Shaping Soles is dedicated to providing all types of footwear- from shoes, sneakers, and boots – at no cost to individuals of all ages in need in the New England region. Chris and Caty believe that footwear is a basic necessity that every person deserves. When they aren’t working their 9-5 jobs, Chris and Caty are picking up donations of brand new and gently used shoes, organizing them, and reaching out to organizations, such as ImmaCare, who may benefit from their generosity.

On Monday August 6^th, Chris arrived at ImmaCare’s administrative offices with nearly 40 brand new pairs of sneakers and nine gently used pairs of shoes. There was excitement in the air as this donation to ImmaCare also commemorated their 1000^th donated pair of shoes!

Chris said, “We’ve been anticipating this milestone since we founded Shaping Soles, and now that we’re here, it feels surreal. What better place and people than ImmaCare? It seems like such a loving, caring atmosphere and we’re very blessed to be able to contribute. Now, we reach for 2,000 pairs, and then 3,000, and the skies the limit. We just know we’ll be back at ImmaCare with more shoes soon!”

We cannot thank Shaping Soles enough for their meaningful donation to the clients served by ImmaCare. One box went to clients served in our Emergency Shelter, and the second box went to clients living outdoors and served by our Mobile Outreach program. We look forward to continuing this amazing partnership!

The post Changing Lives, One Step At a Time first appeared on Welcome to ImmaCare.

Healing experiences offered include, but are not limited to, painting, mindfulness moments and meditation, sound healing, African Drum Circles, craft and specialty art workshops, and meal sharing.

According to CTData.org, over the past few years, Covid-19 has caused financial, physical and mental distress among the residents of Connecticut and the rest of the world. Recent research has found that anxiety levels, depression and overall mental health have deteriorated during the pandemic, with certain demographics of our population experiencing elevated risk. In addition, CTData.org reported:

• 62 percent of CT residents earning less than $15k reported feeling at least a bit anxious.
• 44percent of respondents earning less than $15k reported depression in the past two weeks.
• More than 1 in 3 adults experienced at least one day of poor mental health in the past 3 days.

Shine Your Light’s mission is to provide healing experiences to those who are most in need through the transformative power of art, yoga and diverse forms of expression. Programs and services empower individuals and communities to freely express themselves, process their emotions and enhance their coping skills, particularly when faced with adversity.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Many of us are facing challenges that can be stressful, overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Public health actions, such as physical distancing, can make us feel isolated and lonely and can increase stress and anxiety. After a traumatic event, people may have strong and lingering reactions. Learning healthy ways to cope and getting the right care and support can help reduce stressful feelings and symptoms.”

Recently, residents of ImmaCare’s Casa de Francisco had the opportunity to paint terra-cotta pots. This activity helped clients to focus on the present moment and ignite creative ideas and problem-solving skills, all while enjoying a therapeutic activity. Residents left feeling a sense of accomplishment and mental clarity. Creating and expressing gives people a break from usual thoughts, and trains our brains to concentrate on details and pay more attention to our environment.

Another recent activity was a Cardmaking Workshop, which residents found to be quite relaxing. They were extremely proud of their final products and excited to share their cards with loved ones. Some participants said the activities brighten up their days.

Casa de Francisco Property Manager Melvya Armstrong said, “These activities are important for creating a sense of community as well as serving as an outlet for individuals to relax and be creative. ImmaCare is grateful to Meg and Shine Your Light, and happy to offer these opportunities for our clients and hopes that, as time goes on, more and more individuals participate.”  

The post Building Community Through Art first appeared on Welcome to ImmaCare.

Sometimes clients come through our shelter doors with just the clothes on their back; without identification, and without any family they can rely on. Sometimes clients have major health concerns and are dependent on alcohol or other substances, and it is due to this dependency that they have burned many bridges and are alone.

One night Jack* came through ImmaCare’s doors. It was challenging for his Housing Navigator to build a rapport because due to his drinking, he would either often miss appointments, or he would show up so intoxicated that nothing would be accomplished. The Housing Navigator was discouraged and needed to figure out an alternative plan.

ImmaCare provides Harm Reduction services to people with substance use disorder which means our case managers meet clients “where they are” in their journey to treatment. As such, the Housing Navigator worked with Jack to identify the best time of day to meet before he started drinking, and they began scheduling his appointments earlier in the morning. This allowed Jack to be clear-minded and present during appointments, and they began making real progress.

The Housing Navigator encouraged Jack to reconnect with his daughters and to take small steps toward cutting back on his drinking. Since shifting the appointments to earlier in the morning, Jack not only attended most of his appointments but was also able to obtain his birth certificate and Social Security Card, both of which are typically required by landlords to secure housing. Although Jack has major health issues and an obvious substance use disorder, prior to coming to ImmaCare, he was not connected to any providers who could complete his disability verification. After some months, Jack’s Housing Navigator connected him to a provider to get his disability verification and he was soon after matched to a housing program.

ImmaCare’s “emergency shelter” has rebranded to a Housing Navigation Center; “shelter case managers” are now Housing Navigators; and “shelter frontline staff” are now Housing Support Counselors. The purpose of this rebranding is to ensure there is a focus on housing in everything we do. We are not just providing a bed, a meal, and overnight shelter to people; we are actively providing housing navigation services and expect our clients to be actively seeking permanent housing and working toward ending their homelessness.  

Jack is a perfect example of how ImmaCare fulfills its mission. He’s come full circle with our agency, and we are excited to see what the future holds for him. We cheer him as he paves the path for what success means to him, as we do for all our clients. Your donation in support of Jack and all our clients allows ImmaCare to continue our work of providing services to individuals experiencing homelessness.

Please give what you can to help us continue our mission.

Sincerely,

Lou Gilbert
Executive Director

The post Navigate Toward Housing first appeared on Welcome to ImmaCare.

For 35 years, the students at Tootin’ Hills School in Simsbury have been making sandwiches and collecting nonperishable items to support ImmaCare Inc. Project Outreach was started by a mom of a student who was also the school’s principal at the time. Upon moving to Connecticut in 2016, my children started school at Tootin’ Hills, and I was happy to have them participate and give back to those in need. As I became more involved, I gained an appreciation for the school tradition of students learning to serve the community. In 2018 I was asked to work with two other moms to help run the program. Thankfully, it was already well-established, and we were able to continue with what many awesome volunteers had done before us.

Fall fundraising drives brought in donations from families. Older students dressed in sandwich costumes would greet buses in the morning during fundraising week to hand out flyers and generate interest. Historically, fourth through sixth graders made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches almost weekly from October through April. A local grocery store in our town sold us supplies at cost. Children in younger grades took turns gathering nonperishable goods from collection bins that were placed in every classroom. Parent volunteers and school staff worked together weekly to make it all happen.

Due to COVID-19, in 2020 we suddenly and unexpectedly had to shut everything down. Emily Hart, one of the parent volunteers, was determined to at least finish out the year. Emily coordinated efforts with families who made sandwiches at home, leave them on their porch, and a transportation volunteer would collect assembled sandwiches and deliver to ImmaCare. We ended up adding several extra weeks because so many families wanted to participate. As the 2020-21 school year began, we had discussions on the viability of running the program. We weren’t sure if we could coordinate it with families at home again and in the end weren’t able to get it going.

In the 2022-2023 school year, motivated parents and members of the PTO board were determined to get Project Outreach up and running again. We had a group of fourth through sixth graders who had never made sandwiches for the cause and many parents who had never volunteered or been involved with the program since most of the parent volunteers came from the older grades. After a few hiccups we were able to get the sandwich-making up and running with awesome support from families, school leadership and staff.

With new people involved, we were able to incorporate some innovative ideas and ways of doing things. Little things like having kids hand out fundraising flyers at the end of the day instead of the morning seemed to create new energy and helped get donations during the fundraising drive. The biggest change we made this year was a switch from peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to deli meats and cheese after needing an alternative when a previously nonallergic student reacted to peanut butter.

We found that shopping at Sam’s Club allowed us greater flexibility with our budget. We were able to go from making 200 PB & J sandwiches to 170 turkey and ham sandwiches for roughly the same price. I’ve also really enjoyed the opportunity to talk about Tootin’s Project Outreach with people who were curious as to why my cart was overloaded with so many sandwich-making supplies.

Another recent change is having parent volunteers and children personally deliver the sandwiches to ImmaCare. In 2019, our principal at the time cleared parents to take their children from class to help make the deliveries. The program has really caught on this year with parents able to take their child and a classmate with them to deliver the sandwiches their class made. We’ve had more families involved with this than before and the kids appreciate seeing the process through to the end.

Project Outreach and our work with ImmaCare have brought so much value to our school community and helped our children begin to understand the importance of helping others and being involved in the world around them. I love that the program has a strong tradition within the school and appreciate the work of so many people who are involved to keep it going every year.

The post A Tradition of Service first appeared on Welcome to ImmaCare.

How does this relate to those experiencing homelessness served by ImmaCare? We have clients who live outdoors in places not meant for human habitation who choose to do so because of conditions (such as mental illness), and who don’t want to be put in a congregate setting, including a shelter. These individuals often stick to themselves, or with others in similar situations, often only meeting people in soup kitchens.

Then there are those who utilize ImmaCare’s emergency shelter services in the Housing Navigation Center. Again, these individuals are with others in similar situations as them, though each has a unique story on how they got to the shelter. These individuals eat together, watch television together or play a game of cards with others.

It’s when our food group volunteers come to serve a warm meal, smile and ask how one’s day was, when real connections happen. ImmaCare recently purchased some board games and decks of cards to encourage interaction amongst clients and these volunteers. During these moments of socialization, clients feel a part of something and a sense of belonging, not as disregarded individuals often shunned by society, hearing whispers of “bum” and “hobo” as they walk by.

When feeling dehumanized, people can be pushed further out of the social fabric of connection, and feelings of desperation may cause individuals to further isolate, and sometimes self-medicate with substances to mask the feelings of not being accepted or wanted. However, interacting with food group volunteers of a different economic class can result in positive results. Cross-class connections and friendships can inspire change about how our clients feel about themselves.

They may be inspired to keep appointments with case managers to work on their resume and secure steady work and get their own housing. On the flipside, volunteers come to understand through these interactions that not everyone has the same access to financial resources to solve their problems and may start appreciating things they often take for granted.

This holds true to our communities. Communities with a diverse economic make-up result in schools with “economically poorer” children socializing and becoming friends with children from more affluent families. This economic connectedness may result in a child being introduced to a friend’s mother who is a brain surgeon, and they may aspire to continue their education and make their own impact in the medical field. This is a perfect example of how social capital, through diverse relationships in people’s lives, can help shape aspirations and career goals.

Many of our food group volunteers are teenagers. This is by design as the coordinators of the various church or school groups want these teens to not only give back to those less fortunate, but to also understand how lucky they are, and open their minds and reach across (invisible) social-economic boundary lines.

At ImmaCare, our mission states in part our desire to “build a more vibrant community…” by “…increasing the skills, income and hope of those who struggle with housing crisis.” It’s because of the support of our generous funders, supporters, and volunteers that, more than 40 years since our inception, ImmaCare continues to provide life-changing services to individuals experiencing homelessness.

• $1,000 will help offset the shelter’s utility costs for two weeks
• $500 will help keep someone in permanent supportive housing for one week, including providing vital case management services
• $250 will help keep the Mobile Outreach Van running for two weeks
• $150 will help cover community activities for agency clients for one week
• $50 will help provide meals for shelter clients for one day

Please give what you can to help us continue our mission.

Sincerely,

Lou Gilbert
Executive Director

The post Experiencing Homelessness and the Importance of Human Connection first appeared on Welcome to ImmaCare.

ImmaCare has been serving those experiencing homelessness for more than 40 years. Though an amazing accomplishment, in an ideal world, no one would be homeless. If not for our Board of Directors, funders, donors, volunteers, and dedicated staff, we would not be able to continue serving those most in need. I am reminded of this poignant quote:

“Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.” ~ Margaret Mead 

ImmaCare’s roots began on a very cold night in 1981 when Father Donagher, a priest at the Immaculate Conception Church at the corner of Park and Hungerford Streets in Hartford, found a man frozen to death just beyond the front steps of the church. Father Donagher vowed it would never happen again and opened the basement of the church to serve the most vulnerable. Women parishioners of the church gathered their children and families to maintain the makeshift shelter. They willingly volunteered several hours daily to cook and clean the church so it would serve a dual-purpose as both a place of worship and a life-saving resource for the community.  The agency has come quite a long way in its 40 years of service to the community. What started as a grass roots basement emergency shelter has transitioned to a full-service agency also offering intensive case management services, mobile outreach and both scattered-site and project-based supportive housing.  The growth in the most recent ten years has been transformative:

• Rebranded from Immaculate Conception Shelter & Housing Corporation to ImmaCare Inc., paying homage to our humble beginnings
• Updated the agency mission statement to include our wish to help build “a more vibrant community”
• Created ImmaCare Solutions LLC, a subsidiary of ImmaCare Inc., which provides property management to ImmaCare’s project-based Casa de Francisco apartment building
• Launched the “ImmaCare Endowment Fund” through the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
• Embarked on, and completed, a major renovation to our founding home, the 125-year-old Gothic former church into a facility that is up to date with building codes and features increased functionality to better serve our clients
• Rebranded the Emergency Shelter to a Housing Navigation Center, a new low-barrier, service-enriched shelter with a focus on individuals working on ending their homelessness

 When Father Donagher came to visit about ten years ago and was asked what made him start the Shelter, he replied, “There was no vision per se; we just didn’t want to let anyone else suffer like that man did. We were all about that day, just living to get closer to spring. I believed in an active church; it is about ‘doing’ rather than ‘waiting’ to be asked. I thought then that I was so much better for the experience, very blessed by those who came…I received so much, yet gave so little – a roof, some food and a hope that tomorrow would come.” 

As a nonprofit agency, we are fortunate for the many people throughout our history who, just as our founders, felt compelled to offer their time, talents, and treasure to support ImmaCare on our journey to provide services to those experiencing homelessness. Your donation today will have real impact and allow ImmaCare to continue our mission. Thank you for believing in us.

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The post St. Timothy’s Parishioners Donate Highly Requested Items to ImmaCare Clients first appeared on Welcome to ImmaCare.