Thank You to our Partnership with Modal
January 6, 2025
As we start a new year we need to thank an old friend. Modal has been an Ally in the true sense of the word. From hosting annual events that place a spotlight on local nonprofits, to spearheading queernights promoting community socials, to cookoffs, to friendly smiles and compassionate beliefs this little hostel was more than just a place for travelers to rest their heads at night.
A few years back Joe Hindman, owner of Modal, approached the QWC because he wanted to give back in an even more meaningful way. It should come as no surprise to anyone that homelessness is a real issue for our queer community in the upstate. With so few safe resources Joe wanted to utilize his hostel as an obvious safe space for young queer individuals who found themselves without housing in need of emergent assistance.
Although we at the QWC had never worked in housing assistance before, together with Modal, we pooled our resources and combined knowledge to create a temporary housing program in a matter of weeks. Since its inception, together we have housed 13 individuals with over $5,000 covering their expenses, provided food and clothing from our resource closet, and connected them with medical, mental health, and job assistance.
We are both humbled by and proud of what this partnership and initiative allowed us to do together for the community. One of our previous awardees put it best “Without your help, I probably wouldn't have survived this long, to be brutally honest. I'm a survivor who's weathered quite a bit in the past, but never during winter.” We will always be grateful for the role we have been able to play in meeting this very real need in our community and we will always hold a special place in our hearts for Joe, his team, and hostel for being willing to see a need and do something about it.
We may not always have all the pieces to answer the needs of the community but when we come together we often find we have everything we need and everyone plays an important role in making it happen. Although Modal permanently closed its doors December 2024, we will continue to look for resources within our community to serve the unhoused. Thank you to our community for believing in our initiatives and to Joe for rolling up your sleeves with us.
