An angel that once needed help
Jay Hopkins remembers the day an unexpected by critical check showed up in his mailbox. A newlywed with kids at the time, Jay had been worried about how he was going to make ends meet after the company he worked for went under and left him without a job. While he was looking for his next employment, rent was due, but his budget couldn't quite cover it.
The check in the mail was made out for the exact amount he was short on rent. People from the church he attended had pooled together enough money to help his family.
To this day, he hasn't forgotten that windfall of generosity and what a difference it made. His experience also provides context for many of the struggling families Jay now sees in the Arizona community, and it inspires him to give back in a meaningful way through St. Vincent de Paul.
“There's so many different places to give money, but I just felt led to be more local, and plus, I really trust St. Vincent de Paul,” he said.
The nonprofit's Angels on Call program was just the opportunity Jay was looking for and provided that added touch of specialness. He enjoys the one-to-one nature of the program that allows donors to know exactly who they are helping and how. Angels on Call works through an app, where once logged in, donors see a profile of a family or person in need, they can read their story, see how much they need to overcome a hurdle, then donate in-app toward a portion or all of the expense.
“It's so nice to have an idea who you're helping,” Jay said.
Donors, or 'Angels' as SVdP likes to call them, choose the frequency at which they give in the app, along with donation preferences around types of assistance they want to support. Using those preferences, the app pairs the Angel with a profile of a family or person in need, providing giving level options. Jay opts to donate each month.
“My date [that I give every month] is the 25th… it's actually more like, 'Time to see who we're helping this month…'”
Beyond donating, Jay and his family also pray for those in need who they support through Angels on Call. This month, they gave toward a family whose finances and income have been shaken by a cancer diagnosis and medical treatment. But other times it's an unexpected car repair or a temporary loss of income that results in a financial crisis.
“It's such a wonderful thing to know and picture these people and be able to pray for them, and that you're helping them stay in their home,” Jay said. “In some of these situations...it's just amazing what people are going through.”
On average, SVdP sees that it takes about $1,400 to keep a family in their home and help them avoid eviction and homelessness. Angels on Call is one of the nonprofits leading tools in helping prevent homelessness before it happens. That's another reason Jay is a big fan of the program — because in his words, "it's so much easier to keep somebody in their home than to re-home them when they've lost their home. It's just a huge effort at that point.”
He also has an appreciation for the trauma it saves a family from experiencing and values the preservation of a stable home life. Jay hopes that by sharing his motivations and story that more people might consider becoming Angels to support their community.
“There are many wonderful ways to help people, but I can’t think of a better way [than Angels on Call through] St. Vincent de Paul… Anybody that is looking for really making a difference, this is as good as it gets.”
