Nonprofit Reunites Homeless With Their Families

Miracle messages is a nonprofit dedicated to helping people experiencing homelessness reunite with their families. The nonprofit offers family reunification services, a phone buddy program, and basic income pilots for people experiencing homelessness. Eddie Thompson Ⅲ, had been struggling with housing insecurity for a decade when he heard about the organization and reached out for help.

He spent years longing to reunite with his son Shay that he hadn’t seen since after his high school graduation. Volunteer Lindsay Pfeiffer took on Eddie’s case and after some days of persistence, she was able to locate Shay and inform him that his father had been actively looking for him. Shay was shocked when he got the call. For the entirety of his adult life, he had been searching for his father. With each passing year, the young man felt the reality of any reunion with his dad slipping away.

The two were reconnected and given a second chance at their relationship—and Shay was beyond grateful to end the years spent apart. Through Lindsay’s coordination, the two finally met in person. Eddie not only found his son, but discovered he has a granddaughter, as well. The father and son are now catching up on all the time they missed.

As many as 1 in 3 people experiencing homelessness have lost their social support systems. Volunteers from around the world can donate just one hour of time as a “digital detective” helping homeless with locating loved ones or as a “phone buddy” offering phone support and mentoring for those experiencing homelessness. The nonprofit provides training, mentoring, and support to all volunteers with a goal of helping those experiencing homelessness have social support.