OUR PROGRAMS
Lucy’s Hearth is a 24-hour emergency and transitional shelter for families and their children who are homeless due to economic hardship, family crisis, divorce, eviction, and severe shortage of safe, affordable housing. The primary goal is to foster independence and help the residents gain the life skills necessary to prevent future homelessness.
Our Emergency Shelter Program
Our facility is situated on 2.2 acres at 19 Valley Road and has been renovated to meet the critical needs of the vulnerable families we serve and includes: individual family efficiency apartments that contain bathrooms and kitchenettes, renovated common spaces such as a commercial kitchen, spacious dining room, TV room, 2 renovated playgrounds, a learning center along with updated, confidential staff offices.
The goal for each family is to achieve permanent, affordable housing and to increase each families self-sufficiency. While in residence, families undergo a comprehensive assessment, create short and long term goals engage in self-sufficiency programming. Programming offered to all families includes: daily life skills groups, financial literacy classes, parenting classes, housing locator training and landlord tenant education programs. All residents receive weekly case management, referrals to community resources for medical and dental care, education and training program and metal health care.
Lucy’s Hearth is committed to the success of the children residing at Lucy’s Hearth as well. We coordinate closely with the personnel from the school departments, local childcare providers and before and after school programs to ensure good communication, meeting attendance and support our children. We have a part-time Children’s Activity Coordinator on site each day to facilitate on-site and off-site activities for children of all ages and assist with homework.
Permanent Supportive Housing Program
Lucy’s Hearth provides permanent subsidized housing through the “RoadHome” program from Rhode Island Housing. These apartments are available for Lucy’s Hearth residents who require long-term stabilization services.
Outreach and Aftercare Program
Lucy’s Hearth is committed to ensuring its residents avoid future homelessness. Former residents of any Lucy’s Hearth program may receive, for up to six months,
- case management,
- crisis intervention,
- budgeting assistance,
- referrals to community providers, and
- advocacy to assist in accessing community resources or to trouble-shoot issues that may arise.