August 2022
ImmaCare is currently hiring for a number of open positions. Are you or someone you know looking for your next fulfilling opportunity? A job that at the end of the day, you feel like you are giving back to the community?

Brighter Days Ahead

People become homeless for many different reasons. At times, it’s a matter of survival. This past spring, Tony Mack, ImmaCare’s Mobile Outreach Case Manager, met Rachel*. Rachel had been homeless for about a year after she and her three children escaped an abusive marriage in another state. Rachel was fortunate to be able to leave her children with her mother while she worked on getting back on her feet.

Tony met Rachel at a Hartford-area soup kitchen and began to build a relationship. He supplied Rachel with food and clothing that had been donated to the agency. As Tony earned Rachel’s trust, she shared her traumatic story of domestic violence at the hands of her husband. She told Tony that she was sleeping outside in Hartford, trying to stay safe and working to not become a victim of violence once again. In the winter, Rachel sometimes went to the city’s Warming Center for a break from the cold.

Tony put Rachel on his caseload. She already was receiving Social Security, so the next step was working with Tony on gathering and completing the necessary paperwork to secure housing. After just two months of focused determination, Rachel and her three kids are now safely housed in their own apartment, looking forward to a brighter future.
facebook
On many late afternoons, residents of Casa de Francisco can be found sitting outside, listening to music, enjoying one another's company and catching-up on the day's events.
Avon UNICO Gives Back with Charity Comedy Night - and You Can, Too

ImmaCare is incredibly grateful for the numerous groups from Avon that support our mission, many of whom were first introduced to our agency through the efforts of Karen Finocchio and the St. Ann’s [Church] Food Group.

Over many years, Avon UNICO has worked with Karen to provide meals to the emergency shelter as well as make annual donations to support the agency’s mission. Recently, the UNICO chapter awarded ImmaCare $3,000, its highest donation to date.

Avon UNICO is the Avon, Connecticut, Chapter of UNICO National, the largest Italian-American service organization in the United States. UNICO stands for “Unity, Neighborliness, Integrity, Charity, and Opportunity” with a motto of, “Service Above Self.” To meet that objective, Avon UNICO looks to friends and neighbors who share the vision of helping organizations, such as ImmaCare, that have shared mutual values and beliefs, making for a beautiful partnership. It’s one of the many reasons Avon UNICO so strongly supports ImmaCare’s mission.

Reflecting on how the relationship has grown, Eva Lucenti, Chair of the Avon UNICO Community Service Committee, said, “Together with ImmaCare, we strive to make our community a better place. Partnering with ImmaCare provides us a great opportunity to reach more people than we could ever do alone.”
 
Avon UNICO is hosting its first Charity Comedy night on October 7, 2022. The event will be held at the Farmington Club at the Polo Grounds. Proceeds will benefit ImmaCare, local food pantries and other Avon UNICO-supported charities. Tickets will be going on sale in the coming month. To reserve your tickets or table, email: UnicoAvonChapter@gmail.com or GinoMoncada@comcast.net
 
Avon UNICO donates 100 percent of the proceeds it raises. In addition to ImmaCare, Avon UNICO supports many other worthy causes including the Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Work Vessels for Veterans, the local VFW, The Salvation Army, McLean Meals on Wheels, Favarh, local scholarships for graduating high school students and many more.
 
ImmaCare is grateful for the passion and excitement Avon UNICO has in supporting our agency and those in our community who need it most. Together we can really make a difference in our community.
Teresa A. Wierbicki
Director of Strategic Development
(860) 580-5644 / twierbicki@immacare.org
(860) 724-4823 | www.ImmaCare.org