Housed Working & Healthy

A nonprofit organization

$77,904 raised by 1,177 donors

78% complete

$100,000 Goal

Overview

Housed Working & Healthy was founded in 2018 with a mission to help unhoused people return to independent living. The cornerstone of the HWH approach is a focus on the pillars of stable housing, mental health supports, and vocational training/employment placement services such that participants can thrive in their lives and their communities. Our model provides participants with paid, hands-on job training, mental health supports, job readiness and employment placement services, and ultimately housing navigation services. We believe in equipping a diverse group of individuals with the tools and resources to ensure they can thrive.

We leverage partnerships with more than 30 organizations to provide a collective impact. Our culinary curriculum was co-developed with Emily Griffith Technical College. Students also participate in workshops, leadership development, and are placed in employment at partner employers who provide competitive salaries and benefits.


2023 Updates

After refining processes over the last few years, we now have a proven model that produces results and changes lives
- HWH is proud to have over 100 graduates and counting
- 88 graduates are currently working
- This year alone, we are on track to enroll 100 committed students from 20+ intake partners throughout the metro area - this is a substantial growth beyond anything we have done in past years

We are proud to have had a successful graduation ceremony every single month in 2023, celebrating the growth of our students through the program steps

This past April, we hosted our inaugural keynote event, Cocktails and Conversations. With this celebration of firsts, we featured a moving speech by our first graduate, and honored many of the students, staff, and donors who helped support through the early years.

HWH is proud to have 40+ active volunteers and 13 diverse, resilient, committed, welcoming staff members who are mission driven and help our students help themselves
- We now also employ Employment Coaches, who focused on helping students not only get jobs, but also keep their jobs and in turn helping our graduates stay on their path to self sufficiency
- Holistic supportive services are now provided on-site from 15+ partners to help the students in all facets of their lives


Testimonials

“Housed Working and Healthy provided me a positive environment, when it seemed like my whole world was falling apart. I was a little worried about joining at first, but I was surprised to gain another family. I’m excited to obtain a prosperous future in the culinary world. May this program continue having a positive impact on the homeless community. ‘Trouble don’t last always’; this program is a perfect example of this statement” HWH Graduate.

“My graduation date is today! I have been enrolled in the Housed, Working, and Healthy program for approximately three months. Within that time, I have developed kitchen skills, kitchen sanitation knowledge, and teamwork skills! This program has been a wonderful opportunity and I have learned so much! I am thankful!” HWH Graduate.

"HWH helps individuals rebuild their lives and our community! Graduation from the HWH Culinary program is an important milestone for students. We celebrate their achievements as participants start a new life with the knowledge and talents they have learned. Graduates receive a Culinary ServSafe Certificate, Certificate of Completion from Emily Griffith Technical College, and Certificate of Achievement. In addition to the certificates, they receive a chef's jacket, apron, knife, and cutting board from Housed Working and Healthy." HWH Staff.



Mission

The HWH mission is to help people return to independent living and achieve self-sufficiency. The HWH model is partner-based and encompasses housing, mental health services, workforce training, and employment.

At Housed Working & Healthy, we have many classes of students working together, from graduates now in the apprentice program, to a new student cohort just getting started on their new future. They all have a common goal - learning new skills which will help them gain employment.

The HWH commercial kitchen is a healthy environment where students participate in hands-on learning. After successful completion of the culinary curriculum, the students begin an onsite internship. At the end of this 2-3 month training period, HWH case managers facilitate employment opportunities in the community, ideally at one of our business partners. After 60-90 days of employment, the HWH housing navigator helps HWH graduates find independent housing.

Background Statement

In 2017, Housed Working & Healthy’s current Executive Director and CEO, Brad Volin, had a vision to create a nonprofit that would combine stable housing, mental health services, workforce development and employment. The goal was to leverage programming and services under one nonprofit umbrella to benefit unhoused individuals in the Denver metro area. Volin is an entrepreneur with prior experience starting four companies and brings a corporate mindset to solving social issues.

Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

Housed Working & Healthy

other names

Housed Working and Healthy, HWH

Year Established

2018

Tax id (EIN)

83-2638309

Category

Employment, Education, Human Services, Housing & Shelter, Community Improvement & Capacity Building, Youth Development, Public & Societal Benefit, Mental Health & Crisis Intervention

Organization Size

Medium Organization

Address

3525 W. Oxford Avenue
Denver, CO 80236

Headquarters

3525 W. Oxford Avenue
Denver, CO 80236

Mailing

1903 S Grant Street
Denver, CO 80210

Service areas

Denver County, CO, US

Phone

720-772-1715

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