ANNE FRANK HOUSE INC
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Mission Statement
Anne Frank House provides long-term supportive housing to people who without our assistance would be homeless.
About This Cause
The Anne Frank House was founded in 1987 as a community service project of the Adas Israel Congregation. For 36 years, Anne Frank House volunteers have, in partnership with local non-profit organizations, provided long-term supportive housing and social services to adults with chronic mental illness or other disabilities who, without our assistance, would be homeless. Our model demonstrates how private individuals can create opportunities to provide health and wellbeing benefits through privately funded long term supportive housing. Over the decades, we grew from housing five women with chronic mental illness in a rented group home to housing up to 12 residents at a time in fully furnished efficiency apartments. One of our founders sold his baseball card collection to pay rent on the first house in the Bloomingdale neighborhood. Anne Frank House operated for 12 years in that rental property, but it proved to be unproductive for the women to progress while sharing common space. The organization changed the service model to scattered site housing in Ward 3. As of 2023, Anne Frank House owns seven units and rents four others. AFH partners with Friendship Place for case management and support services for each resident. Each year, we fundraise to cover the expense of a dedicated case manager for each resident. In addition, our Board members and other Anne Frank House volunteers establish caring, one-to-one relationships with each resident through monthly contact and assistance. These volunteers offer a range of services. In the past, these services have included: providing gently used furniture and kitchen equipment; assisting with computer help; advocating to fix mistakes in SSDI deductions; and finding a sewing machine for a resident to use. Sometimes relationships last decades, or as long as the resident lives in our housing. The average age of our residents is 71. A number of them have lived with independence and dignity for over a decade in Anne Frank House housing. Our clients move from years of living on the streets or in shelters to living on their own in safety and with dignity in apartments they can call home. They can stay as long as they can live independently. For its 36+ year history, AFH has been an all-volunteer run organization. In 2022, we conducted a strategic plan, the result of which was the agreement to hire our first Executive Director. Pam Bloch Mendelson, a former board member, joined as our ED in September 2022. Anne Frank House has developed an efficient, low-cost model for providing permanent supportive housing – without government grants or paid staff – and with low client turnover. We measure success by clients receiving needed support services and remaining mentally stable and self-reliant while living in the community.