Columbus House is honored to host Chocolate to the Rescue, an event to benefit the Middlesex Family
Shelter where families experiencing homelessness are provided with emergency shelter and services to
help them move into affordable homes. Now in its’ 21st year, this signature event attracts some of the finest
chocolatiers in the area and as many as 200 guests from Middlesex and New Haven Counties, the Shoreline
and beyond. Guests will enjoy some of the best chocolate creations in the region and will vote for their favorites. While
satisfying their chocolate cravings, they will also spend time browsing great auction items. All proceeds
from the event will benefit the Middlesex Family Shelter, a program of Columbus House.

There is an unprecedented number of families experiencing homeless in our state as a result of rising
eviction rates and a critical lack of affordable housing. On March 5, 2024, there were 514 families,
including 508 children, on Connecticut's homeless by-name list,  a measure of people currently experiencing homelessness in
Connecticut.

Since 1988, the Middlesex Family Shelter has been providing emergency shelter and a robust array of
programs and wrap-around services for families that address the root causes of their homelessness. We
also connect them to community resources so they can find – and maintain – housing they can afford, while
remaining together as a family. The shelter is comprised of six two-level townhomes on a quiet cul-de-sac,
where approximately 20 families (about 60 people with over half of them youth) are served each year.

Since 1982 Columbus House has been working with city, state and federal agencies along with a continuum
of non-profit service providers to help move our neighbors out of homelessness. Our mission is "To serve
people experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk by providing life-saving outreach, shelter and
housing and by fostering their personal growth and independence. We advocate for and create affordable
housing to end homelessness in our communities."

Please join us by donating an auction item. Your support of Chocolate to the Rescue will help provide a
safe place for homeless children and their families to stay while we help them secure suitable housing.