ImmaCare Inc.
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Mission Statement
Mission: ImmaCare Inc. strives to eliminate homelessness in the Hartford region, while building a more vibrant community, by creating safe and affordable housing options and increasing the skills, income and hope of those who struggle with housing crisis.
About This Cause
Since 1981, ImmaCare Inc. has been a lifesaving resource to thousands of individuals experiencing homelessness. ImmaCare focuses on men who are most vulnerable to life on the streets of Hartford, including people with debilitating health issues, such as heart, liver and/or kidney disease, severe substance abuse addictions, and/or mental health issues. The mission of the organization illuminates our work: “ImmaCare Inc. strives to eliminate homelessness in the Hartford region, while building a more vibrant community, by creating safe and affordable housing options and increasing the skills, income and hope of those who struggle with housing crisis.” Our vision statement adds: “Because housing is a human right, ImmaCare Inc. will continue to work in partnership with the community to prevent and eliminate homelessness. We will provide a range of services designed to help individuals experiencing homelessness overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of securing and maintaining safe and affordable housing while becoming an integrated member of the community.” ImmaCare’s services form the holistic basis of ImmaCare’s Continuum of Care: Mobile Outreach, Emergency Shelter and Permanent Supportive Housing. Our programs offer services to individuals in the Hartford region including: shelter/ housing services, food, case management, clothing, entitlement assistance and referrals to medical/ mental health care and substance use counseling. Coinciding with the completion of the Shelter Renovations, in November of 2020, the shelter rebranded as the Housing Navigation Center- a low-barrier and service-enriched shelter focused on individuals working to end their homelessness. ImmaCare is committed to providing intensive, supportive outreach and shelter services while developing permanent housing options. Permanent supportive housing paves the way to ending homelessness for the hundreds of men who for far too long have not had a place to call home. With no stable foundation, it is nearly impossible to rebuild toward community reintegration. The Housing First model is based on substantial research that shows that permanent supportive housing is the most effective and cost-efficient model to address the needs of the chronic homeless population (those who have been homeless for one year or have four episodes of actual homelessness in the last three years and have a disability. For housing, long term chronic substance use qualifies as a disability), which make up most clients served by ImmaCare. The Housing First model moves individuals directly from the streets and shelters into their own homes, providing intensive case management services to each client in their own home setting. ImmaCare’s permanent supportive housing program currently provides supportive housing services to approximately 120 previously homeless individuals who now live independently and hold their own apartment lease in Hartford. Casa de Francisco, our project-based 50-unit supportive housing complex in Hartford’s Frog Hollow neighborhood has been operational since October 2010. In this building, half of the apartments are occupied by chronically homeless individuals and the remaining half are occupied by individuals with incomes below 50% of the area’s median income. Housing is based on our ability to connect clients to existing housing projects and subsidies. Through the Greater Hartford Coordinated Access Network (GH-CAN), clients are matched with housing through a multi-pronged approach that includes scattered-site housing options, working in partnership with other service providers and housing developers in the state who house individuals experiencing homelessness. As part of ImmaCare’s most recent Strategic Plan, we hope to secure funding to allow the agency to purchase additional apartment buildings to increase housing options for our population. Though the need for an Emergency Shelter will likely always be needed, the hope is that the number of beds can decrease, as will one’s length of stay. ImmaCare’s strengths include its leadership, compassionate employees, and loyal volunteers. Louis Gilbert, Executive Director, has more than twenty-five years of management experience at Hartford nonprofits, twenty in the role of Executive Director. Teresa Wierbicki, Director of Strategic Development, has been with the agency since December of 2008, increasing the visibility of the agency and assisted in forging collaborations which have resulted in expanding programming offered to clients. Janievette Correa, who was promoted to Director of Programs in 2021, has worked with individuals experiencing homelessness since 2018, with most of her experience in emergency shelter services. The Board of Directors is a diverse and accomplished group who are ambassadors of ImmaCare. They give generously of their talents which include experience with issues in the anti-poverty field such as public health, incarceration, and technical skills such as technology, human resources, public relations, finance, and development. Board members are financial contributors and assist with fundraising. In 2016, with the help of a motivated donor who was part of the inaugural Board of Directors for our agency, we established the ImmaCare Endowment Fund at Hartford Foundation for Public Giving to ensure our financial future. The generous gifts of our donors to the ImmaCare Endowment Fund help keep our mission alive. The ImmaCare Endowment Fund will continue to provide support for those experiencing homelessness and work toward permanent solutions for those in housing crisis. ImmaCare’s staff works tirelessly to carry out the mission with compassion for the clients. They provide essential, client-centered support services through a multi-disciplinary case management team approach. The team consists of case managers and staff assists clients by providing services and referrals for a variety of needs including housing, general assistance, job readiness, substance abuse counseling/programs, mental health, medical care, employment services, and more. They are committed to Housing First, Harm Reduction, Person-Centered, and Consumer-Choice models of care and are compassionate and consistent for their clients who are experiencing homelessness. More than simply having the skills to complete necessary paperwork and maintain quality client files, the Case Management Team possess the ability to handle stressful situations and a fast-paced environment, as well as the tenacity for providing on-going support, follow-up, and client advocacy. ImmaCare Solutions LLC, a subsidiary of ImmaCare Inc., took over property management of project-based apartment building, Casa de Francisco on July 1, 2016. The goals of ImmaCare Solutions LLC are many. One is to afford individuals who have struggled the opportunity to retain gainful employment allowing independence and pride in what they do. Secondly, to acquire other apartment buildings allowing ImmaCare to offer low rent to individuals struggling to make ends meet, in addition to hiring more personnel from our client pool. So much of what ImmaCare does is dependent on the generosity of its more than 500 volunteers who assist around the buildings and on projects not related to food services. Local organizations, churches, and individuals purchase, cook and serve dinner at the shelter seven days a week. Volunteers donate clothing, furniture, and daily care items, and provide services such as haircuts and dental work. Other dedicated individuals assist with development activities. COVID-19 has changed the way some individuals can volunteer their time however, our supporters are creative, generous and kind and have donations of basic human needs items delivered directly to our offices. We are grateful to them.