Grant Request Housing Families, Inc.
Hermanowski Family Foundation Initial Request Form
Organization Name: Housing Families, Inc.
Legal Name (if Different):
Also Known As: HFI
Mailing Address: 919 Eastern Avenue
City: Malden
State: Massachusetts
Postal Code: 02148
Main Phone: 781-322-9119
Main Fax: 781-322-9292
Organization Website: Housingfamilies.org
Employer ID Number: 04-2925846
Organization Tax Status: 501 (c) (3)
Proposal Information
Today’s Date: December 12, 2017
Requested Amount: $10,000
Project Title: GREAT Youth and Families Program
Project Description:
Housing Families is the only agency in Massachusetts to offer its unique blend of services–shelter, housing, case management, eviction prevention services, legal services, and a trauma-informed therapeutic program for children. Most notable is the GREAT Youth and Families Program–where Growth, Resilience, Empowerment, Acceptance and Trust are fostered every day–which provides mental health, academic enrichment, and advocacy services to help children heal and grow.
The experience of homelessness is particularly toxic for children, who often have not completely developed the ability to adequately express their experience. Childhood exposure to stressors such as those caused by homelessness negatively influences development in parts of the brain that affect a child’s’ mental health and capacity for learning. GYFP services help children in the Greater Boston Area recover from housing instability and learn healthy academic, social and emotional skills that will help them to break the cycle of homelessness.
All services in GYFP are trauma-informed. Staff, interns and volunteers are trained to work with children and parents who are experiencing toxic stress, and are supervised by a licensed social worker who began the program in 1996. GYFP operates year-round, offers enriching programming during the summer, and individualized mental health and support during the academic year, collaborating with children’s parents and teachers to determine needs.
To this end, children receive individualized homework assistance and tutoring: participate in art and play therapy to help them identify and express their feelings and emotions; engage with their peers in positive social interactions while having new experiences to build essential soft-skills in a safe environment; participate in Summer Enrichment Camp and Saturday School Programs; and preschool aged children participate in the PEACH (Physical and Emotional Awareness for Children who are Homeless) program, a curriculum developed by the National Center on Family Homelessness.
Total Project Budget: $647,034
Other Funding
Sources For The Project (Committed & Potential): Committed: $128,500 private; $310,892 public. Pending: $53,750 private; $100,000 public
Project Duration: Operates on a July 1 – June 30 fiscal year
Geographical Area Served: 175 children living primarily in Malden, Everett, Revere, Medford as well as Chelsea and Greater Boston
Age Group To Be Served: 0-18
Contact Information
Contact Prefix (Mr,Mrs etc.): Ms.
Contact First Name: Hilary
Contact Last Name: Wolkan
Contact Title: Senior Development and Communications Associate
Contact Phone: 781-322-9119 ext.124
Contact Email: hwolkan@housingfamilies.org