Miracle Money 1.0
2021 Proof-Of-Concept
Our First Basic Income Experiment.
$500/month in direct cash transfers
for neighbors experiencing & exiting homelessness.
14 recipients over six months. Nine were unhoused.
Of those nine individuals, six secured housing.
Meet the Recipients
Elizabeth is a journalist, teacher, and the founder of an educational nonprofit organization. She has been experiencing homelessness since 2019. After a cancer diagnosis, Elizabeth was unable to work, which led to the loss of her income and housing. In March 2020, she began participating in the Miracle Friends.
Ray is currently transitioning from a tough part of his life where he didn't have a home for quite a while. Prior to being unhoused, he was a dad, a husband, a very good salesman, and he enjoyed his work. Unfortunately, he and his family were separated and later on he joined us here at Miracle Messages.
Martin has gone through different housing situations from shelters to Airbnbs, while being considered unhoused. Due to his disability, he needs the aid of a service dog, costing quite a bit to train and feed. He always had to be dependent on other people, but now, he is working towards being independent.
Nathaniel is a resident of San Francisco. Although he has experienced many hardships regarding mental health, racism, and isolation, Nathaniel continues to choose love and kindness every day. He expresses that, “I can’t let go of the love in the world, because if I do, I’m done.”
When health issues kept Marie from holding a steady job, her housing became unstable as well. Staying in a SIP hotel in the Bay Area, she connected with Miracle Friends, which, from the very first phone call, has brought helpful relationships with friendly people.
Rachel was raised in a family of nine. After her husband passed away and her daughters moved out, she struggled with poverty and loneliness. Isolated in a SIP hotel, she remembers, “after shutting the door to my room, an overwhelming fear of losing control over my life.” Fortunately, Rachel was paired with Miracle Friends.
Beverly is an anchor in the Tenderloin community in San Francisco, and she has been an ambassador for Miracle Messages for the past three years. After fighting addiction and the woes of the street, Beverly is now sober and can be found looking after neighborhood kids and helping people locate their families.
After Muhammed arrived from India, he worked in a liquor store, a carwash, and a 99-cent store. While staying in a SIP hotel room in San Francisco, he got the phone number for Miracle Messages from a woman at a bus stop. Muhammed looks forward to achieving citizenship and finding permanent housing.
Drake currently lives in a SIP hotel in San Francisco. He was working as a nurse—giving care to seniors and hospice patients—when he developed a severe nerve disorder and could no longer walk. He lost his job and was unable to afford rent, leading him to become unhoused.
Danielle is a lifelong resident of San Francisco who proudly boasts she can tell you how to get from any point in the city to another. She is a woman on the rise, learning to look ahead not back, learning to deal with setbacks and disappointments, and is determined to achieve her goals.
Brian is a long-time resident of San Francisco and a long-time member of the Miracle Messages family. With the help of the Miracle Messages’ reunion program, we were able to reunite Brian and his brother after two years of separation. With such a giving heart, he is an inspiration for us and for many.
Caridad moved to San Francisco in 2002 with her husband and daughter. After her husband passed away in 2009, Caridad was unable to pay rent and lost her apartment. After almost ten years of living in very tight quarters with her daughter, Caridad moved into a shelter in 2019. She joined Miracle Friends in May 2020.
Sandi is originally from Chicago and currently lives in Santa Rosa. The pandemic has been difficult for Sandi and her family, and has caused her to fear for them. She recently lived in a shelter home and, though it was challenging, she feels grateful for this experience and what she has learned.
After her divorce, Peggy combatted many hardships and became homeless in San Francisco. Fortunately, she found her way to the Miracle Friends and Miracle Money programs. She hopes to turn her life around by getting a place to live and improving her credit.
Empower others through the gift of stability.
FAQs
+ What was Miracle Money 1.0?
Miracle Money 1.0 was a Basic Income (BI) pilot for people experiencing homelessness, modeled off of this successful pilot in Canada. The project consisted of monthly cash stipends for people experiencing homelessness to provide stability and the opportunity to plan for the future. Through 60 peer-to-peer campaigns, we provided 14 Miracle Friend participants $500/month for six months that was used on transportation, clothing, housing, savings, and other essentials.
+ Who were the Miracle Money recipients?
Recipients were members of the Miracle Friends community, whom we had grown to know and trust over many months. During their participation in the Miracle Friends program, we learned about their lives, stories and hopes for the future. We included them in Miracle Money after careful consideration, believing the money would meaningfully impact their lives and circumstances.
+ How were recipients selected?
Recipients were nominated by the members of the Miracle Friends volunteer community, who had developed relationships with the recipients over several months. Participants shared how they would use the money and how it would positively impact their lives. They must have been active in the Miracle Friends program, connecting with their phone buddies weekly, and providing monthly updates on how the money was impacting their lives.
Criteria for selection included:
- Diversity (age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability)
- Housing status (length of time homeless, housing options, etc.)
- Location (based in an area we served and our partners were based)
- Impact of stipend (had plans and clear goals for how to use the funds)
- Timing (not currently facing substance abuse, addiction, or early in recovery)
- Engagement (active with Miracle Friends, endorsement from their friend)
- Commitment (were happy to share monthly and report-backs)
- Fit (intangibles, including holistic fit alongside other recipient profiles)
+ How could the funds be used?
Participants retained autonomy over how they used their funds. We believe in the agency of individuals, and that, given the opportunity, people will choose to spend money on that which will move them forward. There were some legal restrictions on how the funds could be used, including prohibition on the purchase of drugs, alcohol, firearms, or other illicit substances.
+ Why Miracle Messages?
In our work, our core value is meeting people where they are in life. What that means is that we listen to what people feel is best for them. Our flagship reunion services are predicated on this — we give people the opportunity to tell us what they need, and we then try to meet that need.
That being said, not all reunions are equal, and not all reunions are appropriate. The same applied for Miracle Money — we did not want to provide funds that would be used in ways that would ultimately hurt our recipients. This was especially true when it comes to substance addiction, as we did not want to provide funds that would drive people deeper into addiction.
Miracle Messages believes that relational poverty is poverty, and our core programs are based on that. But we also know that poverty — the lack of funds to take care of one’s basic needs — is poverty. If we can build on the relationships we’ve developed to truly address poverty, we want to do it and believe in the power of human connection to create a path for healing and growth.
Be a part of something good.
Donate to Miracle Money and help change lives.