About

The Hope & Home Celebration is an annual event to honor the contributions of Mercy Housing & Shelter Corporation and My Sisters' Place in the ongoing fight to end homelessness. Both organizations are members of Community Housing Advocates, Inc., and when combined they are among the largest providers of services for the homeless, and those at risk of becoming homeless, in the greater Hartford region. 2023 marks the fifth year that the Hope & Home Celebration is taking place, and the event will be held on Friday, October 13, 2023 from 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm at The Hartford Downtown Marriott. There will be a charity auction in addition to a brief program.

About Mercy Housing & Shelter Corporation

Mercy Housing and Shelter Corporation provides housing assistance and supportive services to persons who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Mercy works to empower its clients to become independent, so they may live and work with dignity and respect. Mercy seeks to end homelessness by advocating for changes in the social systems that perpetuate homelessness, and they welcome and serve all in need in the tradition of the Sisters of Mercy, who founded the organization in 1983. In 2020, Mercy Housing met almost 5,000 requests for care services, provided more than 43,000 meals to those in need, served more than 2,500 people who were homeless or at risk, and helped close to 1,000 families and individuals obtain and maintain permanent housing. Learn more about Mercy's programs and locations at mercyhousingct.org.

About My Sisters' Place

Every day, throughout the greater Hartford area, there are hundreds of people who have found themselves homeless due to domestic violence, eviction, unemployment or mental illness – the overwhelming majority often women and children. Since 1982, My Sisters’ Place has provided a safe and nurturing environment for those who find themselves without a home through a unique combination of services and support, guidance and empowerment, encouragement and outreach. My Sisters’ Place has today grown to include Sue Ann Shay Place, which provides supportive housing for male and/or female headed households, and Mary Seymour Place apartments for single individuals. My Sisters’ Place has helped more than 26,000 people in our community, providing them with a warm place to stay, food for themselves and their children, and services that are designed to get them back onto the road to independence – including medical care, management of financial affairs, and more. Learn more at sistersplacect.org.

Our residential programs include:

St. Elizabeth House, in Hartford, serves persons living with HIV/AIDS, women in recovery, adults experiencing a mental health crisis, Veterans and other homeless populations.
The Residence, located within Saint Mary Home in West Hartford, is for homeless adults with disabilities.
Mary Townsend Seymour Apartments, in Hartford, serves low-income adults.
Sue Ann Shay Place Apartments, in Hartford, are for formerly homeless women and men who head households.
Scattered Site Supportive Housing in Hartford and Middletown helps chronically homeless adults and families.

Our supportive services include:

The Friendship Center at St. Elizabeth House in Hartford is a day shelter and soup kitchen offering breakfast and lunch five days a week and access to showers, a food pantry, toiletries and medical care.
The Diversion Center in Hartford connects people with services that preserve their current housing or rapidly finds them housing to divert them from becoming homeless.
The Hartford Prevention Project provides assistance to Hartford residents to help them avoid entering a shelter.
The Housing Coordination Program provides resources and assistance in negotiating the housing market and acts as a liaison between landlords and tenants.
Other services include: search for employment, clinical care, life skills workshops, connection to community services and support groups.