Hildebrand Family Self-Help Center FY21 Annual Report
A Message from the CEO A Thank You Note from one of our Families
“I am writing to thank you for your great support during the past five years. My family and I have been so grateful for Hildebrand Family Self-Help Center to take us where we needed to go. I would like to let the staff know that they have been doing a great job. Look, I can go on and on, but the truth is - no words have the ability to truly express my feelings. So I hope and pray that whoever reads this little note somehow has the ability to understand the gratitude in between these lines.”
Dear Friends, Can you guess what distinguished this year from others for those of us at Hildebrand? It was not the COVID-19 pandemic; the threat of the end of the eviction moratorium; the education struggles of the schoolage children in our shelters; or the growing economic disparities and racial inequities. Although these events certainly changed our lives – and continue to do so – the thing that really made this past year unique was how we responded to these challenges. These trying times made us lean on and more fully appreciate our existing partnerships, and we also found new collaborators and supporters. Hildebrand’s partners and collaborators helped us get through some really challenging times, and your support allowed us to remain focused on our mission to partner with families in their journey to stabilize their lives, care for their children, and transition into housing. Hildebrand helped over 1,000 people in FY21, and over 600 were children. 197 families found shelter at Hildebrand, 199 families worked with Hildebrand’s Stabilization Services team post-shelter, and 55 families moved out of shelter and into permanent homes. Hildebrand continued to grow as a dynamic and diverse nonprofit over the past year. We were fortunate to be able to expand programs, outreach, and impact. A new relationship with the City of Boston Department of Neighborhood Development (DND) was formed to help families experiencing homelessness in Boston. We opened 5 new units of emergency shelter and will provide case management, housing search, and stabilization services to local families currently without housing. In response to the pandemic’s disruption in learning among school-age children in shelter, Hildebrand developed the Student Success Education Initiative to provide tutoring and support to children and their parents. The program relies on education interns from local colleges and universities who worked with the children in our shelters to help improve education outcomes, whether they were in-school, learning remotely, or in hybridlearning situations. Although the program was conceived out of the pandemic crisis, we decided to continue it through the summer and again for the 2021-2022 school year. It was quite a challenging year for most of us but together, we worked to ensure the safety and health of our families and community and toward the fulfillment of our vision that every family has a home. Sincerely, Shiela Y. Moore CEO
Shiela Y. Moore, CEO
A Message from the Board Chair Dear Friends, Hildebrand is about relationships that are compassionate, supportive, and important enough to change the lives of children and families. This FY21 Annual Report highlights those relationships, with the many partners who support Hildebrand’s vision: every family has a home. Hildebrand disrupts the cycle of family homelessness by providing shelter, supportive services and permanent homes – but also by building relationships with children and parents that help them heal and stabilize, and get them ready to move into permanent homes again. For me, as Hildebrand’s Board Chair, these relationships are at the center of everything Hildebrand does. At the core of our accomplishments is Hildebrand’s staff. This group of people are remarkable and committed and work so diligently and compassionately on behalf of each and every child and parent in shelter. Whether it’s educational support for schoolage children through the Student Success Education Initiative, responding quickly and comprehensively to the demands of COVID-19, or coordinating the complicated searches for affordable housing in the area, Hildebrand staff is there, every day, for every family in Hildebrand’s shelters or permanent housing. It also takes a dedicated and committed Board of Directors to support Hildebrand’s staff and mission, and I’m proud of the oversight, governance, and fiduciary work provided by the Board. Together with all of Hildebrand’s donors, funders, and community partners, we have been able to provide the resources to expand the organization’s ability to help more families experiencing homelessness in shelter and after shelter, in their new homes. It’s a true testament to the powerful impact of Hildebrand that even when we are working remotely and communicating virtually, we are able to connect and continue to build relationships that change the lives of hundreds of families every year. The FY21 Annual Report is full of Hildebrand’s accomplishments over the year, and stories from families who have found safe havens. I hope you enjoy reading it, and I look forward to continuing to share updates about Hildebrand. Sincerely, Kelly Blackburn Chair Kelly Blackburn, Chair, Board of Directors
A Note of Appreciation from one of our Families
“There are not enough
words to express our sincere gratitude for the assistance with helping find a home for my family. The kindness, professionalism, and caring have gone above and beyond all expectations. My family was so very lucky to be brought under Hildebrand’s wings, that even during a pandemic you reached out to assure that our needs were met. Again, I cannot thank you enough for all that you have done for us and I am forever grateful.”
Hildebrand Team “Thank You
Hildebrand Staff!” from a family in shelter
“In March, 2020, I began
to have financial problems that led me and my children to have to go to the Department of Transitional Assistance for emergency shelter. To say I was scared was an understatement! You hear so many stories about going into shelter and I had no idea what to expect. My family was given a scattered site apartment through Hildebrand. When I arrived at the building, I met with my Case Manager and another employee who were so nice and very comforting. Over my time in the unit, everyone from Hildebrand had my best interest in mind always! I lived in shelter for almost a year and it was really a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. I moved into my own apartment in February and I have the great staff at Hildebrand to thank for all their work making sure my family made a smooth transition into my own apartment. I will never forget this experience or Hildebrand!”
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2021 Annual Report
Board of Directors Officers Kelly Blackburn, Chair Kelly S. Mann, Vice-Chair Glenda Allsopp, Treasurer Michelle Meiser, Clerk
Members Anthony D. Galluccio, Esq. Wendell Joseph Clifford Long Dariela Villon-Maga Reverend Ellis Washington
Ex-Officio Reverend Dr. LeRoy Attles, Sr., Founder Wendell Bourne, Emeritus Reverend Richard W. Richardson Myra Rodrigues, LICSW
Board of Directors and Staff at Hildebrand “Meet and Greet”
Hildebrand Staff
Homeless Family Demographics Homelessness in the United States
During FY20, federal rental assistance programs enabled 5.2 million low-income households in the United States to rent modest housing at an affordable cost. (Center of Budget and Policy Priorities)
According to the HUD Annual Homelessness Assessment Report in 2020, 580,466 people nationwide were experiencing homelessness.
More than 1.5 million students were reported as experiencing homelessness at some point during the 2019-2020 school years. This number has increased by 15% since 2016. (National Education Association)
The National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates a shortage of 6.7 million affordable and available rental homes nationwide. (March 2021)
Homelessness in Massachusetts
During FY20, 3,631 unique families were assisted with emergency shelter and/or HomeBASE diversion assistance in MA. Out of the 5,873 families who sought assistance 38% of families were denied assistance. (HUD Annual Homelessness Assessment)
During the point-in-time survey conducted in January of 2020, 17,975 people in Massachusetts were experiencing homelessness. Of those represented 81% or 14,616 were people in families with children. (United States Interagency Council on Homelessness)
During the 2019-2020 academic year, over 24,600 public school students experienced homelessness in Massachusetts alone. (United States Interagency Council on Homelessness)
To afford a 1-bedroom rental home at Fair Market Rent making minimum wage ($13.50/hour), you would have to work 87 hours each week in Massachusetts. (National Low Income Housing Coalition) www.hild-selfhelp.org
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Our Families Hildebrand’s FY21 Impact 396 Families
In FY21, Hildebrand worked with 396 families, providing emergency shelter, supportive stabilization services, and permanent homes. That means over 1,000 people – 600 are children – are no longer experiencing homelessness, but are now on their way to stability, self-sufficiency, and a permanent place to call home. For 33 years, since its founding in 1988, Hildebrand has disrupted the cycle of homelessness for Greater Boston families by meeting families where they’re at, to get them to where they want to go. A piece of art painted by one of our teens in congregate housing
1,025 Individuals
60% Children
313 School-Aged Children
55 Families Placed in Permanent Housing
83 Families Stably Housed for 2 Years
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2021 Annual Report
Emergency Shelter and Supportive Services Hildebrand can provide 140 families with emergency shelter: 44 families in congregate shelters in Boston and Cambridge; 18 families in co-shelter; and 78 families in scattered-site apartments throughout Boston and Cambridge. While in shelter, children and their families receive comprehensive supportive services including case management, education and employment resources, housing search and benefits assistance, mental and physical health services, immigration support – whatever the challenges are, Hildebrand staff are there to help. One such effective program is Hildebrand’s Student Success Education Initiative, for the school-age children in shelter. Last year, children in shelter faced COVID-19 pandemic related stress and isolation as well as the ongoing emotional and physical health impacts of racism and intolerance. Hildebrand implemented the Student Success Education Initiative in fall 2020 and by November, was providing intensive casework with the students and their families. The program has Education Interns, graduate students recruited from local colleges and universities, working closely with Hildebrand’s Case Managers, the children and their families, and the local public schools to make sure each and every student has appropriate academic support. The program was so successful helping school-age children pursue their educational goals that it continued throughout the summer with academic enrichment and learning activities and into the 2021-2022 school year.
Our Families Stabilization Services Hildebrand’s Stabilization Services team helps families stay in their new homes once they have moved out of shelter; the program is designed to prevent the recurrence of homelessness. Families continue to receive case management services and to work on challenges identified during their shelter stay that might put tenancy or family wellness at risk such as employment, savings/financial stability, health or mental health challenges, language skills, legal issues, and connections to community providers. Over the course of two years, the families and the Stabilization Services team work together to develop a plan to increase economic mobility and establish other personal and family goals. All stabilization families work toward long-term self-sufficiency while in their safe, affordable homes.
Permanent Housing Hildebrand’s vision is every family has a home. Since 1988, Hildebrand has been at the forefront of the movement to end family homelessness by helping families achieve a level of stability and self-sufficiency that enables them to move out of shelter and into their permanent homes. Hildebrand currently owns 11 affordable apartments, and will double that number in FY22.
Our Families
Debt Free and Finally Home “We are a family of six. We came to Hildebrand just before Christmas in 2019. My husband had serious health issues that put us significantly behind in rent. After 6 months of hotel hopping, we were accepted into family shelter at Hildebrand; most of our stay was during the COVID pandemic. The Hildebrand staff are a great team, dedicated and invested in helping families like ours. Sometimes we would have conference calls with other families in the Hildebrand community and they would talk to us about ways to be a better neighbor, or about different towns that were a good place to live and why. They helped us find, fill out, and send out applications to different programs. They also helped with Christmas gifts, homeschool supplies and support during this pandemic, and opportunities and toys to keep the kids occupied. My oldest got to go to the YMCA summer camp. I was never able to afford camp for her before and she was so happy to be able to go! We took advantage of learning about our debt and talking with our credit bureaus. We paid off our debt; we invested in secured credit cards; we found free credit counseling classes and our scores are now in the mid 600’s and climbing. We are now in a permanent home and the family is doing well. God bless you all.” - A Hildebrand Family www.hild-selfhelp.org
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FY21 Supporters Paying it Forward
“Something happens to
your mind when you are homeless and have been homeless for so long, especially with children. Everyone becomes a lot more accepting, grateful, helpful, understanding, and kind. We have met a lot of other homeless families on our journey. Everyone has a story, heartbreaking stories. Families hiding out, camping in the woods or abandoned buildings or churches or secret hotels that no one would know were housing a homeless community. We all look “normal”. We, for the most part, don’t even look homeless. I will never forget any of you, and I hope someday when we are fully on our feet and comfortable in our big goal of owning a home, I want to pay it forward. We have learned a lot and are so much stronger now because of our experience with Hildebrand. Thank you so, so much for everything.”
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2021 Annual Report
Individuals Beth Abbate Fern Abreu John Alam and Sylvie Gregoire Glenda L Allsopp Kristina Anderson Mike Andrews Nandita Batra Kate Bauer Morgan Beals Audrey Bigham Kelly Blackburn Lauren Bock Douglas Bosley Wendell Bourne Laura Boynton Victoria Bratt Noam Buckman James Carleton Kathleen Carney John Caruso Joshua Chaitin-Pollak Cassandra Chamallas Margaret Chamberlain Brian and Beth Clymer Richard J. Cohen Gabriel Colon-Sciabarrasi Christopher Cook Sheri Cooney-Viglione Philip Costa Christopher Cote Charles Culp Dorothy Derick Abby Derosa Jessica Devine Jason Difederico Jeffrey DiIuglio Kelly Dishner Heidi A. Dooley Jonathan Dugas Avi Elenko Rylie Ellam Robert English Sam Ennis and Berit Lindell
Julius Fister Sarah Forrester William Forte
Justin Gainor Emily Gainor Anthony Galluccio Ashley Ganem Madeline Garcia-Gilbert Dan Gentile John Geosits Irene F. Goodman Kevin Grady Lori Haarala Michael Hadley Pete Halberstadt Robert Hall John Harrigan Phillip Hazard Erin Healey Tara Heath Amy Heers Alex Helm Katelyn Heyer Tera Hickle James J. Hockhousen Lowell M. Hunt Joo Hyun IM Sally Jackson Ashley Jacobson Tracy Jordan Wendell Joseph Adam Kalogeros Aftab Kazmi Sara Kinslow Laura Landy Jennifer Larson Andrea Lesins Kyle Letellier Tia Limbeck Mark H Lippolt Kristin Lyons Clifford Long Kristen Malaiva Kelly Mann Lauren Marshall Karyn McCaul Kelli McCusker Elizabeth McNerney Michelle Meiser Praveen Meka John Melaugh
Angela Menard Debbie Monosson Shiela Y. Moore Sara Moreno Vivien Morris Michelle Nangle Carolyn Oboyle Jay O`Malley Ali Otoya Megan Parisi Sandra Paterson Josie Patterson Tom Perkins Judith Perlman Victoria Pesek Crystal Pezzano Joshua Pinnolis Alice Poltorick Beverly Reid Margaret Ronald Amanda Rosbicki Fernanda Sakamoto Sepehr Salimi Scott Samon Jacqueline Schiller Henry Schuck Ellen Semonoff Thomas Sheehan Beverly Shepherd Mary Shetterly Caitlin Shortell Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui Shelley Smith Christopher Stephenson Carissa Sweigart Jim Tall Lisa Tam Jennifer Tennyson Judith Thomas Rebecca Torrisi Marcia Walsh Andrea Warner Rev. Ellis Washington Joshua Weigner Nicco Wesch Mary Rita Weschler Bre`Ona White Laura Wolbeck
FY21 Supporters Corporations Amazon Smiles Boston Beer Company Cambridge Savings Bank Charitable Foundation Cambridge Trust Company Citizens Energy Shelter Winter Assistance Program Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation Harpoon Brewery ICorps Technologies Novartis The Schuster Group Town Fair Tire Foundation Foundations Cambridge Community Foundation Cummings Foundation Kuehn Charitable Foundation Massachusetts Bankers Association Charitable Foundation Inc. Nellie Mae Foundation Follen Community Church dropping off holiday gifts for our families!
Organizations Beacon Hill Nursery Cambridge Chamber of Commerce Cradles to Crayons Dignity Matters Follen Community Church Harvard Square Business Association Institute of Contemporary Art Lovin’ Spoonfuls MIT Office of Government and Community Relations Northeastern University Latinx Student Cultural Center Omega Si Phi Red Barn Nursery St. James Church St. Paul AME Church Toys for Tots
Harpoon Brewery delivering wreaths for our congregate shelters for the holidays.
Another Family Moves into a Permanent Home! We are so excited to share that yet another family that was in shelter with Hildebrand, at one of the congregate shelters in Cambridge, has gotten their Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) voucher and moved into their permanent home! And – more wonderful news for Hildebrand – the apartment they moved into is owned by Hildebrand. The family will now work with Hildebrand’s Stabilization Services team for the next two years to help them maintain their housing stability. The family has three sons who attend schools in Cambridge so by finding a permanent apartment in Cambridge, the children will continue their educations without the stress and interruption of re-locating. Many thanks to the Cambridge Public Schools for helping this to happen also. The father was so happy that he literally jumped for joy! Congrats to the Hildebrand team that worked so hard to make this happen!
United Way of Mass. Bay and Merrimack Valley Public Funders Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development Homeworks City of Boston City of Cambridge
www.hild-selfhelp.org
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Community Partners Hildebrand Featured in Providers’ Council’s Newsletter May 2021 | Vol. 42 - No.5
American Civil Liberties Union Massachusetts Birthday Wishes Boston College Boston Continuum of Care Boston Health Care for the Homeless Boston Housing Authority Boston Medical Center Boston Public Schools Boston University Budget Buddies Cambridge Chamber of Commerce Cambridge Community Learning Center
Jewish Vocational Services Led2Serve Lesley University Lovin’ Spoonfuls Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless Metro Housing Boston MIT The Mission Continues The Parenting Journey Project Hope Project Place Providers’ Council Share Our Strength
Cambridge Community Television
Somerville Food Program
Cambridge Continuum of Care
Tufts Health Plan
Cambridge Health Alliance
YMCA of Greater Boston
Cambridge Housing Authority Cambridge Multi-Service Center Cambridge Nonprofit Coalition Cambridge Public Schools Central Square Business Association Colgate University Community Servings Cradles to Crayons Department of Children and Families Dignity Matters Everett Public Schools Families First Parenting Program Furnishing Hope Harpoon/Mass Bay Brewing Company Homes for Families HomeStart Horizons for Homeless Children Institute of Contemporary Art 9
2021 Annual Report
Institute for Health and Recovery
Board Members Anthony Galluccio and Reverend Ellis Washington delivering gifts to our families during the holiday season
Audited Financials (July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021)
Statements of Activities Revenue and Support Program Fees Grants Contributions Investment Income Other Income
2021 $7,089,428 $585,540 $104,447 $43,955 $571,295
2020 $6,686,693 $284,667 $37,580 $12,883 $842
Total Revenue
$8,394,665
$7,022,665
Expenses Housing & Supporting Services General & Admin Support Fundraising
2021 $7,066,003 $728,803 $162,547
2020 $6,193,545 $637,528 $80,871
Total Expenses
$7,957,353
$6,911,944
Thank you Cambridge Savings Bank for supporting our Back to School Drive
Statements of Financial Position Assets Current Assets Property & Equipment Other
2021 $3,828,915 $802,908 $258,962
2020 $3,611,741 $858,524 $259,444
Total Assets
$4,890,785
$4,729,709
2021 $639,750 $834,967
2020 $549,607 $1,201,346
Total Liabilities
$1,474,717
$1,750,953
Net Assets Unrestricted Temporarily Restricted
2021 $3,294,971 $121,097
2020 $2,808,330 $170,426
Total Net Assets
$3,416,068
$2,978,756
Total Liabilities & Net Assets
$4,890,785
$4,729,709
Liabilities Current Liabilities Long-Term Liabilities
Revenue and Expenses
Handing out activity bags with summer games and toys to our families
Cambridge Trust Company and Board Member, Michelle Meiser, delivering turkey dinners to our families www.hild-selfhelp.org
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Our Vision
Every family has a home.
Our Mission
Hildebrand partners with families experiencing homelessness. We endeavor to break the cycle of homelessness by providing shelter, permanent housing, training and work readiness programs, and life skills development. We restore hope and build brighter futures.
Family Self-Help Center, Inc.
614 Massachusetts Avenue, 3rd Floor Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 617-491-5752 | www.hild-selfhelp.org
hildebrandselfhelp
@hildselfhelp
company/hildebrand-family-self-help-center-inc