OPERATION HOPE OF FAIRFIELD INC

Ending Hunger and Homelessness. One person at a time.

aka Operation Hope   |   Fairfield, CT   |  www.OperationHopeCT.org

Mission

The mission of Operation Hope is to provide individuals and families the opportunity to experience transformative change. Our programs and services focus on eliminating hunger and homelessness and are designed to help people solve their crises and build stability in an environment in which compassion inspires dignity and hope.

Ruling year info

1987

Executive Director

Ms. Carla Miklos

Main address

636 Old Post Road

Fairfield, CT 06824 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

06-1193489

NTEE code info

Homeless Services/Centers (P85)

Other Housing Support Services (L80)

Food Service, Free Food Distribution Programs (K30)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Blog

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Each day Operation Hope works to "End hunger and homelessness. One person at a time."

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Food Pantry

Located at 636 Old Post Road. Hours of Operation: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and Thursdays 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. OH staff connect clients with other resources which help eliminate their food insecurity. One of the primary ways in which our food pantry assists people is that it allows them to focus on stabilizing other areas of their lives. 

The majority of the food donations we receive come from generous members of our community. Among the ways in which we are able to secure food for our shelves are: school, church, and corporate food drives, individuals may solicit large food and/or personal products donations from companies, the Annual Postal Service Food Drive in May, financial contributions directed specifically to the food pantry, and many other community-driven projects.  Once we receive the donations, our dedicated volunteers sort and stock the shelves and distribute food and other necessities to clients.
 

 Did you know?
Basic necessity products such as toilet paper, diapers and toothpaste are not covered by food stamps. Operation Hope works to secure these kinds of products for our clients, so that they do not have to choose between food and toilet paper.
In 2016, in Connecticut, one in seven households struggles to put food on the table. One child in five under age 18 is hungry or food insecure. There are nearly 490,000 people in Connecticut at risk of hunger every year. (CT FoodBank)

Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people

Operation Hope currently has affordable housing units throughout Fairfield. These scattered site properties house men, women and families. Clients go through an application process for our housing. Our clients are able to achieve goals set between them and our support staff, which includes licensed clinical social workers. Ultimately, our goal is to help and empower our clients in attaining self-reliance and stability in their day-to-day lives.

Population(s) Served
Homeless people
People with disabilities

Operation Hope's newly created Homeless Response Center provides homeless outreach, intake and assessment, crisis resolution, shelter diversion, homeless case management, and more. Getting people off the streets and into safe, stable housing is a number one priority.

Population(s) Served
Homeless people
Economically disadvantaged people

Every day of the year, a team of volunteers cooks and serves lunch and dinner to individuals in the Community Kitchen –resulting in 40,000 meals served each year! We receive donations of meals from churches, synagogues, school groups, individuals and families.

Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Adults

Engaging over 700 people a year, Operation Hope's Volunteer program provides an outstanding opportunity for civic service and giving back to our community.

Population(s) Served
Adults

Where we work

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

• To address basic needs for food and shelter
• To offer long-term solutions to hunger and homelessness, including affordable housing, life skills training, and personalized clinical support
• To collaborate with community partners to best serve our shared client base of those most in need

• To help the hungry, one strategy is that we operate a community kitchen which feeds anyone who is hungry lunch and dinner 365 days a year
• To help the hungry, we operate a food pantry with non-perishable items as well as fresh meats and produce. We also give out toiletries and household cleaning items to help people get back on their feet again after being homeless
• To help the homeless, we have 58 affordable housing units and we negotiate reasonable leases for people who are transitioning out of homelessness
• To help the homeless we have social workers trained in career placement, substance abuse, and mental health issues to ensure we use a multi-pronged approach to the problem of homelessness
• To help the homeless we work in collaboration with our peers in Fairfield County as members of a coordinated access network focused on ending homelessness

Operation Hope's capacity for meeting our mission and goals include:
• The ability to serve the community for over 30 years through a network of community support that allows us to provide lunch and dinner every day and volunteers to serve those meals.
• Our community relationships that support our efforts to collect food and other necessary items to be distributed through our pantry
• Programs that work to end homelessness and provide housing that are focused on best practices and learned experience regarding client-centered care, self-sufficiency, and skill-building
• Staff who bring in-depth knowledge and education, including Masters Degree level social workers, LCSWs, and human services experience to work with clients.

What started out as a group of interfaith clergy and lay persons from the community gathering to help some homeless neighbors find shelter in 1986 has become an innovative organization providing a continuum of care to those who are hungry and homeless. But there is still more work to be done. Continued efforts around affordable housing, mental health care, employment opportunities, substance use counseling and more are necessary to combat the epidemic of homelessness. Unfortunately, funding cuts at federal and state levels and limited subsidy programs like Section 8 leave budget cuts that must be filled through extensive fund raising activities with limited resources to do so. Sustainability is a challenge, but every day we make important strides in the fight against hunger and homelessness in Fairfield and our surrounding communities.

Financials

OPERATION HOPE OF FAIRFIELD INC
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

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OPERATION HOPE OF FAIRFIELD INC

Board of directors
as of 02/22/2022
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Mr. Robert F. Moriarty

retired

Term: 2019 -

Michael P. Burdo, Esq.

Bansley | Anthony | Burdo, LLC

Descera Daigle, Esq.

Goldman Gruder & Woods, LLC

Darrin Scott Fodor

Peoples United Bank

Robert Greenbaum

Hubbell Inc.

Ab Igram

Webster Bank

Grant Jaber

Hines, Managing Director

Christopher Lyddy

Fairfield Police Department

Laura A. McPadden

News America Marketing

Meg Murray

Community Volunteer

Sharon Risley

Capri Clothing

Mary Catherine Santa

Community Volunteer

Teri Walsh

Sachs Walsh Insurance

Alex J. Trembicki, Esq.

Lynch, Trembicki & Boynton

Philip C. Palmieri

Immediate Past Chair

Ryan C. Sheppard, CPA, CFF

Treasurer

Stan Weiss, CPA

Treasurer - Emeritus

Timothy W. Clark

Recording Secretary

Rabbi Evan Schultz

Clergy Member-at-Large

Colleen Connor

Global Infrastructure Partners

Peter DiDomenico

Champion Maintenance and Construction

Ellen Reilly

Community Volunteer

Jeffrey M. Ruden

Fieldpoint Private

Mark Scott

EC Scott Group

Michael P. Fucigna

Immediate Past Chair

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? No
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 3/12/2021
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or Straight
Disability status
Decline to state

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Transgender Identity

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

Equity strategies

Last updated: 03/12/2021

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
Policies and processes
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.