About Us
OUR HISTORY AND BEYOND
HFTIC was founded in the summer of 2020 during the onset of the Covid-19 global pandemic. Our founder Jessica Lefkowitz began serving the growing homeless encampment located in the Northend of Charlotte after being laid off from her position as bartender at the Westin Charlotte in March. She went into the camps daily with meals and survival supplies. After spending months with the neighbors in the encampments she knew that there was much more work to do to provide support. As the encampment grew more grass roots organizations began giving support to the residents. Jessica encouraged grassroots organizations to band together to make a more powerful and productive impact for the residents we were all trying to support.
The impact of our work in the last two years has been tremendous and we have been tireless and dedicated in every aspect of what we offer. Prior to the Health Department eviction of the North End tent encampment, our organization supported over 200 persons living there by supplying food, assisting with job placements, resume building, transportation (for doctors’ appointments, job interviews and service connection, mental health and substance use treatment, shelter placement) , and even successfully reunified some with their families
In February 2021, Mecklenburg County Public Health Department issued an Abatement of Imminent Hazard Order to all residents in the North End tent encampment. The residents had only 72 hours to pack two bags and prepare to move into temporary County Shelter Motels. Our organization was asked to assist with outreach because of our rapport and long-time trust with the residents. We assisted with signing up 210 people to enter into the North End Encampment County Motel program. We performed literal triage for the trauma-stricken residents. Despite them being previously unsheltered, they had formed deep attachments with their encampment neighbors and were used to surviving in a particular way. Coalition organizations committed to provide a makeshift food pantry, accommodate special dietary needs, held community events for residents, assisted with job placements, provided haircuts, assisted with retrieving identification, and transportation to job interviews and doctor appointments. One of the most important parts of our work during this time was participating and advocating in case conferences and management meetings that navigated housing resources for the motel residents. In 2022, we also contracted Mecklenburg County to provide severe weather street outreach. During our contract we were able to navigate people into the winter shelter and in some cases provided transportation to safe havens during the three major harsh winter storms and offer cool weather supplies in extreme heat. We unified a client to his family in Greensboro, NC and were able to successfully match people to housing. In addition to traditional outreach, we also participated in several community events. These events provide food, haircuts, clothing, toys, and fellowship to our most vulnerable in our community.
WHO WE ARE
Hearts for the Invisible Charlotte Coalition provides housing- focused street outreach for individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness while advocating for increased safe, affordable and sustainable housing.
Collaboration with local not for profit agencies, mental health and substance use providers and Mecklenburg County is a key component to coordinating services and effectively helping unsheltered neighbors with an equity and inclusion lens.
OUR MISSION and VISION
MISSION
Eradicating housing inequities for people experiencing homelessness
VISION
Our vision is that everyone has equal access to dignified housing
HOMELESS STREET OUTREACH
Street Outreach is: Meeting people where they are
Building rapport to prepare individuals for future housing and employment opportunities Helping directly with connection to and navigation of services
Street Outreach remains an essential component in engaging with individuals who have been unsheltered long term or are experiencing their first time. Meeting individuals where they are with no judgment, upfront expectations, and a compassionate and empathetic heart is critical for build trust and providing encouragement in connecting with services. The HFTIC Street Outreach program strives to engage with individuals and families experiencing homelessness by connecting them to emergency services including emergency shelter, transitional housing, permanent housing, mental and physical health care, substance abuse resources and basic survival supplies. About 80-90% of the people we engage through street outreach are BIPOC. It is most common for us to serve persons living in places not meant for habitation such as wooded encampments, under bridges, bus stops, and benches through the county. We supply basic survival items such as sleeping bags, first aid, food, pet supplies and more. While doing this work we have served hundreds of people who were not able to access services for various reasons such as not having a phone, lack of transportation, lack of physical mobility and/or mental capacity. We assist with these barriers by navigating individuals to resources like shelter, mental health and substance use services, employment options, while also providing assistance with retrieving identification and other important government documents and reunification with family and/or friends. We also advocate for housing provision to assist with ending homelessness through our outreach work. With community partnerships and collaboration already in place, this allows us to be more effective in stewarding a homeless individual to the appropriate services. Our organization has just recently become a provider in the NC HMIS system, strengthening our ability to serve as well as efficiently acquire and document necessary client information for connection with agencies that provide homelessness services and for our county.
ADVOCACY
In December 2021, HFTIC lead a protest advocating for an extension of the national eviction moratorium in the midst of the pandemic and sent an open letter to Governor Roy Cooper. Additionally, we publicly petitioned the Mayor of Charlotte and City Council to demand emergency shelter for unsheltered individuals and families living in the Uptown tent encampment, garnering over 15,000 signatures.
HFTIC continually advocates for housing opportunities and expanded resources to combat the rise in racial inequity of BIPOC by aggressively partnering with organizations with the mission of ending homelessness and acknowledging that race is a factor that leads to homelessness. We believe addressing racial inequity is key to ending homelessness.