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How the Program Works

• Often times many homeless people who are able to find an apartment return to a shelter or transitional housing environment after a short time because they lack the support structure vital to survival and successful independent living. Food is somewhat available through food pantries and soup kitchens but it is difficult for clients to afford the basic household items that make an apartment livable.
  

• A Hand Up, Inc. works with social workers and case managers at a number of social agencies in the Greater Hartford area to identify people who fit our criteria of being homeless and in need of our support as they move into their first independent living apartment.

• The social worker works with the client to develop a list of items needed to help make the transition successful. The social worker then sends the list to A Hand Up.
  

• A Hand Up reviews its inventory to determine what items we already have.  We then ask volunteers to complete the list by searching for the remaining items.
  

• A Hand Up is constantly seeking gently used regularly requested items on an ongoing basis.  Items can be delivered to our warehouse or if requested our volunteers can pick the items up.  We ask that larger items be stored by the donor until we are ready to deliver them to the client.

• Once a large portion of the items on a family's list are collected, A Hand Up makes an appointment with the client to deliver the items.  A Hand Up puts together a team of volunteers to help with the pick-up and delivery of the items.

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