Over the years since its founding in 1999 HCEF has supported the educational needs of many thousands of Allegheny County students experiencing homelessness.

• 1999  Founded and approved as a 501(c)(3) organization
  
  
• 2000  HCEF advocates vigorously for passage of the McKinney-Vento Act, major federal legislation that defines what constitutes homelessness for children and youth and that guarantees their rights to the same services and opportunities of children and youth who are not homeless
  
  
• 2001  The first Mini-Grants for Educational Innovation are awarded to homeless housing agencies serving families with children
  
  
• 2002  600 backpacks are distributed to homeless housing agencies, one for each school-aged child
  
  
• 2003  HCEF funding supports educational and cultural field trip transportation costs and the establishment of the first two agency-based Learning Centers
  
  
• 2004  1500 backpacks with supplies are delivered to 17 agencies (a year's supply so that as children and youth come to a homeless housing facility during the year they too are given a new backpack)
  
  
• 2005  Citizens Bank, Diocese of Pittsburgh, and Allegheny County Library Association become partners in services to children and youth; HCEF's subscription to Grolier Online After School Fun and Learning Center is made available to each agency with a computerized Learning Center
  
  
• 2006  Resource Libraries of 900+ books for children and youths of all ages and reading levels are first provided to agencies with Learning Centers as well as to the HCEF partner agencies without the space for a learning center
  
  
• 2007  The Allegheny County Library Association (ACLA), in partnership with HCEF, chooses child homelessness as the subject of its summer One Book One Community program; HCEF and Pittsburgh Social Venture Partners sponsor a Poverty Simulation
  
  
• 2008  The ninth and tenth Learning Centers are established through a partnership with Duquesne Light, HCEF, and the East Liberty Presbyterian Church; HCEF-sponsored research is selected for presentation at the American Educational Research Association in New York City, and the Building Blocks for Success Literacy Program is first tested and implemented in two partner agencies
  
  
• 2009  ACLA partners with HCEF to provide bookmobile services to two agencies having space for parking the oversized vehicle; 2500 backpacks are distributed; HCEF presents the November Summit to Ensure Quality Education of Our Children and Youth Who Are Homeless
  
  
• 2011  HCEF envisions and facilitates the establishment of the Clairton Collaborative, a partnership between the Clairton City Schools and Sisters Place (a temporary and permanent housing agency serving women with children) and one that is replicable; with community-wide support HCEF presents Summit II - Collaborations and Models; in August and September 3000 backpacks are delivered to children and youth in homeless situations
  
  
• 2012  HCEF presents a HEN Press Conference; Summit III - Impact of Poverty on Learning and Brain Development for Children and Youths Experiencing Homelessness

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(4/24/12)

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