Hands on Hartford

The community engagement program orients, trains, supports, and places volunteers with all of our direct service programs. This program also manages larger customized service projects, immersions and "dash for a difference" events providing service learning both at Hands on Hartford and at non-profits, schools and parks throughout Hartford. Community engagement also encompasses the faces of homelessness speakers' bureau, through which speakers share their own experiences of homelessness with diverse audiences. In 2023, 1,488 volunteers provided 22,196 hours of service in the Hartford area. Faces of homelessness speakers spoke at 28 events in 2023.

The manna community pantry is a full choice shopping model pantry, allowing clients to choose food that will suit their families' needs and tastes, minimizing food waste and maximizing nutritional value. Pre-bagged groceries are also available based on client choice. Groceries include non-perishable staples, along with bread, milk, eggs, fresh produce, frozen meat (including halal meat). Food is labeled based on the swap (supporting wellness at pantries) system, rating it based on sugar, salt and saturated fat content. We also offer basic personal hygiene items and diapers. We served an average of 871 households each month through this program in 2023, and distributed 508,531 pounds of food, 23% of which was fresh food.

Our homeless prevention program offers referrals, utility assistance through private funds and operation fuel, security deposit and rental assistance, training and employment opportunity financial assistance and referrals, nutrition education and health screenings to Hartford residents. We provided homeless prevention services to 285 households in 2023. Our day center is open four days and one evening a week (including a free dinner), which is a welcoming place where caring staff and volunteers give emotional support and a sense of community to those who often live isolated lives, and where guests can spend the day indoors. Staff trained in social work help guests stabilize their situations and take steps to move toward permanent housing and self-sufficiency, and health-checks, a bimonthly walk-in clinic, enrichment activities, risk reduction items and help with referrals are also available. This program often becomes a springboard for positive life changes, including accessing resources to help with benefits, housing, and employment. In 2023, we provided 1,740 targeted navigation services, and people received onsite health assistance 711 times.

Backpack nutrition programthe backpack nutrition program serves Hartford children who rely on free-of-charge school breakfasts and lunches during the school year. We send home a backpack containing two breakfasts and two lunches along with drinks and snacks (including shelf stable milk) each friday of the school year. We also add weekly enhancements, such as fresh fruit, canned chicken, community resources information, nutrition resource information, and school supplies. We served 226 children in the first half of 2023, and 220 children by the end of the second half of the year, distributing 6,590 backpacks to children in eight Hartford schools.homeless outreach (program ended 9/30/23)the homeless outreach program is an interdisciplinary collaboration with Connecticut harm reduction coalition aimed at helping to get folks who are living unsheltered into permanent homes of their own. The team seeks out people who are living in tents, under bridges, in wooded areas, etc., provides them with warm clothing, snacks, beverages, and works to find them a warm place to sleep indoors. They connect them with medical and mental health assistance where needed, and work to match them to housing programs with an ultimate goal of ensuring that each person they encounter finds a safe and stable place to call home. The team engaged with 536 individuals through september 30, 2023.unsheltered (starting 10/1/23)the homeless outreach program is an interdisciplinary collaboration with Connecticut harm reduction coalition aimed at helping to get folks who are living unsheltered into permanent homes of their own. The team seeks out people who are living in tents, under bridges, in wooded areas, etc., provides them with warm clothing, snacks, beverages, and works to find them a warm place to sleep indoors. They connect them with medical and mental health assistance where needed, and work to match them to housing programs with an ultimate goal of ensuring that each person they encounter finds a safe and stable place to call home. The team engaged with 236 individuals starting october 1, 2023.homeless outreach program for the elderly (hope)the homeless outreach program for the elderly is an interdisciplinary collaboration with Connecticut harm reduction coalition aimed at helping to get folks who are 60 and older who are living unsheltered into permanent homes of their own. The team seeks out people who are living in tents, under bridges, in wooded areas, etc., provides them with warm clothing, snacks, beverages, and works to find them a warm place to sleep indoors. They also connect with individuals who are 60 and older and homeless who attend our day center (inreach). They connect them with medical and mental health assistance where needed, and work to match them to housing programs with an ultimate goal of ensuring that each person they encounter finds a safe and stable place to call home. The team engaged with 359 individuals in 2023.homeless to housing (h2h)the homeless to housing program is a collaboration with mercy housing and shelter corporation aimed at helping to get folks who are living unsheltered into permanent homes of their own. A peer support person seeks out people who are living in tents, under bridges, in wooded areas, etc., provides them with warm clothing, snacks, beverages, and works to find them a warm place to sleep indoors. They connect them with medical and mental health assistance where needed, and work to match them to housing programs with an ultimate goal of ensuring that each person they encounter finds a safe and stable place to call home. Connecticut integrated healthcare and housing neighborhoods (cihhn)through the cihhn program, we support individuals in finding and keeping safe, affordable housing and provide housing case management and patient navigation services to increase housing stability and positive health outcomes. Participants were formerly homeless, have complex medical issues and are high users of medicaid-supported hospital and emergency department services. 10 individuals were served through this program in 2023.hands on Hartford housing serviceswe provide safe and affordable supportive housing and related support services for folks with serious health issues (including those living with hiv/aids), both onsite, and in individual's homes throughout the Hartford area. We also provide supportive services and individualized housing stabilization or homelessness prevention services to neighbors in need of assistance. 42 individuals and their families participated in this program in 2023. In addition, we provide linkage and referral case management services at a 32-unit apartment building for individuals with limited income.permanent supportive housing services (psh)we provide supportive housing and related support services for up to 24 folks with serious health issues living in various scattered site locations in the Hartford area.zezzo house supportive housing serviceswe provide supportive housing and related support services for 18 households who have members with serious health issues (including those living with hiv/aids), at an offsite residence in hartford.faxon apartments supportive housing serviceswe provide supportive housing and related support services for tenants in 14 apartments dedicated to individuals and families who have struggled with homelessness and housing instability at an apartment building in west hartford.community kitchen/shared use kitchenhands on Hartford's shared use kitchen is available for use by qualified food operators on a membership basis on an hourly basis. Small culinary businesses join the shared kitchen and benefit from a modern, renovated, licensed kitchen for product preparation and development, cooking classes, etc. We also worked in partnership with a group of community organizations to run the culinary collaborative, designed to support the small businesses who are members of our kitchen to strengthen and further their businesses. 49 businesses were members of our shared use kitchen in 2023.gather55 daytime servicegather55 is a "participation model" restaurant open for breakfast and lunch, monday through thursday, at our 55 bartholomew street location and is designed to bring diverse communities together while ensuring low-income neighbors have access to nutritious and appetizing meals. Patrons may pay the posted price on the menu, or a minimum of $3 or $5. For those unable to pay, we offer the opportunity to volunteer for a hour, serving coffee, clearing tables, helping in the kitchen, etc. As an alternate method of participating in our mission. And for those unable to pay or volunteer, we offer "on-the-house" vouchers for meals. We served approximately 40,000 guests during the day in 2023. Approximately 75% of those served paid the minimum, volunteered, or used vouchers.gather55 evening servicegather55's dinner service model is open wednesday through saturday evenings. Dinner is a fine-dining experience based on a prix fixe menu. A percentage of reservations per evening are reserved for folks not able to pay for their meals. This allows these diners to enjoy a special night out and furthers our mission of connecting communities. Menus are developed monthly by locally popular guest chefs and income earned through the evening service helps to offset the cost of breakfast and lunch service.55b apartmentsthirteen one-bedroom and efficiency style apartments at Hands on Hartford provide permanent housing to 13 individuals in need of supportive services because of serious health issues. 24/7 support is available through our housing services program.