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Raleigh, it’s time to give where it matters most. Donate to Give Raleigh now.
Over 1,200 people in Wake County won’t have a place to sleep tonight. That number isn’t just a statistic—it’s a father, a single mother, a young adult trying to finish school, a hungry child, a neighbor or colleague, a family facing a fight for stability.
Turning uncertainty into solid ground, our Give Raleigh campaign—launching Oct. 1 alongside TowneBank/Towne Insurance—is shining a light on housing vulnerability by partnering with the Cooper Charitable Foundation to secure safe, stable homes for neighbors in need.
The solution is simpler—and closer—than many realize: The biggest barrier to housing isn’t monthly rent. It’s upfront costs like security deposits or first and last month’s rent. “There is housing around us. It’s just not always affordable,” says CCF founder and namesake John Cooper. CCF Housing Stability Grants remove those barriers, providing bridge funding that turns the impossible into a reality.
Ranging from $531–$5,500, these grants give people solid footing and a fresh start—empowering seven local organizations to deliver life-changing support at every stage of need. From assisting the unsheltered through Oak City Cares to offering women safety, stability and basic needs at The Women’s Center to helping children and families access permanent housing and support services through Family Promise of the Triangle, the reach is wide. Grants also fund addiction-recovery housing via Healing Transitions, help foster youths transition to living on their own through Wake Tech’s Fostering Bright Futures program, provide essential home furnishings to people coming out of homelessness or crisis through The Green Chair Project, and give working families in Cary short-term housing and services through The Carying Place—because “a couch is not a bed. A car is not a dwelling. A hotel is not a home.”
Recently, 10 such grants helped 21 people move into stable housing: A 76-year-old woman who has bounced from shelters to her car to the DTR streets for 10 years; a 34-year-old overcoming addiction; and a 73-year-old who suffered liver failure and cares for her daughter and granddaughter. All of them can afford their monthly rent—what they needed was the security deposit leg up.
The simple reality: Homelessness isn’t just a headline—it’s a human being. These people have faces. They have names. They have stories. “I never knew from one day to the next if I was going to live or die,” says a local who, after leaving work with a pounding migraine, drove into a median—an accident that cost her both her job and apartment. “The Cooper Foundation paid my first month’s rent, application fee and security deposit—they help you with every single thing you need to get back on your feet,” she says from the comfort of the furnished home she now shares with her “guardian angel” pup, Lacy.
These are just a few of the very real examples of how, together, our dollars amount to very real results. This year, Give Raleigh isn’t just about giving hope—it’s about giving security and a fresh start. In honor of Raleigh Magazine’s 10th anniversary, we’re calling on our loyal readers and community to give $10—or multiples of $10.
With your generosity, whether a Hamilton or hundreds, we can continue transforming lives across Wake County, one stable home at a time—and thanks to TowneBank/Towne Insurance’s generous match of the first $10,000, every single dollar you give has double the impact. Please give whatever you can, even $10—because every dollar counts, and because no one should have to wonder where they’ll sleep tonight. Through Nov. 10, giveraleigh.com
Heart of the Story
For CCF founder John Cooper, the fight against housing insecurity is deeply personal. Growing up in a modest home, he witnessed firsthand the weight of financial strain—and how easily stability could slip away. His mother juggled multiple jobs while enduring domestic violence, and his grandmother lived on a meager fixed income—yet provided the stability that allowed him to pursue college and build a career. After his grandmother passed, Cooper sought a way to honor her, founding the Cooper Charitable Foundation to ensure others wouldn’t have to face the same uncertainty alone. “She provided a lot of stability for me in a childhood that was often chaotic,” he recalls. Through CCF, he is turning his own story into a lifeline for others, breaking down barriers so everyone has the chance—and the ability—to find not just shelter, but dignity and hope.
Guide Your Giving
CCF’s small grants mean big impact. Support the organization that hits home by picking your partner from these seven CCF partners at giveraleigh.com.
Family homelessness is often hidden. Instead of street corners, many families are in cars, motels or couch surfing—struggling quietly under the weight of shame and stigma. Yet families with children make up nearly a third of the homeless population. That’s where Family Promise steps in, providing prevention, emergency shelter, rapid rehousing, transitional housing and aftercare programs since 1993 to help families move into safe, affordable, permanent homes. Because every child deserves more than a car seat or a couch to call home. familypromiseofthetriangle.org
A home is more than four walls and a concrete slab—it’s a bed to sleep in and a table to gather around. But in booming Wake County—one of the fastest growing counties in the nation—nearly 100,000 residents still live below the poverty line, unable to afford basic household furnishings. The Green Chair Project bridges that gap—providing beds, tables and essentials that transform empty rooms into homes since 2010 for families overcoming homelessness, crisis or disaster to reclaim stability and dignity. thegreenchair.org
Addiction touches us all: a parent, partner, friend—even ourselves. And it rarely looks the way we expect. “Always open, always free, always everyone, always another chance, always community”—with special emphasis on the homeless, uninsured and underserved—Healing Transitions has been connecting with people on their terms since 2001 with innovative, on-demand, peer-based recovery services: from emergency shelter and nonmedical detox to long-term support and sustained sobriety, rekindling a person’s ability to return to a meaningful, productive life. Because recovery often takes many tries, they believe in unlimited chances—until someone wakes up sober, employed and hopeful again. healing-transitions.org
Every night, hundreds of Wake County neighbors face the uncertainty of sleeping outside. Oak City Cares meets people where they are, offering meals, showers, laundry, coordinated care and—most importantly—hope. As the central hub for homelessness services in Wake County, they have been bringing together nonprofits and county agencies under one roof since 2019, helping individuals and families navigate housing, employment, health and hunger. By coordinating care in one DTR location, the “one-stop-shop for individuals and families at risk” works to make homelessness rare, brief and nonrecurring. oakcitycares.org
A young adult aging out of foster care often faces the world alone. Covering tuition and fees, plus stipend, Fostering Bright Futures helps students focus on college classes instead of where to sleep at night, in turn decreasing the number of dropouts among foster youth. Since 2009, supported by the Wake Tech Foundation and numerous community partners, the program serves a comprehensive support system that removes barriers to education and independence by providing integral life skills and financial guidance—empowering former foster youth to earn degrees; pursue careers; and build stable, self-sufficient futures. waketech.edu
Imagine a woman finally tucking her children into a warm bed, knowing tomorrow won’t be another fight for survival. For single women escaping homelessness, every day is a battle for safety and stability. The Women’s Center of Wake County provides housing support, counseling and life skills that turn fear into hope, survival and self-determination. As Wake County’s only day shelter for single women, TWC has been serving meals, showers, laundry, health care connections, case management and more since 1977—creating a pathway from crisis to security and transformation. wcwc.org
When you think of homelessness, do you imagine teachers, firemen, grocery cashiers or your favorite Uber/Amazon driver? Wake County’s homeless population has nearly doubled since 2020, with over 6,500 children experiencing homelessness—and their parents are people just like these. That’s where The Carying Place comes in—empowering hardworking families through short-term housing, life skills training and wraparound support to build financial literacy, housing stability and the tools necessary for lasting independence since 1993. Because “a couch is not a bed, a car is not a dwelling and a hotel is not a home.” thecaryingplace.org
HOW TO GIVE
- Visit giveraleigh.com.
- Earmark your nonprofit.
- Donate!
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