On Saturday, Dec. 18, Sheldon Oak teamed up with Hartford's Proud Drill, Drum, and Dance Corp to distribute toys and holiday cheer at our Winter Wonderland Extravaganza at the Johnson-Stewart Community Center. Thanks to sponsorship from Toys for Tots and the United Way, we distributed 450 toys to local children. 

​Santa and Mrs. Claus were in attendance, along with drummers, dancers, and smiling faces of all ages. The event was a huge success!

In collaboration with Hartford's Proud, Sheldon Oak Central will bring holiday joy to local kids and families Saturday, Dec. 18, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm, at the Johnson-Stewart Community Center, 127 Martin Street.

Thanks to sponsorship from Toys for Tots and the United Way, we will be distributing free toys to children 12 and under on a first come, first served basis. Children must be present to receive a gift. 

Come and spread holiday cheer!

Sheldon Oak's Executive Director, Emily Wolfe, and Community Planning and Outreach Coordinator, Sonsharae Owens, were recently interviewed by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. The resulting article highlights how the Foundation's grants to LISC Connecticut have supported Sheldon Oak's work to engage residents in community planning in Northeast Hartford. Read the article here.

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Sheldon Oak board member James Jeter is also co-director of Unlock the Vote, a nonprofit organization that works to expand the right to vote to those who are disenfranchised due to involvement with the criminal justice system. Thanks to a change in state law recently passed, Jeter and many others like him, who have served their sentences and are on parole, were able to vote in this past Tuesday's election. Read about it in this article from the CT Mirror.

Sheldon Oak, with our partner Summer of Solutions, is hosting a coat drive.  Donate your good-condition used coats to help keep someone warm this winter. Coats can be dropped off at our main office, 54 South Prospect Street, during our regular business hours: Monday - Thursday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm, Friday 8:30 am - 2:00 pm.

Questions? Contact Sonsharae Owens.

A new food pantry, built and painted bright pink by Sheldon Oak's youth interns, has been installed in front of the Johnson-Stewart Community Center at 127 Martin Street. The pantry will be stocked by the interns three times per week with food and other essential items donated by the community, and all items in the pantry are free to anyone in need.

​Come check it out!

Sheldon Oak Central is replacing all the paving at the several buildings that comprise Northeast Hartford Affordable Housing. These pictures show the progress behind our apartment building at 131 Martin Street.

Along with the many other repairs and renovations we have planned, our intention is that this increase in aesthetic appeal will improve the perception of safety in the neighborhood. This project will also improve the sustainability of these developments, so that Sheldon Oak can continue to provide stable, quality affordable housing in the Northeast neighborhood for many years to come.

Sheldon Oak's youth interns are beautifying Northeast Hartford through their hard work in our community garden. While many people might lament the rainy summer we've seen in Hartford, the plants are thriving. Flowers are blooming, vegetables are ripening, and our interns are learning skills and building friendships.

The interns have also built and painted a fully enclosed food pantry, which they plan to install Saturday by Sheldon Oak's Johnson-Stewart Community Center at 127 Martin Street. This pantry will become the newest of several such pantries scattered throughout Hartford, which are stocked with community donations and where the food is available for free to all those who need it.

Sheldon Oak's internship program is a partnership with Summer of Solutions, made possible through a grant from Hartford's Summer UNITY program. Our interns will be gardening, providing mutual aid, and learning through workshops for several months to come.

Repairs and renovations are underway at Sheldon Oak's properties in Northeast Hartford. Our goal for this project is to stabilize these properties to ensure that we can continue to provide safe, affordable homes with attractive and well-maintained units and common spaces. SOC will reposition these properties for successful long-term operation as an affordable housing community serving Hartford’s Northeast neighborhood. 

Through this redevelopment, SOC will repair and upgrade the units and structures, including investment in the outdoor spaces to promote safety, security, and aesthetic appeal. Indoor renovations will keep the units up-to-date and improve energy efficiency, which will save money on utilities for both SOC and our residents. Repairs and renovations will include new fencing, landscaping, and paving to address the exterior issues and new windows, doors, flooring, roofing, bathrooms, and kitchens to address the interior issues. In addition, SOC will replace all mechanicals and repaint the basements of all eleven buildings.

This work is made possible with support from LISC, the Connecticut DOH Housing Trust Fund, low-income housing tax credits, and other sources.