Home Matters Awareness Campaign

Finding a permanent solution for temporary

housing

FebruaFebruary 2015Minnesota State University Moorhead

Team DragonfliesTeam Members: Brittany Dunnigan, Elise Runberg,Kate Hildahl, Kjersti Maday, Steph Forbord

Advisors: Liz Conmy, PRSSALois Ustanko, FM Sheltering Churches

Finding a permanent solution for temporary housing

February 2015

Minnesota State University MoorheadTeam Dragonflies

Team Members: Brittany Dunnigan, Elise Runberg,Kate Hildahl, Kjersti MadaKate Hildahl, Kjersti Maday, Steph Forbord

Advisors: Liz Conmy, PRSSALois Ustanko, FM Sheltering Churches

Table of Contents:Executive Summary...........................................................................Page 1

SWOT Analysis.....................................................................................Page 2

Secondary Research.......................................................................Page 3

Primary Research.............................................................................Page 5

Target Market.......................................................................................Page 7

Key Messages......................................................................................Page 7

Communications Plan & StrategCommunications Plan & Strategy.............................................Page 7

Campaign Summary......................................................................Page 10

Making Home a Reality for All

Elise Runberg: Event CoordinatorSteph Forbord: Financial Manager

Kate Hildahl: DesignerBrittany Dunnigan: Account Manager

Kjersti Maday: Researcher

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We also had the fantastic opportunity to work with Mrs. North Dakota International 2015, Erin Bertel. Her platform is to help raise awareness about the problem of homelessness in our community, which paired perfectly with our theme. She also brought the organization The Joy of Sox to North Dakota, which is a nonprofit that collects donations and socks to provide to peopleexperiencing homelessness. Because her passion aligned so well with our mission, we invited her to be one of the keynote speakers at our Home Matters Awareness Event. She also helped spread our message through her social media channels.During the month of Februarspread our message through her social media channels.During the month of February, our Home Matters Awareness campaign reached more than 5,000 people through our social media campaign activity. We held a Home Matters Awareness Event that was broadcasted on the local news, with a reach of 28,000 people in the Fargo-Moorhead viewing area.

Executive SummaryHow would you describe someone who is “homeless?”We asked this same question in our student surveys, a general public poll, and in personal interviews, and the responses were not exactly positive. Most people described the homeless as people who are unemployed and living on the streets, and thought this situation was permanent. This perception is what we aim to change with our campaign.

Our research showed that most people who are experiencing homelessness remain so for only Our research showed that most people who are experiencing homelessness remain so for only two years before finding a home to call their own. That is why it is important to help these people who have fallen on their luck get back on their feet by giving them a place to live during this difficult transitional time.

The solution to this can be homeless shelters and temporary housing. However, in the long run these can only be temporary solutions. People need more than a roof over their heads. They need a home: a place to feel protected, empowered, encouraged, and inspired. Home is empowered, encouraged, and inspired. Home is the root of a happy, healthy life.The mission of Home Matters is to make Home a reality for everyone because everyone deserves a place to call Home.

Most people experiencing homelessness are not stuck there for long. They are normal people in a financial slump, which could be due to anything a financial slump, which could be due to anything from medical bills from a family tragedy to the loss of a job. The majority WANT to work to have a place of their own to call home again, which is why these temporary housing options must be just that - temporary.

The focus of our campaign is to raise awareness about finding permanent solutions for temporary housing in accordance with the mission of Home Matters: making Home a reality for everyone. Home Matters, which is why building awareness was our overall goal.

We chose to partner with FM Sheltering Churches, a local Home Matters supporter. This incredible non-profit, volunteer-run organization works to build a partnership with area shelters and churches of the Fargo-Moorhead metro area to provide a warm place to sleep for people experiencing homelessness.experiencing homelessness. The organization helped us get the word out to community leaders involved with the organization and an interest in finding a solution to homelessness.

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StrengthsDecision to focus on community leaders who have the power to create or help sustain affordable housing. By targeting local landlords, we hope to create better awareness of the need for affordable housing and to convince them to be part of the long-term solution. By targeting student and community leaders, the Home Matters message will carry more weight, as trusted leaders will share the Home Matters mission with their organization membersPartnering with a large, well-established coalition of community activists who are eager to get involved with Home Matters and our campaign. FM Sheltering Churches and Mrs. North Dakota International 2015 have access to information and resources that are crucial to the success of our campaignDecision to focus on how to create a long-term solution to the homelessness crisis rather than simply aiding in temporary solutions.than simply aiding in temporary solutions. Shelters are excellent short-term options for those experiencing homelessness, but to combat the homelessness crisis there needs to be a stronger focus on creating sustainable, affordable housing.

WeaknessesAlienating or singling out those who are experiencing homelessness. During the interview process we made sure to explain our goals and ask permission before speaking with anyone who was experiencing homelessness to ensure we did not make them uncomfortable .The lack of name recognition for Home Matters. Home Matters is a relatively new organization that has little recognition within our community. We combated this by directing people to the Home Matters

Our Home Matters mission and event announcement was featured on a prominent local radio station that was heard by 20,000 listeners. And we built a lasting relationship with FM Sheltering Churches, which will help us sustain the Home Matters initiative in our campaign long after the campaign has come to an end.We are proud to have been able to bring awareness to our community about why Home Matters.

Swot AnalysisHome Matters is a national movement that is focused on raising awareness and funds to make home a reality for everyone. Home Matters is led by the National NeighborWorks Association, supported by the NNA Fund, as well as coast-to-coast coalition leaders, community groups, nonprofits, and the public at large.

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ThreatsFighting the social stigmas that surround homelessness and those experiencing it. Combating the community push-back that is created with the prospect of building affordable housing in neighborhoods.Combating Minnesota and North Dakota winter Combating Minnesota and North Dakota winter Freezing temperatures creates a larger influx of individuals and families at local shelters. Increased need for temporary housing leads to time constraints of community leaders

ObstaclesSocial StigmaHistorically, people experiencing homelessness have had an extremely negative reputation. A common misconception is that people experiencing homelessness have chosen this lifestyle, whether through making poor decisions or being weak. The harsh perceptions facing homelessness are a challenge to combat.

Where to StartWhere to StartThe housing crisis is a nationwide issue. Organizations and government officials have struggled with finding a solution for decades. There are so many aspects that affect the housing issue that it was difficult to focus on which one would be best for our campaign. Economics, politics, time constraints, budget, and community opinion are all factors in deciding the effectiveness of creating a stable housing market that we needed to take into consideration.

Multiple Ideas & GoalsThe best way to spread our message to the community is to reach out to those who currently The best way to spread our message to the community is to reach out to those who currently have a working knowledge of the housing crisis in the Fargo-Moorhead area. However, these leaders have their own initiatives and goals that may differ from those of Home Matters. The challenge was to encourage these leaders and organizations to join our cause while they remained intently focused on their own programs.

OpportunitiesChanging the language used when talking about the homelessness issue. Fighting the stigma of what people normally think when they picture someone who is homeless. Creating a better awareness of those who are affected by homelessness. Using the phrase “people experiencing homelessness” rather than homeless people in order to indicate that homelessness is not a permanent state of being nor identity of an individual Get other campus organizations involved in the campaign. Creating partnerships with other organizations, such as student organizations focused on community serviceUsing a variety of methods to spread the Home Matters mission quickly and effectively. Create a social media campaign using Twitter and Facebook. Reach out to community leaders and encourage them to join Home Matters

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The Shame of HomelessnessA majority of our campaign centered around the idea of homelessness being a temporary, transitional state, but people experiencing homelessness are often ashamed of the situation they have found themselves in. Research and personal interviews show time and again that those experiencing homelessness do not feel comfortable admitting their situation to others. These people often have jobs, go to school, and participate in daily society; all the while feeling like they must hide the struggles they are going through.they must hide the struggles they are going through. The shame felt by people experiencing homelessness made it a bit more difficult to find individuals willing to share their story.

Aligning our goals with those of Home Matters We wanted to create a campaign that was focused exclusively on the message and mission of Home Matters. Rather than create a temporary campaign with a time-sensitive theme that would begin and end in Februarbegin and end in February, we wanted to create something that could be s ustained and could continue to impact the community even after the competition came to an end. That is why we wanted to work with local community leaders who could sustain the message and continue to spread awareness about Home Matters.

Secondary Research

Before our team began collecting primary research in the Fargo-Moorhead metro area, we first wanted to define the different terms associated with the issue of homelessness:

House: a building that serves as living quarters for one or a few families

Home: the social unit formed by a family living together

Homeless: an individual who lacks housing (without regard to whether the individual is a member of a family), including an individual whose primary residence during the night is a supervised of a family), including an individual whose primary residence during the night is a supervised public or private facility (e.g., shelters) that provides temporary living accommodations, and an individual who is a resident in transitional housing.

Affordable Housing: the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines "affordable" as housing that costs no more than 30 percent of a household's monthly income.

Homeless Shelters: a temporary address which provides sleep-in facilities for displaced persons.displaced persons.

Gaining New SupportersAs previously mentioned, our best bet was to join with organizations already working on the homelessness crisis in our community. However, we also needed to gain the support of those in the community who are not involved with the current organization. It was imperative that we gain more community support. That meant sharing information with those who were uninformed and attempting to change the mindset of those who do not believe affordable housing was an issue in our communitissue in our community.

This is an example of a graphic we created for the FM Sheltering Churches Facebook page to align the needs of the Fargo-Moorhead

community with the mission of Home Matters.

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852 people suffer from homelessness in Fargo-Moorhead

Students need a home for stability and success

The primary concept we gained from these definitions is that homelessness is meant to be temporary.

We then conducted research about the issue of homelessness and affordable housing in the Fargo-Moorhead area.Two-thirds of those experiencing homelessness in the FM area are men, with an average age of 46. The average age of a homeless woman in the area is 37.One-third of the women in sheltered locations had at least one child with them. 25%-33% of women were homeless as a result of domestic violence. 25%-33% of women were homeless as a result of domestic violence.

Most people experiencing homelessness in our area have HS diplomas and 28-37% have jobs, which reflects a decline in numbers employed. In Fargo-Moorhead in 2014, there were 265 shelter beds available + 72 overflow capacity = 337 maximum beds. The total amount of people experiencing homelessness in the FM area was 852,including 223 children.

We also conducted research through a number of online resources in order to gain a better perspective on the issue of homelessness on both the local and national level.

Primary ResearchWe conducted 16 in-depth interviews, as well as three focus groups with Millennials and Baby Boomers. We also surveyed 47 students, professors, parents and other members of the community using an online survey. And to gain a better understanding of the people we are trying to help first-hand, we volunteered at the Dorothy Day Food Pantry in Fargo, N.D. This allowed us to gain more insight about the people who come to these types of places and the This allowed us to gain more insight about the people who come to these types of places and the people who volunteer for them.

By conducting the in-depth interviews with college students, young mothers, community leaders,homeless shelter volunteers, teachers, and professors, we gained insight into the social perception of homelessness and what was being done in the community to solve the problem of homelessness and create more affordable housing options in the Fargo-Moorhead area. All educators agreed that home life directly reflects children’s school performance, which is why having a home is so important.

“Do you know where I really see poverty?“Do you know where I really see poverty? The poor housing areas. The kids are getting very little at home and they miss a lot of school because the value of education isn’t there. And since parents don’t have jobs, they don’t have to get up and help their children get ready or get to school, so many students don’t even have way to get there. This type of situation does not give these children the stability and support they need to do well in school.” -Sandy Gunderson, elementary school teacher, Fargo

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We also volunteered at the Dorothy Day Food Pantry so that we could better understand the people we would be helping with our campaign.

Most of the people who Most of the people who came to the shelter were notliving on the streets, the majority were living in low-income housing, and a few were residing in local shelters.

Many of the parents Many of the parents who visited the food pantry said they needed food so that they could afford their mortgage or rent.

The community leaders we spoke with felt that the answer to solving the problem of homelessness in our community is making affordable housing available for everyone. “Our organization does not believe in simply handing homes to people without them. We want to make homes affordable so these people can purchase their own homes and be proud of this monumental step in making a better life for themselves.” -Barry Nelson, Chairman, North Dakota Human Rights Coalition, NDHRC-Barry Nelson, Chairman, North Dakota Human Rights Coalition, NDHRC

We held two focus groups (14 students total) with college students on campus. Through these discussions, we gained insight into the Millennials’ perspective on homelessness.

“We want to make homes affordable so these people can purchase their own homes and be proud.”

We conducted online surveys in order to gain insight into the best ways to reach our target audiences.

Most people receive their local newsthrough television (38%) and social media (38%) and social media (45%).

When asked whether affordable housing is an issue in the FM area, 80 percent answered yes.

Facebook is the most-used social media site amount the social media site amount the Millennial and Baby Boomer target audiences (87%), followed by Twitter (9%) and Instagram (2%)

The first references anyone mentioned in regards to the term “homeless” were alcohol, drugs, begging on the streets andunemployment; felt that becoming homeless was becoming homeless was “their own fault.”

Most students did not realize that homelessness was such a big issue in the FM area.

Every student expressed concern about being homeless during or after homeless during or after college due to not being able to afford their rent

Most of the friends they knew who were homeless or struggling to find a place to live had become pregnant at a young become pregnant at a young age, many while in high school Felt more sympathy towards younger people who were homeless than older people because they believed that the younger individuals could still turn their lives could still turn their lives around.

We held our millenial focus groups in the dorms at Minnesota State University Moorhead and the students had fantastic insight to share with us.

Communications Plan and Strategy

Ojective 1: Inform 100 community leaders and homelessness awareness activists in the community about Home Matters and encourage them to join the organization.

Tactic 1: Establishing a relationship with FM Sheltering Churches, an organization that consists of activists and volunteers who aid in providing temporary housing at local churches for those experiencing homelessness in the community. We accomplished this by reaching out to the organization and visiting its location. organization and visiting its location. We also personally met with three FM Sheltering coordinators, and went to one of the churches that was hosting the homeless to gain a better understanding of the organization.

By working with this organization, we were able to network with community leaders involved with the organization who can help spread the word about Home Matters and assist with efforts to make a real difference in our community

Tactic 2: Reach out to FM Sheltering Churches Tri-Chair Lois Ustanko for mentoring assistance. Lois Ustanko is the Director of Faith Community Nursing at Sanford Health in Fargo, N.D., as Lois Ustanko is the Director of Faith Community Nursing at Sanford Health in Fargo, N.D., as well as the Tri-Chair of FM Sheltering Churches. As a health professional and community leader, Lois has a vast contact list of volunteers, community leaders, and city officials who could assist with our campaign. She is extremely passionate about finding permanent housing solutions for those experiencing homelessness in our community. Her passion and extensive knowledge was an invaluable asset to our campaign. She agreed to be out mentor and gave us access to a number of helpful resources and contacts in the community.

Target MarketThrough our research, our team determined that our primary target market needed to be Baby Boomers. This particular demographic group has the financial assets, community prestige, outreach potential, and necessary means to affect change in our community. Through their various leadership positions as youth leaders, teachers, politicians, and community activists, these individuals have the potential to reach other Baby Boomers and encourage them to join the Home Matters mission, as well as encourage Millennials, one of our secondary target markets, the Home Matters mission, as well as encourage Millennials, one of our secondary target markets, to join the cause and make a difference. These target audiences can in turn affect our other secondary audience, young parents, especially single mothers, in educating them about the importance of a place to call Home and how to make Home a reality.

Primary Target MarketBaby Boomers (persons born between 1946 - 1964) in the Fargo-Moorhead area, particularly community leaders and volunteersMillennials (persons born between 1987 and 1992)Millennials (persons born between 1987 and 1992)Young Parents, ages 18-32, especially single moms

Key Messages

Home is where it all starts.Home Matters: Making Home a reality for all.Finding a permanent solution to temporary housing.

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Objective 1: Achieved/FailedACHIEVEDOur event was a huge success! We decorated the conference room with an assortment of orange decorations, paper house table settings and Home Matters fliers, with delicious snacks adding to the warm feeling of the room. With two fantastic keynote speakers, our the warm feeling of the room. With two fantastic keynote speakers, our energetic team members,and our guests, we had a wonderful one-hour presentation discussing why Home Matters and why homelessness is a problem we need to address in our community. We targeted local leaders who could take the Home Matters message back to their organizations, and we successfully had a total of nineteen community leaders and other guests in attendance. We believed that it was not the number of people who attended, but rather the local influence of those who number of people who attended, but rather the local influence of those who attended that mattered most. The local broadcast station KVRR FOX came to cover the event, giving us a three-minute broadcasted story on the 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. news, reaching over 28,000 people in the Fargo-Moorhead community. The station also posted our story to their website, reaching over 46,000 viewers. We promoted this coverage through our social media and received a fantastic response. Overall, we are very proud of the outcome of our event.

Tactic 3: Partner with local community activist for extended reach and support for our campaign. We partnered with Erin Bertel, Mrs. North Dakota International 2015, to have her help us spread our message, as well as assist spreading her message. With her helping us get the word out about our organi-zation, and us giving her the opportunity to talk about her organization, The Joy of Sox, at our Home Matters Awareness Event, we were able to help one another and reach more people in the community to raise awareness about the need for permanent solutions in the Fargo-Moorhead area.

Tactic 4: Host awareness event for community leaders to inform them about Home Matters. Our Home MattersOur Home Matters Awareness Event was held Tuesday, Feb. 17 at the YWCA Emergency Center in Fargo, N.D. This venue was perfect for our Home Matters event, as the conference room is located at a local women’s shelter. We hosted an hour-long presentation using Home Matters presentation materials and informative videos about the problem of homelessness in our community and our nation. We also had a computer available on-site for those in attendance at the event to join Home Matters. Our first keynote speaker was Mrs. North Dakota International Erin Bertel, who spoke about her personal experience as a person experiencing homelessness and her organization,person experiencing homelessness and her organization, The Joy of Sox. Our second keynote speaker was Lois Ustanko, our mentor and the Tri-Chair of FM Sheltering Churches. We promoted the event through social media, sending invitations via the FM Sheltering Churches community leader email list serve, reaching 60 leaders, and volunteer email list serve, reaching 1,260 volunteers, promoting the event via the local radio station KFGO, whose target audience is ages 24 -65, posting to two online community calendars, and sending press releases to local broadcast stations to try to gain broadcasted event coverage.

Tactic 5: Broadcast media coverage of the event on a local network.We sent press releases to local media stations ten days, three days, one day before the event, and the day of the event in an attempt to encourage one of the local stations to broadcast our event. We felt this would be a fantastic way to get the word our to the community as a whole, with hope that the right people would see the story and would then help share the Home Matters message.

Tactic 6: Present about Home Matters at the local Faith Community Advisory quarterly meeting.Our group presented in front of a group of 50 community leaders during their quarterly Faith Community Our group presented in front of a group of 50 community leaders during their quarterly Faith Community Advisory Meeting. This group of individuals are a part of the faith and community service group of Sanford hospital in Fargo.

Mrs. North Dakota International Erin Bertel presents at our Home Matters Awareness Event.

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Objective 3: Utilize social media to educate the target audience about Home Matters. Reach 1000 views with our Facebook posts and reach at least 800 people through our Twitter event coverage. We also wanted at least 20 new likes for the FM Sheltering Churches Facebook page

Tactic 1: Published information about Home Matters to the FM Sheltering Churches Facebook Page. Rather than create our own Facebook page, we leveraged our campaign using the FM Sheltering Churches Facebook page in order to bring awareness to those involved with the organization that FM Sheltering Churches is now working with Home Matters. organization that FM Sheltering Churches is now working with Home Matters. We felt that by directing to their Facebook page, our mission can continue after the conclusion of the campaign, as opposed to creating a page exclusively for our campaign. We created infographics with facts about homelessness using the Home Matters logo in order to draw awareness to the organization and used the page to promote our Home Matters Awareness Event.

Tactic 2: Used Twitter to promote coverage of our event and spread the word about our campaign with the hashtags #ShareHomeIs #shelterfm. We wanted to reach at least 2,000 people throughTTwitter.

Tactic 3: In order to increase the number of likes on the FM Sheltering Churches Facebook page, we encouraged our friends and families in the community, as well as many community groups assisting with the homelessness initiative in the area, to like the page. We also encouraged those in attendance at our meeting to like the page.

Objective 3: Achieved/FailedACHIEVEDOur Facebook posts had a compiled reach of nearly 3,000, we reached 4,510 people through Twitter, and gained 31 new likes for the FM Sheltering Churches Facebook page. As we were trying to keep our campaign local, we feel this was a big success.

Objective 2: Reach out to local landlords and inform them about the benefits and importance of accepting affordable housing vouchers. Gain a better understanding of the housing situation in Fargo Moorhead. Gain support from 5 percents of Fargo Housing and Redevelopment Authority leaders and local landlords with this objective.

Tactic 1: Reached out to Fargo Housing & Redevelopment Authority to gain a better understanding of the affordable housing voucher system in the Fargo-Moorhead area and asked what we could do to assist with their mission: "Provide ado to assist with their mission: "Provide affordable and quality housing, services and opportunities to low-income and special needs families and ensure program integrity by all program participants."

Tactic 2: Established a relationship with April Matta, Director of Goldmark Properties, the primary apartment real estate company in our community, and sent her promotional materials about Home Matters to inform her about the importance of affordable housing while encouraging her to provide better voucher practices at local Goldmark properties.

Objective 2: Achieved/FailedACHIEVEDWe successfully worked with the Fargo Housing and Redevelopment Authority to gain a better understanding of the homeless situation in Fargo-Moorhead. The organization supported our initiative and three of the leaders (10 percent) agreed to like the FM Sheltering Churches Facebook page to follow our campaign. We also reached out to Goldmark properties and shared our campaign information with the Directoour campaign information with the Director, April Matta.

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Campaign SummaryA home is more than a shelter. Our Home Matters Awareness campaign and our message, “Creating a permanent solution for temporary housing,” could be found across the Fargo-Moorhead community. From student organization leaders and youth group pastors to community leaders and volunteers, Home Matters reached the minds and hearts of individuals who can strive to implement the Home Matters mission into their organizations and efforts.

The campaign proved to be incredibly successful. The campaign proved to be incredibly successful. We planned and hosted an enlightening event, attended by impactful community leaders, that was seen by over 35,400 members of the FM community through our broadcasted event coverage. We reached out to local housing to inform them about Home Matters and why affordable housing is important. We personally spoke with 67 students from four different Minnesota State University Moorhead student organizations and 60 Faith Community leaders about joining Home Matters and the importance of helping those experiencing homelessness in our community. Our Home Matters messages reached over 8,000 students and faculty members of the university. We personally emailed 1,329 community leaders and volunteers with FM Sheltering Churches to spread our campaign mission personally emailed 1,329 community leaders and volunteers with FM Sheltering Churches to spread our campaign mission and encourage support. And we reached over 7,500 social media impressions in the local community.

We built a Home Matters Awareness campaign that has the potential to be replicated throughout the nation. By partnering with organizations that are already carrying on the mission and work of Home Matters in our community and making them aware of the organization, we were able to reach community leaders and volunteers passionate about the cause and establish a lasting relationship. Mrs. North Dakota International Erin Bertel is now including Home Matters and its mission in her presentations. We were approached by the FM Coalition for Homeless Persons to send them the information packets we created to distribute at our event, including the Home Matters Fact Sheet. packets we created to distribute at our event, including the Home Matters Fact Sheet. We utilized the FM Sheltering Churches Facebook page and increased their reach so that the Home Matters message continues to reach that impactful audience. Tri-Chair Lois Ustanko continues to use the Powerpoint presentation we created for our Home Matters Aware-ness Event for numerous community awareness meetings. We wanted our campaign’s efforts and effects to last beyond February and continue after the competition had been completed. We are proud to say we accomplished this goal and that the Home Matters message can still be seen and heard in the Fargo-Moorhead community.

The solution to homelessness truly is finding a permanent solution to temporary housing. As community leaders strive to make this a reality, we hope that the people we inspired with our Home Matters Awareness campaign will carry out the mission by volunteering to help those experiencing homelessness in our community and supporting initiatives that aim to “make home a reality for all.”

Objective 4: Reach out to our Millennial target audience by meeting with at least two student organizations. Also target the entire student population to inform about Home Matters using university online communication and reaching 8,000 impressions by students and faculty.

Tactic 1: Publish information about Home Matters and our Home Matters Awareness Event to university publications. Submitted six posts to the Dragon Digest, the daily Minnesota State University Moorhead email bulletin, to inform our target audience of Millennials about Home Matters and the importance of Home and a permanent solution to homelessness.permanent solution to homelessness. The reach of this publication is 8,300 students, faculty, administrators and staff. All six post submission were selected to be published. We were also published in the university event calendar, with a reach of 3,000.

Tactic 2: Present about Home Matters and the importance of helping those experiencing homelessness in our community at student organization meetings.our community at student organization meetings. We met with MSUM Delta Zeta, Gamma Phi Beta, Kappa Sigma, and Students Today, Leaders Forever (STLF) student organizations at Minnesota State University Moorhead and informed them about Home Matters. We encouraged them to join the organization and support our campaign, as well as volunteer with FM Sheltering Churches and other local organizations to help those experiencing homelessness and to become more active in the cause.

Objective 4: Achieved/FailedACHIEVEDWe presented about Home Matters at four Minnesota State University Moorhead student organization meetings and gained support from their leaders. In addition to asking for their support of our campaign, we gave them our Volunteer Information Sheet and encouraged them to volunteer with current organizations in the community who are in need of volunteers to help with their etheir efforts to combat homelessness. We also successfully exceeded our goal of 8,000 impressions of our Home Matters messages by students and faculty at Minnesota State University Moorhead. We hope the message reached individuals who are passionate about the cause and will carry out the mission of Home Matters.