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At an early age, Jose Dans learned that unfortunate events can happen to anyone in the
blink of an eye, forever changing the course of their lives. Dans remembers a trying time his family experienced when he was 16 years old that, if not for the support of extended family, could have easily found them with no place to live.
That harrowing experience of uncertainty made him realize that not everyone is
fortunate enough to have a support system to help in times of trouble and served as the
catalyst for his lifelong commitment to helping displaced families and transforming
lives.
A Life-Changing Perspective
“Sometimes people experience homelessness because of one misfortune,” Dans said in a
recent interview. “If you are living paycheck to paycheck, it only takes a small challenge
to affect your living condition and the effects can be long lasting. People often think
homelessness is due to someone’s purposeful actions when in reality it is often just one
small act that devolves into a difficult situation.”
Now, almost 40 years later, helping families without a permanent home has become a
life mission for Dans, who is known to family and friends as “Pepe,” and is the founder
and president of one of the leading marketing agencies in Florida, WOW MKTG in Coral
Gables.
For the fourth consecutive year, Dans and his wife of 29 years Heide will chair Chapman
Partnership’s Illuminations Gala.
“Our family has been dedicated to Chapman Partnership for many years,” Dans
explained. “When my family went through a difficult time, it left an indelible mark on
my life. That is why I connect so much with the families that are helped by Chapman on
a daily basis.”
“We know how much being involved with Chapman means to Pepe,” said his wife,
Heide. “He introduced us to the incredible work they do and the entire family wanted to
share in his journey. We wanted our kids to know that anyone can be dealt a bad hand in
life and we all volunteer. It was important to us that our kids see firsthand the
importance of being present in the lives of those who may be suffering. It’s what we are
called to do as Christians.”
Chapman Partnership: A Beacon of Hope
Chapman Partnership is a ray of light for families experiencing homelessness in Miami-
Dade County. Each day, they provide service to over 800 men, women and children in
their downtown Miami and Homestead centers.
Together with Miami-Dade County’s Homeless Trust, Chapman Partnership provides
wrap-around services that include food, housing, education, vocational skills, medical
and dental attention, psychiatric counseling, and much more. They help parents find
jobs. They enroll children in schools. It’s part of an ambitious effort to get every family
off the streets through their cradle-to-career programs and pathway to self-sufficiency.
The Illuminations Gala is Chapman Partnership’s biggest fundraiser of the year. It’s
where most of the funds that sustain the nonprofit organization are collected. Last year’s
gala raised $1 million dollars and this year the goal is even greater.
“The theme is ‘Under the Big Top: A Million Dollars for a Million Dreams’ But, we can
only do as much as our budget allows,” said Dans. “So, we want to surpass the million
dollars by an ample margin. The more we raise, the more we can help a community in
desperate need.”
Dans’ faith and being personally impacted at a young age, has propelled him on his
quest to help others. Aside from Chapman Partnership, Dans is also on the Board of
Directors of Dolphins Challenge Cancer and Nicklaus Children’s Health System.
The Illuminations Gala will be held Saturday, November 11th at 7:00 PM at JW Marriott
Marquis Miami.
For more information on how you can get involved, be a sponsor, donate or buy
individual tickets, please contact Chapman Partnership at 305-329-3000 or visit
www.chapmanpartnership.org.
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