One Home And One Bed At A Time

For Immediate Release

NASHVILLE, Tenn./EWORLDWIRE/Sep. 7, 2005 --- With as many as 400,000 people forced to leave their homes along the southern coast - many of them will never have a home to return to, the Open House Project (www.TheOpenHouseProject.org) directly addresses the need for housing for all of these people. The web site, which can also accept requests via fax (lack of internet access in shelters), matches those in need of housing with people that are willing to house them, all over the nation, in a secure format that does not jeopardize the privacy of either party.

The site offers free housing. Within 24 hours of launch, the site had already climbed to 3,000 beds. The project is fully funded by its creators and does not take donations of any kind.

The most striking difference between The Open House Project and other housing efforts is that the process is completely anonymous for the hosting home. "People who open their homes must know as much as possible about the person as well as be able to say no without people having their contact information. This is a very personal experience, and although it's good that our hearts think faster than our brains, sometimes it can get us into sticky situations," says Jared Miller, one of the project's managers.

The Open House Project was created by three close friends - Shane Messer, David Reilly and Jared Miller, who are also partners at The Incubator Group, a private equity firm in Nashville, Tenn. and MyLife:MyBusiness small-business development company.

"Our responsibility as Americans, and as caring human beings, is to serve and protect those in need if we are able. Earlier in our own lives, each of us spent time living in the streets for different reasons; that is part of the connection that brought us together years ago and part of the bond we share today. We know what it is like to have nothing and to feel desperate and hopeless. Hurricane Katrina victims are also dealing with the death of loved ones - far beyond the disparity of just being homeless. Our goal is to connect families in need with families that are able to help them by providing temporary housing. In time, we want to continue these efforts by providing people with free business development assistance for those who decide to try and rebuild their businesses elsewhere," said Messer.

The Open House Project is dedicated to providing a safe, secure environment for matching displaced people with temporary housing in this time of national emergency.

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CONTACT:
Jared Miller
The Open House Project
2479 Murfreesboro Rd.
#154
Nashville, TN 37217
PHONE. (615) 301-8570
EMAIL: info@TheOpenHouseProject.org
http://www.TheOpenHouseProject.org

SOURCE: The Incubator Group / MyLife:MyBusiness