Our mission
To provide advocacy, community engagement, and direct service programs that support the education of children and youth experiencing homelessness in Allegheny County.
Our Vision
That all children and youth experiencing homelessness will receive the necessary educational resources, guidance, and opportunities to launch them on a path of success in school and in life.
What is HCEF?
The Homeless Children's Education Fund (HCEF), a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, was established in 1999 to supplement federal funding for the educational needs of local homeless children. Over the years, HCEF's role in the community has developed and expanded to meet these needs.
The Board of Trustees and the Board of Advisors are each composed of prominent business, community, and government leaders. HCEF Founder Dr. Joseph Lagana serves as advocate before numerous local and governmental constituencies and ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees.
The annual operating budget is supported through corporate sponsors and foundation grants. The HCEF bylaws dictate that unless a donor requests otherwise 100% of all private donations are invested in an endowment fund that supports our "Mini-Grants for Educational Enrichment", an HCEF program that ensures children living in homeless housing have the after-school support necessary for them to make up and keep up with their school work.
As housing agencies throughout Allegheny County struggle to serve the various physical and familial needs of children who are homeless, they must also ensure the access of these children to a free and appropriate public education. HCEF serves as a community advocate for these service providers, building coalitions of support among corporations, foundations, institutions of higher education, religious and service organizations, and government agencies. In short, HCEF seeks to leverage community resources toward serving an urgent community need.
(11/19/11)
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