May 30, 2026 • 5 mins
We spoke with Kara Capone, CEO of Mercy Housing and Shelter, about their work in Hartford. Established in 1983, Mercy Housing aims to help people transition from homelessness to stability. The demand for their services has surged post-COVID due to an affordable housing crisis.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, it's a manager from the Country ninety two to
five morning show here for community access and the Travelers Championship.
Last year, Travelers donated four million to area charities, two
point eight of that from their Birdies for Charity program
thanks to Webster Bancanutna, which matches fifteen percent of donations
made to participating charities. Now through the Sunday of Travelers
in Cromwell, over two hundred and twenty charities participating this year.
(00:23):
And right now we're here with Kara Capone, the CEO
of Mercy Housing in Shelter. How are you today? Good?
How are you not too bad? Now? I see you
guys have been in Hartford now for over forty years.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Yeah, So Mercy Housing and Shelter was founded in nineteen
eighty three, so it has been well over forty years
of continuing to serve our community.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Now. The overall goal is to move people and families
from homelessness to stability and independence. How has that grown
over the last forty years.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Well, the demand has certainly increased, especially since the end
of COVID. And you know, the issue here in Connecticut
is that we really have an affordable housing crisis that's
driving the number of people we're seeing coming on in
with a housing crisis. They can't afford their rent, their
rent suddenly jumps, they can't afford a security deposit to move,
(01:20):
and it's just you know, I mean, it's it really
is an affordability issue these days. So we're continuing to
try and keep up with the demands. For example, we
have something called a housing diversion program where you know,
when people call two one one for help, two on
one has them call us and we feeled about sixty
seven hundred calls per year for people needing housing assistants. Wow,
(01:44):
so you know, the dean, Yeah, there's there's a lot
of need in the community. But we're very happy and
grateful that we're able to help provide some of that
need here in Hartford and actually Middlesex as well. So
we'll continue to try and meet the needs of our community,
will continue to try and grow based on the gaps
we see in the services, and you know, and we're
(02:06):
here to help. And thanks to Bertie's for Charity other donors,
you know, they help us meet that need and without
their support, we really couldn't do it.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
You know, I was having this conversation the other day
with a friend where I was kind of talking about
the difference between you know, some people and homelessness is
not not having like a support system and a family
to help them out. Because you talked about the housing crisis.
I mean, when you're learning to kind of budget based
on that fifty to thirty twenty rule, you know, fifty
percent going to needs. The cost of a rent alone
(02:39):
for most people is just so crazy and if you
can't get that to come down, you know, it's it's
an over all bigger discussion. But when people are obviously
like struggling so much, Mercy Housing is just it's an
amazing program and there's so many people that do need
the help right now.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Thank you. Yeah. We also have a soup kitchen for
people who are really struggling. That could be for folks
who are homeless or food insecure. We have food pantries,
clothing closets, you know, we have respite programs for people
who are exiting hospitals who'd otherwise be homeless and we
try and get them set up with housing again. So
we have recovery programs for women who are in treatment,
(03:19):
and you know, the list goes on and on. We
have youth programs for kids who graduate from DCF who
are never adopted, and it's transitional housing for them so
they don't become homeless later in life. We have to
continue to try and figure out ways to break the cycle.
But for a lot of people, it is just affordability
right now, it really is, and so you know, trying
(03:40):
to get the resources to help them. And usually it's
a small amount of money, but it's for folks living
paycheck to paycheck and a lot of times that the
families that we can rely on if we're ever in
a tight spot. Yeah, our families that we work with,
their families have no resources either. That really is you know,
trying to help in meaningful and impactful ways for them.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
Now, how many years have you guys been involved with
the Birdies program.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
I think this is going to be our fourth year
involved with Bertie' for charity. You know, our involvement continues
to grow as we get more and more involved, and
so you know, we're really excited to speak with you today, Yes,
to be able to talk about all the cool things
that we do and to let folks know, you know,
(04:28):
how to support that if they really think that.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
They would like to Yeah, this has been great for
me because I'm learning so much about different organizations and
charities that are are here in Connecticut that I didn't
realize we're here. Of course, if somebody wants to go
and find out more about you guys and what you do,
what website should they go to?
Speaker 2 (04:47):
They should go to MERCYHOUSINGCT dot org. Or they can
search for Mercy Housing on the Berti's for Charity site
as well, So either one works. Of course.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Now, yeah, if you go to your website, you're going
to find those program events, volunteer opportunities.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Yes, we love our volunteers. They are our unpaid staff
and they help us in our soup kitchen. They help
us organize our food pantries monthly. They help us with
yard cleanups if it's large groups of people. They can
help volunteer with some of our children's programs because kids
become homeless too, and so there are a variety of
(05:27):
different ways to get involved, and I would love and
encourage people to do that.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
And of course, if you want to get Mercy Housing
that fifteen percent bonus just by making a donation, go
to Travelers Championship dot com. That's the way you get
them that fifteen percent bonus through the Birdies Program thanks
to Webster Bank and Etna
Hey, it's a manager from the Country ninety two to
five morning show here for community access and the Travelers Championship.
Last year, Travelers donated four million to area charities, two
point eight of that from their Birdies for Charity program
thanks to Webster Bancanutna, which matches fifteen percent of donations
made to participating charities. Now through the Sunday of Travelers
in Cromwell, over two hundred and twenty charities participating this year.
(00:23):
And right now we're here with Kara Capone, the CEO
of Mercy Housing in Shelter. How are you today? Good?
How are you not too bad? Now? I see you
guys have been in Hartford now for over forty years.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Yeah, So Mercy Housing and Shelter was founded in nineteen
eighty three, so it has been well over forty years
of continuing to serve our community.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Now. The overall goal is to move people and families
from homelessness to stability and independence. How has that grown
over the last forty years.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Well, the demand has certainly increased, especially since the end
of COVID. And you know, the issue here in Connecticut
is that we really have an affordable housing crisis that's
driving the number of people we're seeing coming on in
with a housing crisis. They can't afford their rent, their
rent suddenly jumps, they can't afford a security deposit to move,
(01:20):
and it's just you know, I mean, it's it really
is an affordability issue these days. So we're continuing to
try and keep up with the demands. For example, we
have something called a housing diversion program where you know,
when people call two one one for help, two on
one has them call us and we feeled about sixty
seven hundred calls per year for people needing housing assistants. Wow,
(01:44):
so you know, the dean, Yeah, there's there's a lot
of need in the community. But we're very happy and
grateful that we're able to help provide some of that
need here in Hartford and actually Middlesex as well. So
we'll continue to try and meet the needs of our community,
will continue to try and grow based on the gaps
we see in the services, and you know, and we're
(02:06):
here to help. And thanks to Bertie's for Charity other donors,
you know, they help us meet that need and without
their support, we really couldn't do it.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
You know, I was having this conversation the other day
with a friend where I was kind of talking about
the difference between you know, some people and homelessness is
not not having like a support system and a family
to help them out. Because you talked about the housing crisis.
I mean, when you're learning to kind of budget based
on that fifty to thirty twenty rule, you know, fifty
percent going to needs. The cost of a rent alone
(02:39):
for most people is just so crazy and if you
can't get that to come down, you know, it's it's
an over all bigger discussion. But when people are obviously
like struggling so much, Mercy Housing is just it's an
amazing program and there's so many people that do need
the help right now.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Thank you. Yeah. We also have a soup kitchen for
people who are really struggling. That could be for folks
who are homeless or food insecure. We have food pantries,
clothing closets, you know, we have respite programs for people
who are exiting hospitals who'd otherwise be homeless and we
try and get them set up with housing again. So
we have recovery programs for women who are in treatment,
(03:19):
and you know, the list goes on and on. We
have youth programs for kids who graduate from DCF who
are never adopted, and it's transitional housing for them so
they don't become homeless later in life. We have to
continue to try and figure out ways to break the cycle.
But for a lot of people, it is just affordability
right now, it really is, and so you know, trying
(03:40):
to get the resources to help them. And usually it's
a small amount of money, but it's for folks living
paycheck to paycheck and a lot of times that the
families that we can rely on if we're ever in
a tight spot. Yeah, our families that we work with,
their families have no resources either. That really is you know,
trying to help in meaningful and impactful ways for them.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
Now, how many years have you guys been involved with
the Birdies program.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
I think this is going to be our fourth year
involved with Bertie' for charity. You know, our involvement continues
to grow as we get more and more involved, and
so you know, we're really excited to speak with you today, Yes,
to be able to talk about all the cool things
that we do and to let folks know, you know,
(04:28):
how to support that if they really think that.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
They would like to Yeah, this has been great for
me because I'm learning so much about different organizations and
charities that are are here in Connecticut that I didn't
realize we're here. Of course, if somebody wants to go
and find out more about you guys and what you do,
what website should they go to?
Speaker 2 (04:47):
They should go to MERCYHOUSINGCT dot org. Or they can
search for Mercy Housing on the Berti's for Charity site
as well, So either one works. Of course.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Now, yeah, if you go to your website, you're going
to find those program events, volunteer opportunities.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Yes, we love our volunteers. They are our unpaid staff
and they help us in our soup kitchen. They help
us organize our food pantries monthly. They help us with
yard cleanups if it's large groups of people. They can
help volunteer with some of our children's programs because kids
become homeless too, and so there are a variety of
(05:27):
different ways to get involved, and I would love and
encourage people to do that.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
And of course, if you want to get Mercy Housing
that fifteen percent bonus just by making a donation, go
to Travelers Championship dot com. That's the way you get
them that fifteen percent bonus through the Birdies Program thanks
to Webster Bank and Etna
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