Together We Can End Homelessness

April
2015

ISSUE
No. 11

Journey Home Spring Newsletter

2015 has already been a busy year for Journey Home, and we are excited to share with you all the ways we are working to end homelessness in Greater Hartford this year. Outstanding new initiatives, collaborative partnerships and successful campaigns have been the foundation of the season's work so far. We are building on this momentum and continue to expand the scope of our innovative solutions to homelessness, with a focus on empowering our community and increasing sustainability. We hope that you will enjoy learning about our work as much as we love doing it.

Sincerely,

Matthew Morgan
Executive Director

View the 2014 Journey Home Annual Report Here

Home of Unsheltered Hartford Resident

Event Updates:

Annual Point-in-Time Count Completed

On February 18 th, i n single-digit temperatures, teams of volunteers completed the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count; a federally mandated census of all those experiencing homeless on a given night. The count was a collaborative effort on behalf of regional coordinators with Community Renewal Team and Journey Home. Continue Reading Here

Kick-off at CRT, Mar. 9

Event Updates:

Rapid Results 100-day Campaign Kicks-Off in Hartford

On March 9th, the 100-Day Campaign to Reduce Chronic Homelessness in Greater Hartford enjoyed a first-rate launch, showcasing Connecticut's commitment to the cause. Continue Reading Here

Senator Chris Murphy Visits Belcan

Event Updates :

Graduates of the Aerospace Program Take Their Positions

In December of 2014, the first graduates of the Aerospace Employment Placement Program completed their semester of courses at Goodwin College. Since then, they have assumed their positions at Windsor-based, Belcan Corporation, and joined the ranks of Connecticut's thriving engineering industry. Continue Reading Here

Coming Soon:

Journey Home Now Accepting Donations for Birdies for Charity Fundraiser

Since 2004 the Birdies for Charity fundraiser has been a staple of the Travelers Championship and an exciting opportunity for every non-profit in the Northeastern United States. Last year the championship raised $1.56 million for some 140 charities. Continue Reading Here

Community Spotlight:

Hartford Thrive! brings Two New VISTAs to Journey Home

AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) play a vital role in building capacity and developing sustainability for non-profits across the country. Beginning this April, a new project headed by Hands on Hartford will bring together 12 VISTAS in a common mission to end poverty and create opportunity for Hartford Residents. Two of them will be serving at Journey Home.

Continue Reading Here

Community Spotlight:

Connecticut Completes First Homeless and Runaway Youth Count

It is estimated that 500,000 unaccompanied youth will face homelessness this year. Despite that staggering figure, there is lack of community-level data available to drive solutions toward change. In 2015 the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness (CCEH) took a huge step and organized the nation's first ever statewide Homeless and Runaway Youth Count. Continue Reading Here

Gwen and her Patient Navigator, Alba Martinez

Success Story:

The Power of Integrated Healthcare and Housing

Connecticut's Integrated Housing and Healthcare Neighborhoods (CIHHN) program saves taxpayer dollars by linking high-cost, high-need clients with primary care, behavioral healthcare and supportive/affordable housing. In the year before entering the program, Journey Home's 35 CIHHN clients racked up a combined $2.8 million in Medicaid costs. Continue Reading Here

Powerful Partnerships:

Journey Home Recognizes Hartford Foundation for Public Giving

In December 2014, Hartford foundation for Public Giving awarded Journey Home a grant of $140,000 to offer continued support of the Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness Innovation Project. In continuing to pursue the work of the Innovations Collaborative, there are three main goals. . Continue Reading Here

Team Updates:

Journey Home Welcomes Tina Ortiz to the Board of Directors

Tina has been employed with Community Renewal Team for 15 years in various capacities, and is currently the Director of Housing and Veterans Services there. She oversees 2 homeless shelters, 5 housing programs for homeless persons, 3 Veterans Services programs, a housing program for grandparents raising grandchildren, and a youth services housing program.

Community Renewal Team is an agency that frequently works in collaboration or close proximity to Journey Home. Tina brings with her shared goals, values and knowledge, but also first hand experience with the struggles that Hartford's homeless populations face.

"I consider it a great honor to be a director n the board for Journey Home," said Tina, "I believe together as a team we can do extraordinary work for the community and for struggling populations."

Journey Home is excited to have Tina's expertise and insight at the table. We thank her for her service and look forward to incorporating her leadership into our future growth.

Sarah Salomons Joins Journey Home Full-Time

Sara Salomons has been a part of the Journey Home family since this past October as a development consultant. We are excited to announce that beginning in mid-April, Sara will transition from part-time consultant to full-time staff member.

"I look forward to joining the wonderful staff at Journey Home and doing my best work in support of their mission," said Sara.

Sara brings with her 25 years of experience in social justice and anti-poverty work. She is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, With a B.A. from Calvin College, an MDiv from North Park Theological Seminary and an M.A. from the University of Saint Joseph. Sara will be coordinating and developing Journey Home's fundraising, grant writing and other development initiatives.

Sarah Simonelli Completes a Year of Service

Journey Home offers our sincere thanks and best wishes to Sarah Simonelli, who served for the last year as Sustainability Development Coordinator AmeriCorps VISTA.

"My year of service was a once in a life-time experience," says Sarah, "I fell in love with Hartford and got to know the passionate community of non-profits, volunteers and advocates here."

Since February of 2014, Sarah has been responsible for all Journey Home communications and event planning. She organized an outstanding Cardboard City Sleep-Out event at University of Hartford last November, and her tireless work helped raise well over $100,000 for Journey Home through a fundraiser honoring one of our founders, Bill Farley. She is also responsible for laying the groundwork of the Hartford SOAR program, which will be built upon by our new VISTA in June.

Sarah has now joined the staff at Chrysalis Center, one of Journey Home's partner agencies. As a community case manager through the CABHI program (Cooperative Agreement to Benefit Homeless Individuals), she works directly with homeless individuals to walk them through the housing process.

We are proud that Sarah continues to support the mission of ending chronic homelessness in Greater Hartford. We are grateful for her year of hard work, and look forward to watching her excel at Chrysalis.

860-808-0336

[email protected]
http://journeyhomect.org/

Journey Home's mission is to accelerate progress towards ending chronic homelessness in the Greater Hartford region. Partnering with the region's social service providers Journey Home focuses on solving the problem of chronic homelessness with housing, employment, and support services, rather than managing it with emergency shelter. As a catalyst for systemic change, Journey Home develops and implements innovative ways to improve the housing and service system in order to offer those experiencing homelessness paths toward independent, fulfilling, and productive lives. Find out more!