September 2024 | Issue 10

Families Finding Permanent Homes

In FY24, 66 families successfully moved out of shelter at Hildebrand and into permanent homes—significantly surpassing our placement goal for the year. Thank you to our entire community— families, friends, neighbors, supporters, staff, board members, and volunteers—for joining us in our work towards achieving our vision that every family has a home.

Summer Fun for Kids at Hildebrand

Hildebrand works with families in our shelters to find opportunities for fun, learning, and enrichment during the summertime. This summer, kids and teens living in Hildebrand shelters participated in summer camps, summer school, summer job programs, and other summertime activities all around Greater Boston. Hildebrand worked with families to find the best camp or program for their child, and then assisted with enrollment and preparations. This year, kids participated in Camp Harbor View, YMCA Camps, BCYF Camps, Wheelock Family Theatre Camp, Baldwin Camp, the Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program (MYSEP) with the City of Cambridge, and more.

The Boston Foundation Safety Net Grant

Hildebrand is excited to announce that we have received a Safety Net Grant from the Boston Foundation! The Safety Net Fund supports organizations that provide critical services to Boston's most vulnerable residents.

“Hildebrand provides a critical bridge to address immediate housing needs for families, and the resources to help them overcome the historic inequities and secure permanent, stable housing,” said Orlando Watkins, Vice President and Chief Program Officer at the Boston Foundation. “We are pleased to partner with them through the Safety Net Grants program.”

Back-to-School at Hildebrand

School is back in session! Hildebrand reaches more than 200 school-aged children each year, and we know it’s vital that every child in shelter has access to the tools and resources they need to succeed in school.

Contributions from our community of donors, supporters, and partners enabled Hildebrand to ensure that all students had what they needed to feel confident and prepared for their first day of school. Thank you to MIT, iCorps Technologies, Trinity Parish of Newton Centre, Cambridge Savings Bank, and each individual contributor for joining us in getting the school year off to a great start!

Partnership with MIRA Coalition

Hildebrand is working with MIRA Coalition to offer staff valuable training on essential topics related to the immigration system. With the knowledge and resources gained through the training, Hildebrand staff will be better equipped to support families in shelter as they navigate immigration-related barriers to securing permanent housing. Thank you, MIRA Coalition, for your partnership!

Economic Mobility Research Study

Hildebrand has officially launched our Economic Mobility Research Study! As the first step in developing a new Economic Mobility Program, we are working with consultants Allison Barron and Keri-Nicole Dillman to understand how Hildebrand can best support families in accessing economic opportunity. The consultants are collaborating with a working group made up of staff from across the organization, board members, and clients to conduct the study. Based on the research study’s results, the staff and Board will design and pilot an Economic Mobility Program for families. A special thank you to Berkshire Bank for supporting this exciting new initiative!

Welcoming Student Fellows

Hildebrand welcomed four student interns over the summer, who worked with staff and families to connect kids and teens with summer programming. We're excited to have a new cohort of student fellows with us for the fall semester.

After completing her fellowship, Hana Lowenthal, Education and Housing Fellow from Colgate University, shared in a blog post: