Helping Collier County’s homeless senior women

The Women’s Foundation of Collier County has launched Women Lifting Women, a campaign to get housing, counseling and other resources for homeless women age 70 and older.

Being homeless at any age is challenging, but being homeless when you’re over 65 makes those challenges even harder, and leaders with WFCC say that’s the reality for over 60 women in Collier County.

Elizabeth Star, honorary chair of the Foundation, says the homeless problem among senior women in Collier is shockingly bad. She says her call to action was imagining someone at that age not having anywhere to go and no support. Through the Women Lifting Women campaign, WFCC is providing no-cost housing to women in the county, and its recent Gather for Good event raised $130,000 to help house 13 additional senior women.

“There is a major homelessness problem among senior women due to many different circumstances,” Star said. “And I was shocked to find out [that] at one time there were more than 88 senior homeless women either living on the streets or living in their cars. It’s heartbreaking, frankly.”

Leaders with WFCC say $10,000 in donations can provide shelter and wraparound services to a woman for an entire year.

“They do not have to pay because many of them do not work in their 70s and 80s,” Star said. “That is why we are raising money to eradicate homelessness among senior women. We pay with your donation… it’s hugely impactful. And it’s a very direct way of giving and making a difference.”