Hartford Gay And Lesbian Health

COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING - CONSTRUCTION - INTRODUCTION: THE HEALTH COLLECTIVE HAS RECEIVED $156,000 IN FEDERAL FUNDING THROUGH COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING (CPF/CDS) TO BUY ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT FOR OUR NEW HEADQUARTERS AT 645 MAPLE AVE, HARTFORD, CT 06114, AND OUR SATELLITE OFFICE AT 64 CHURCH ST, MANCHESTER, CT 06040. BOTH LOCATIONS WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS FUNDING. THIS IS A MOVEABLE EQUIPMENT-ONLY PROJECT. ABOUT US: THE HEALTH COLLECTIVE IS A NONPROFIT HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER SERVING UNINSURED AND UNDERINSURED PEOPLE, AS WELL AS THOSE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS. OUR CARE IS TAILORED TO THE LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY AND OTHER UNDERSERVED GROUPS IN GREATER HARTFORD. FOUNDED OVER 40 YEARS AGO AS THE HARTFORD GAY AND LESBIAN HEALTH COLLECTIVE, INC., WE NOW EMPLOY 12 FULL-TIME STAFF MEMBERS AND PLAN TO GROW TO 18 OR MORE IN 2025. OUR VISION AND MISSION: OUR VISION IS TO BE THE TOP HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER FOR THE LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY IN CT, PROVIDING HOPE AND HEALING. OUR MISSION IS TO PROMOTE HEALTHY LIVING, OFFER HIGH-QUALITY AND COMPASSIONATE CARE, AND FIGHT FOR SOLUTIONS TO HEALTHCARE ACCESS BARRIERS AND HEALTH DISPARITIES EXPERIENCED BY SEXUAL AND GENDER MINORITY GROUPS. OUR LOCATIONS: WE ARE CURRENTLY AT 1841 BROAD ST, HARTFORD, CT. IN LATE 2024, WE WILL MOVE TO OUR NEW HEADQUARTERS, A MODERN SPACE OVER 6,500 SQUARE FEET, NEARLY DOUBLING OUR CURRENT SIZE. THE NEW FACILITY INCLUDES ONE CONFERENCE ROOM, 11 OFFICES, ONE GROUP THERAPY ROOM, ONE INDIVIDUAL THERAPY ROOM, ONE COMMUNITY HUB SPACE, ONE PHARMACY SPACE, THREE DENTAL OFFICES, TWO MEDICAL OFFICES, ONE VISION OFFICE, ONE STERILIZATION ROOM, ONE CLEAN STORAGE ROOM, ONE SOILED STORAGE ROOM, ONE LAB SPACE, TWO BATHROOMS, A LARGE OPEN ROOM FOR TEN CUBICLES, ONE BREAK ROOM, AND ONE SMALLER CONFERENCE ROOM. THERE IS EXTRA SPACE IN THE BUILDING FOR FUTURE EXPANSION. OUR SATELLITE OFFICE IN DOWNTOWN MANCHESTER, CT, IS ABOUT 1,500 SQUARE FEET. IT INCLUDES ONE KITCHEN, ONE LARGE FOOD PANTRY, ONE COMMON/WAITING ROO M, TWO BATHROOMS, TWO OFFICES, AND TWO EXAM ROOMS. PROJECT PLAN: WITH THIS GRANT, OUR MAIN GOAL IS TO GET MOVABLE CLINICAL AND NON-CLINICAL EQUIPMENT. THIS EQUIPMENT WILL IMPROVE OUR FACILITIES, EXPAND OUR SERVICES, AND HELP US PROVIDE HEALTHCARE TO MORE PEOPLE. NO CONSTRUCTION IS NEEDED FOR ANY OF THIS EQUIPMENT, AND NONE OF IT IS PERMANENTLY FIXED. WE HAVE OUTGROWN OUR CURRENT FACILITY IN HARTFORD. WE NEED EQUIPMENT TO OFFER VISION SERVICES, AND WE NEED MORE OFFICES AND SPACE FOR OUR GROWING STAFF. AT OUR CURRENT HEADQUARTERS, WE OFFER MEDICAL SCREENINGS, DENTAL SERVICES, AND SOCIAL SERVICES. AT OUR NEW HEADQUARTERS, WE WILL ADD PRIMARY CARE, VISION, MENTAL HEALTH, AND PHARMACY SERVICES, WHILE KEEPING OUR CURRENT SERVICES. WE WILL USE THE FEDERAL MONEY TO BUY VISION EQUIPMENT LIKE A PHOROPTER AND AN AUTOREFRACTOR. NON-CLINICAL EQUIPMENT LIKE DESKS, COMPUTERS, AND CHAIRS WILL HELP SET UP OUR NEW OFFICES AND SPACES, INCLUDING OUR PHARMACY OFFICE AND GROUP THERAPY ROOM. FUNDS WILL ALSO BE USED FOR TECHNOLOGY LIKE SECURITY CAMERAS AND CHECK-IN KIOSKS TO IMPROVE SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY. AT OUR MANCHESTER LOCATION, WE NOW OFFER MEDICAL SCREENINGS, A FOOD PANTRY, AND SOCIAL SERVICES. THE GRANT WILL FUND EQUIPMENT TO START DENTAL SERVICES THERE. THIS PORTABLE DENTAL EQUIPMENT WILL ALSO BE USED FOR MOBILE DENTAL CLINICS AT PLACES LIKE SENIOR CENTERS AND HOMELESS SHELTERS. WE WILL ALSO GET NEW OFFICE FURNITURE AND A SECURITY SYSTEM FOR MANCHESTER. TIMETABLE: WE PLAN TO BUY THE EQUIPMENT IN FALL 2024 AND MOVE TO OUR NEW SITE IN DECEMBER 2024. WE AIM TO HAVE ALL NEW SERVICES RUNNING AT BOTH THE NEW HEADQUARTERS AND MANCHESTER LOCATIONS BY EARLY 2025. THIS GROWTH WILL HELP US SERVE MORE PEOPLE EFFECTIVELY, FULFILLING OUR MISSION AND ADDRESSING HEALTH DISPARITIES IN CT. CONCLUSION: THIS FUNDING WILL HELP THE HEALTH COLLECTIVE EXPAND AND IMPROVE OUR SERVICES, REACHING MORE PEOPLE IN NEED AND PROVIDING HIGH-QUALITY CARE TO UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN CT.