency and dignity and so many other powerful actions that we have yet to experience. It has been a true honor to support both of these organizations in small ways from the side lines, but with great impact in our hearts at CASK Consulting and Coaching. We can’t wait to see what manifests hereafter for these two magnificent change makers. Let us all be inspired to make the world a better place!