House of Charity, Inc.
Feed. House. Empower.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
According to the 2015 Wilder Foundation Homelessness Survey, there are 1,618 people experiencing homelessness in Hennepin County on any given night. House of Charity serves some of the neediest people in the Twin Cities. The 2015 Wilder Research study reported that 57% of Minnesota’s homeless adults have a serious mental illness, 51% have chronic, physical health conditions, 30% show evidence of a traumatic brain injury, 21% have been diagnosed with a drug or alcohol abuse disorder, and 80% have at least one of the above. Of Minnesota’s population of homeless adults, those who have experienced long-term homelessness have even higher rates of the aforementioned issues: 60% have a mental illness, 21% have a substance abuse problem, and 18% have a dual mental illness and chemical dependency diagnosis. Having both is a significant barrier to housing.These are the people with whom we work.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Transitional Housing with Case Management
Transitional Housing: 296 individuals (unduplicated) were housed in 2018.
House of Charity provides Group Residential Housing (101 units, government subsidized) for men and women who have been homeless for extended periods of time, have no financial resources, experience significant barriers to employment and are in need of a supportive environment.
An additional 14 beds are reserved for veterans through a contract with the VA as part of their initiative to combat veteran homelessness. All housing residents receive daily meals and case management services (described below).
The housing programs meet the basic needs of our clients while they work toward stabilizing their lives. Staff work to create a community atmosphere in the building. Clients can participate in a variety of group activities, including regular basketball games, field trips to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts or Science Museum, attendance at plays at the Guthrie Theatre and Minnesota Twins games, movie nights, and holiday celebrations. Residents learn to make friends and to hold each other accountable to follow the rules and make progress toward their goals.
Case Management
Started in 2010, all transitional housing residents are assigned to a case manager. This was a change from previous years, when only clients in the Day by Day program received case management services. Case managers meet weekly with clients and collaborate with them to set and make progress toward their goals and connect to outside resources in areas including housing, employment, health care, and education. Staff work to build trusting relationships with clients and understand their individual needs.
Case managers work with clients to:
• Understand their strengths and limitations.
• Identify priorities for their lives and visualize a positive future for themselves.
• Address health issues and get connected to medical personnel who can help (sometimes driving the client to appointments, if necessary).
• Look for and secure employment.
• Learn how to set and live by a schedule.
• Develop a sober support network of people, groups and organizations.
• Find independent and stable housing.
• Reunite with their children
Many clients come to House of Charity programs without the experience of engaging in drug and alcohol-free social activities. The case managers organize activities including movie night, trips to museums, playing board games, and a book club, providing clients with a vision of what they could do for fun post-recovery. Sessions also are offered on healthy eating, going back to school and looking for a job. Regular opportunities for clients to exercise have been added, including yoga classes, working out at the gym, and basketball.
Food Centre
Food Centre – 103,528 total meals served in 2018.
The Food Centre, located at 714 Park Avenue, serves meals to the public 365 days a year and is the only lunch program in Minneapolis that is open seven days a week. On average, 11,500 meals are served each month, with daily public participation of 350 people (on average). Breakfast is served every weekday to women, children, and men with children. Lunch is served every day to anyone who walks through our doors, no questions asked. (Residents in House of Charity programs receive daily meals.) Some people find out about other House of Charity programs through the Food Centre, and end up securing housing, case management and/or treatment because they came for a meal.
A strong relationship with Second Harvest Food Bank and a new connection to General Mills have provided the Food Centre with access to large quantities of fresh food. Recently, General Mills donated nearly 1,000 pounds of cubed beef - a versatile food item that we used to create many meals. Staff members have been successful at securing donated food from a variety of other sources as well, always finding creative ways to incorporate the donations into tasty and nutritious meals. These donations, combined with the work of nearly 4,000 volunteers each year (who donate about 9,000 hours of their time), keeps the cost of each meal low, an average of 50 cents per meal served.
Participants say that they like the Food Centre because it is a safe place and the food is high quality. Many clients have observed that the atmosphere at the Centre is "friendly and social" and that the staff are professional and helpful.
In 2013, House of Charity hired a Resource Navigator to help Food Centre participants get connected to other community resources they need, like housing, employment and medical care. The Food Centre has been a bridge to House of Charity housing and treatment programs for thousands of people over the years. The Resource Navigator helps participants get connected to dozens of other resources, with the goal of helping them stabilize their lives and move toward self-sufficiency. Using the Bridge to Benefits system, this new staff member will help clients determine if they are eligible for benefits and refer them to the appropriate resources. The Resource Navigator provided resources and referrals to 1,187 households in 2014. Of the 1,187 served, 400 were screened through Bridge to Benefits for SNAP and other federal program eligibility, 114 were provided referrals to the Minnesota Food Help Line, 65 were referred to employment services and 274 were provided referrals to housing services.
Permanent Supportive Housing (HousingFirst)
Housing First Program –112 clients were housed in 2018.
Through the Housing First program, we place clients in apartments in communities throughout Hennepin County and our housing advocates (or case managers) meet with them regularly. Clients receive a rent subsidy, passed through House of Charity, and supplemental nutrition supports. The result has been that previously hard-to-place clients, who often struggled to find housing and achieve self-sufficiency, are now stably housed and are able to go to school, gain employment, reunite with their families, and/or secure additional income. (The results achieved by each client vary based on their circumstances and whether they have disabilities.)
About 90% of the people who have participated in the program to date have maintained their housing, and a new statistical analysis of the program is now being prepared to look at some of the deeper impacts of the program.
Housing First provides support to clients so they can be successful at living independently. To qualify for the program, participants must be long-term homeless or have a long-term disability. Case managers provide home visits once a week during a client's first six months in the program, offering guidance on being a good tenant, as well as nutrition, cooking, budgeting, and managing physical health issues and medication. After six months, case managers may connect with clients less frequently. Many of our Housing First participants are now enrolled in school or a training program so that they can secure better employment in the near future. House of Charity is working to place people in geographic "clusters," so that clients located near each other can connect as a support group (staff are facilitating this).
Day by Day Outpatient Chemical and Mental Health Recovery Program
Day By Day Co-Occurring Treatment Program -- 212 people served in 2018.
The Day by Day Program is an "enhanced co-occurring chemical dependency program” with mental health services provided. We were granted this licensure in the summer of 2011.
Research conducted by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) shows that chemical dependency and mental health issues are almost always linked, and that treatment programs that address mental health issues are lower cost and more effective. Programs that treat both chemical dependency and mental health issues simultaneously and in the same location achieve greater outcomes than single diagnosis programs, including reduced substance use, improved psychiatric symptoms and functioning, decreased hospitalization, increased housing stability, fewer arrests, and improved quality of life.
The Day by Day program includes the following: chemical health assessments, group therapy, individual counseling, family counseling, and mental health services. The mental health component of the program features:
• A comprehensive mental health assessment.
• Weekly screenings for depression and anxiety.
• A quality of life inventory to assess 12 areas of self-rated happiness including health, self-esteem, goals and values, money.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address thoughts, emotions, behaviors and beliefs.
• Medication management to educate clients with regard to their medication, including side effects and the benefits of taking it.
• Group and individual counseling to explore how mental illness and chemical dependency are connected.
Through group and individual sessions, clients learn to re-develop their coping skills, manage triggers that could result in relapse, and build healthy relationships. Individual recovery plans are created to include approaches that will best serve each client. Individual plans also include goals related to education, life skills, housing, physical health, employment and recreational activities so clients stay focused on what they would like to accomplish post-treatment. House of Charity staff work with clients to help them build skills for "re-entry" and connect them to a variety of community resources, including Alcoholics Anonymous groups in their area.
Because of the unique needs of women pursuing recovery, House of Charity implemented a women's treatment program at the end of 2011. Women meet separately from men (except for one shared community meeting) and follow a curriculum developed specifically for them. House of Charity staff have felt for years that women needed a program more focused on relationship-building and dealing with past abuse and trauma.
Clients meet in a group setting four days each week for three hours per day. In addition, clients meet weekly with the counselor for individual sessions.
Public Shower
Our public shower is located at our residential building at 510 South 8th Street, Minneapolis, MN. Guests are provided with towels and soap.
In 2018, the shower averaged 149 uses each month with a total of 1, 793 uses for the year.
The public shower is available Monday - Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Where we work
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of meals served or provided
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people, Homeless people
Related Program
Food Centre
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of Clients Served in On-Site Supportive Housing
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Homeless people
Related Program
Transitional Housing with Case Management
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of clients served in scattered site supportive housing.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Homeless people
Related Program
Permanent Supportive Housing (HousingFirst)
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of clients served in outpatient treatment program.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Homeless people, Substance abusers
Related Program
Day by Day Outpatient Chemical and Mental Health Recovery Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of public shower uses.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Homeless people
Related Program
Public Shower
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
House of Charity has variety of programs in housing, treatment, health and case management and a Food Centre that provides free meals 365 days a year, House of Charity helps some of the most vulnerable people move off the streets and toward self-sufficiency. House of Charity provides the following services to clients as part of a continuum of care:
• Safe and sober transitional housing for long-term homeless men and women.
• An outpatient program for chemical dependency and mental illness (Day by Day).
• Help resolving physical health issues.
• Wrap-around case management services.
• Daily meals at the Food Centre for transitional housing residents.
• Daily free public meals.
• Participation in the Housing First program, which provides permanent housing in the community and ongoing case management.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
House of Charity uses its strategic plan to guide annual plans and program development. The goals of the current 2016-2018 plan include:
• Customer Satisfaction - Attain Client Satisfaction While They Achieve Life-Enhancing Outcomes.
• Financial Stability - Ensure the Financial Stability of House of Charity.
• Service Development - Provide Safe and Innovative Services.
• Infrastructure - Create an organizational framework to support the vision, mission and values of House of Charity.
The Board of Directors and senior leadership team are in the process of developing the next 3-year strategic plan.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
House of Charity has 38 full-time staff, 7 part-time staff, and an 18-member Board of Directors. We rely on a large group of volunteers. Last year, 2,950 volunteers donated more than 5,753 hours helping to prepare and serve meals.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In 2018, House of Charity accomplished the following:
• Daily access to free, hot and nutritious meals at the Food Centre – 103,528 meals were served by 2,950 volunteers. We typically feed 350 men, women and children every day during our public lunch.
• Safe and sober on-site supportive housing for 116 residents who have experienced long-term homelessness – 296 unduplicated individuals were housed resulting in 37,086 nights of shelter. Of those discharged in 2018, 43% moved in to housing with greater independence.
• Wrap-around case management services – all clients in transitional housing were assigned a case manager and created an individualized plan with goals. Of those clients, 50% have volunteered at least once during the year, 24% had some type of employment at intake into our housing program, and 7% have obtained employment during 2018.
• Day by Day Recovery Program, an outpatient treatment program for chemical dependency and mental health, with housing available – 212 unduplicated individuals received treatment from House of Charity’s Day by Day program. 9% completed the whole 20 week, 3 Phase program that includes aftercare, 6% reunited with family, 2% enrolled in school, 6% grained employment, 6% moved into housing with greater independence, and 1 client became a peer recovery coach.
• Participation in the Housing First Program, which provides permanent supportive housing in the community and ongoing case management services – 112 clients were housed in the program. Approximately, 92% of our Housing First clients have remained housed after one year in the program. Of those discharged in 2018, 44% moved in to housing with greater independence including taking over their own lease.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
House of Charity, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 06/14/2021
Susan Ellingstad
Greg Owen
Mark Peterson
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Deneen Gannon
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Tom Valenta
MGK
Mark Engelen
Ron Heinz
Retired - Carlson Companies, Inc.
Tim Anderstrom
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John Kvinge
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Wendy Wehr
Susie Byers
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Mark Beidenfeld
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Jonathan Cooper
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Ryan Gott
Sieben Polk Law Firm
Chad Hegwood
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Susan Jepson
Hennepin Health
Greg Owen
Wilder Research
Chad Rempe
Kraus Anderson
Alyssa Troje
Lapp, Libra, Thompson, Stoebner & Pusch, Chtd
Erinn Webb
Student
Reggie Woo
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Joe Colihan
Colihan Consulting
Rajin Singh Olson
Robins Kaplan LLP
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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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 ? Yes -
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? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes