Hart Community Homes, Inc.

The mission of Hart Community Homes is to heal, educate and empower at-risk youth to become healthy, productive and self-sufficient adults in the community. Our vision is to provide the necessary continuum of care to youth in and emancipating out of the foster care system in order to eliminate homelessness among at-risk youth and adults in the community. Through our workforce program, participants are developing marketable skills that will strengthen their potential and future stability. Program goals include enhancing entrepreneurial experience to participants, improving the kitchen operations, and providing a platform for participants to launch their own microenterprises. Nationally, statistics show that more than 50% of this population is unemployed within 2-4 years of emancipation and at very high risk of homelessness. Our program offers these young people an alternative to that dire outcome. 

Hart Community Homes is an independent nonprofit organization founded in 1996 by a father-daughter team who were moved by the needs of youth in foster care, particularly teenage boys who remained unadopted. Bill Hart and Cari Hart-Bunevith opened two group homes in the City of Orange providing a supportive residential environment for up to 12 adolescent males, age 13-18. Our two group homes are now Short-term Residential Treatment Centers (STRTC). We are proud that 80% of our residents earn a high school diploma (46% is the California state average).  Along with basics such as food, clothing and a safe place to live, each young man receives an individualized treatment plan, educational placement, individual therapy, health care, mentoring, case management, life skills/workforce development training and preparation for emancipation from the foster care system. Each boy is able to start his own savings account so he can establish a credit history. Each house has 24-hour staff with a ratio of three youth to every staff member. In addition to the child-care counselors, each child has a case manager, a therapist and a tutor that work closely with him. The population served is Level 12 on a scale of 1-14 (14 is the category for most complex and most severely emotionally challenged youth). The foster care youth in our homes have experienced significant neglect, abuse and abandonment. Many have had numerous placements over the years, and have been shuffled from home to home. Most of the youth have mental health diagnosis the most common of which are depression and anxiety. Since its founding, Hart Community Homes (HCH) has served more than 1,000 youth. Because they face serious challenges such as chronic unemployment and homelessness after emancipation, the organization launched a workforce development program – a.k.a. Monkey Business Cafe and Catering enterprise in downtown Fullerton. Here, youth and young adults can gain paid work experience, job training and mentoring during and after their transition out of foster care. This supportive environment provides an opportunity to work, gain skills, and pursue a plan for college, other employment and other future goals. We ensure they have stable housing and access to health care. The program includes an agriculture component in which participants spend a portion of time at the Fullerton Arboretum at Cal State Fullerton. There, they learn how to plant and grow fresh produce which is subsequently incorporated into the cafe and catering menu at Monkey Business. They also help create cafe menu items using these fresh ingredients. In 2021, we opened a transitional housing apartment adjacent to Monkey Business Cafe for emancipated youth, ages 18-21. Upon emancipating out of foster care at 18, these young persons can experience safe and stable housing, along with wraparound supports and work next door at Monkey Business Cafe!

Hart Community Homes is addressing California's chronic shortage of stable housing for emancipated foster youth, a population that is greatly at risk of homelessness. We have acquired an apartment unit next door to Monkey Business Cafe which serves as transitional housing for former foster youth, ages 18-21. The property is a two-story, 1930s apartment complex with five, 2-BR/1-BA units, eight garages and a parking lot. Each unit provides housing for two individuals. At full capacity, the property provides stable, supportive housing for 10 individuals at any one time. We have made property improvements and our first residents moved in to their own apartments in the Spring of 2021. HCH provides a program of supportive housing that includes mental health services, health access, case management, and on-site program/property management. As well, the youth who will live here will be able to gain paid job training and employment at Monkey Business Cafe, which is literally right next door on Lemon St. The apartments are also located within walking distance from Fullerton College, Fullerton Library, downtown Fullerton, Fullerton train station and multiple community services. "We are so excited to be able to offer our young adults a good and supportive place to live when they turn 18," said Cari Hart-Bunevith, Executive Director. "We have been eyeing this apartment building for many years and have always hoped to do this. It has now become a reality!"
Another accomplishment has been to survive the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected restaurants quite hard. During the restrictions, we adjusted and made changes to our food service options to comply with regulations. Thanks to our community, we were able to continue kitchen operations with curbside pickup and take out orders. We also helped prepare food for low-income persons through a partnership with Waste Not OC. This kept our staff working and helped those who lacked adequate food.
Over the next 2-3 years, we plan to continue program enhancements in order to provide new work experience and job training opportunities and to strengthen our financial base through diverse streams of revenue including the development of product lines.

Hart Community Homes welcomes the support of the community to continue achieving our mission and helping foster youth and emancipated foster youth to experience a better future. Funding will help enable our organization to provide job coaching and mentoring that this vulnerable population greatly needs. We are thrilled to be able to offer paid, supportive employment to young men and women. We need continued funding to provide the additional supports necessary. As well, we welcome funding to help us continue making improvements at the transitional housing unit next door to Monkey Business Cafe. And, we invite you to have breakfast or lunch -- or book a catering order -- at Monkey Business Cafe! Our food truck can also come to your place of business. Your patronage helps us create jobs.

Our transitional age apartment building is in Fullerton immediately next door to Monkey Business Cafe, our workforce development program. We serve youth from throughout Orange County. At times. the Counties of Riverside and San Bernardino refer youth to our program.

Our program gives young people -- who have experienced severe disappointment, hurt and dejection in life as victims of child abuse – a renewed sense of purpose and hope. Almost immediately as new trainees at Monkey Business Cafe, we witness a transformation in their self-confidence. They greatly appreciate the opportunity to earn a paycheck and are very self-motivated. Additionally, we help them find housing and ensure they utilize community resources available to them. Many have anxiety or other emotional challenges. We help them access health services for which they are eligible. We would invite your involvement and support of Hart Community Homes and our Monkey Business Cafe. Please visit us at 208 N. Lemon (at Amerige) in Fullerton. Your patronage helps support our nonprofit enterprise. 

Hi, I'm Bill Hart and, along with my daughter, Cari, founded Hart Community Homes in 1996. The young men and women in our program are striving to reach independence and self-sufficiency. I believe they deserve an opportunity since life dealt them a tough hand. We hope you will become involved and help us to provide jobs and hope for at-risk young people in our community.