We know the Home Shows would be big, but $10.8 million big? That’s how much Pearl Jam’s community-minded effort to fight homelessness raised this summer. How much local businesses donated, how much driven individuals raised to help our neighbors sleeping on the street.

Now, 100 organizations will use these funds for critical homelessness response.

A portion will go toward diversion, which helps people on the cusp from sliding into homelessness. Maybe they need one month’s rent, or a medical bill paid, or the car fixed so they can get back to work and earning a paycheck. This typically one-time financial assistance has the data behind it to show it really works to prevent people from becoming homeless.

Seeing the public, business community and nonprofit sector come together to raise this much shows what’s possible when we all support a common goal. It also shows that homelessness really touches us all. Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard even shared with us why this mission is so personal to him.

We can’t wait for what comes next. Let’s get people housed, Seattle.

Read the entire article at The Seattle Times.