Friendship Service Center

What Friendship Service Center does

Friendship Service Center, Inc. (FSC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social services organization founded in 1969 and headquartered at 85 Arch Street, New Britain, Connecticut. It delivers a continuum of person-centered services to individuals and families at risk of or experiencing homelessness across five Central Connecticut communities (Bristol, Berlin, New Britain, Southington, and Plainville). Programs include a 39-bed emergency shelter, a 10-bed Transitional Living Program for youth aged 18–24, a Supportive Housing program operating under a Housing First Model across 75 households, the Hope Connection Center drop-in hub, community meals exceeding 225 daily through the Tomasso Family Community Kitchen, Diversion and Cold Weather Diversion programs, the SOAR disability benefits enrollment program, street outreach using a Harm Reduction approach, and the Fresh Start Initiative providing furnishings for housing transitions.

The organization is not technology-driven; service delivery relies on in-person case management, federal program participation (TEFAP, SOAR via SSA), and a network of community agency partners convened at the Hope Connection Center. FSC has no API, no proprietary technology stack, and no AI/ML capabilities. Revenue is generated entirely through philanthropic channels: individual and corporate donations (via Network for Good, stock gifts, in-kind contributions), government grants (TEFAP, Bezos Day One Fund, ASF investments), and volunteer labor that subsidizes meal preparation and program operations. All services are provided free of charge to clients, with referrals accepted through the 211 Connecticut system, walk-ins at the Hope Connection Center, and partner agency handoffs.

Leadership comprises CEO Caitlin Rose (formerly of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority with 15+ years in homelessness systems), COO Opal Montes (background in children's mental health and nonprofit management), and outgoing CAO Suzy Rivera (retiring in 2025 after 26 years), governed by a Board of Directors led by Board President Richard Dighello. FSC celebrated its 57th anniversary in February 2026, indicating sustained operational continuity rather than expansion velocity.

Name

Friendship Service Center

Legal name

Friendship Service Center, Inc.

Website

https://fsc-ct.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Friendship Service Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1969 in New Britain, CT, providing emergency shelter, transitional living, supportive housing, community meals, and case management to individuals and families at risk of or experiencing homelessness across Central Connecticut.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homelessness and Social Services

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Community Housing Services (62422), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC), Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Homeless services
• Emergency shelter
• Supportive housing
• Community meals
• Transitional living

Headquarters

HQ city

New Britain

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Monetary donations from individual donors, corporate sponsors, and event participants. The organization accepts one-time and recurring donations through its Network for Good portal, stock donations, and in-kind contributions of supplies and furniture.
2. Government Grants and Federal Programs: Funding from government sources including TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program), a federal program that provides emergency food assistance at no cost. The organization also receives grants such as the Bezos Day One Grant.
3. Volunteer Contributions: Volunteer-powered services including community meals preparation, donation management, and client support at the Hope Connection Center, reducing operational costs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Friendship Service Center provides a continuum of free, person-centered services for individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Central Connecticut. Offerings include a 39-bed emergency shelter, a 10-unit transitional living program for youth ages 18-24, a Housing First supportive housing program serving 75 households, the Hope Connection Center drop-in center, community meals (225+ daily), street outreach, Diversion and Cold Weather Diversion programs, SOAR SSI/SSDI benefits enrollment, and the Fresh Start Initiative furniture assistance program.

Product overview

Friendship Service Center, Inc. is a nonprofit social services organization that provides a continuum of compassionate, person-centered services for those at risk of or experiencing homelessness in Central Connecticut. The organization operates as a unified service delivery model rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Its programs include: the Tomasso Family Community Kitchen (community meals serving 225+ meals daily), Emergency Shelter (39-bed facility serving individuals, couples, youth, and families), Transitional Living Program (10-bed youth housing program), Hope Connection Center (drop-in center with basic amenities and case management), Diversion and Cold Weather Diversion programs, SOAR (disability benefits enrollment), Street Outreach, Fresh Start Initiative (furniture assistance), and Supportive Housing (Housing First model serving 75 households total across scattered site and site-based programs). All services are coordinated through the main location at 85 Arch Street, New Britain, CT, with the Hope Connection Center operating at 61 Arch St.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Shelter 39-bed emergency shelter at the Virginia C. Davis Building for individual adults, couples, transitional-age youth, and families with children; provides meals, laundry facilities, case management, counseling, crisis intervention, goal setting, housing assistance, and referrals to community support services.
• Transitional Living Program (TLP)
• Hope Connection Center (HCC)
• Supportive Housing
• Tomasso Family Community Kitchen
• Diversion Program
• Cold Weather Diversion
• SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR)
• Street Outreach
• Fresh Start Initiative (FSI)

Quantifiable outcome

• Served 124 people from 99 households through Emergency Shelter in FY25
• +4 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program)coreOthersFederal program recipient. TEFAP helps supplement the diets of people with low income by providing emergency food assistance at no cost. USDA provides 100% American-grown USDA Foods and administrative funds to states to operate TEFAP.
• Community Agencies PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHope Connection Center is a community partnership with multiple agencies in the region offering leveraged services like financial literacy, substance use recovery support, mental health, and employment, supplementing basic services like showers and laundry.
• Vox ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch group that volunteers with the organization, contributing to community service efforts.
• Social Security Administration (SSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOAR program works with SSA to increase access to disability income benefit programs for eligible adults and children experiencing or at risk of homelessness with serious mental illness, medical impairment, or co-occurring substance use disorder.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pine Street Inn: Boston, MA-based nonprofit operating emergency shelter, permanent supportive housing, and street outreach for people experiencing homelessness. Closely analogous regional shelter-plus-housing continuum at similar scale in a comparable Northeastern urban context.
• Mercy Housing and Shelter Corporation: Hartford, CT nonprofit operating emergency shelter, supportive housing, and services for people experiencing homelessness. Directly comparable CT peer with similar shelter-plus-housing continuum model.
• Journey Home: Manchester, CT nonprofit providing rapid rehousing and homelessness prevention services. Directly comparable CT regional provider with similar mission and target population.
• Columbus House: New Haven, CT-based nonprofit operating emergency shelter, supportive housing, and a soup kitchen. Most directly comparable CT peer with similar scale, mission, and service continuum targeting homelessness in a Connecticut urban region.
• New Reach: New Haven, CT nonprofit providing housing and supportive services for people experiencing homelessness and those returning from incarceration. Comparable in CT geography, target population, and Housing First orientation.
• St. Vincent de Paul Place: Waterbury, CT-based nonprofit providing emergency shelter, food services, and homelessness support. Comparable in CT geography, scale, and integrated service model including meals and shelter.
• Bethsaida Community Inc: Bridgeport, CT nonprofit providing emergency shelter and homelessness services. Comparable CT-based shelter/homelessness services provider operating in an urban Connecticut setting.

Others

• Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness: Statewide advocacy, training, and coordination body for homelessness providers in Connecticut. Adjacent to FSC as an ecosystem participant rather than a direct service competitor.

Broad incumbents

• The Salvation Army of Greater Hartford: Regional arm of a national organization providing emergency shelter, meals, and social services across a broader footprint than FSC. Comparable service offerings but operates as a much larger multi-program incumbent.
• Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Hartford: Hartford, CT-based broader social services organization providing housing, shelter, food assistance, and case management across multiple programs. Overlaps with FSC's mission but at significantly larger scale and program breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/friendshipservicecenterct
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friendship-service-center-of-new-britain-inc.
• Instagraminstagram.com/friendshipservicecenterct

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Friendship Service Center