HeartRight Foundation was started in 1994 in honor of an intellectually disabled man named Joe who died unexpectedly and far too young due to a lack of community connections and valuable growth opportunities.  At that time, the Foundation’s mission was to provide those opportunities for connection and growth to people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) within their chosen communities.  Over the years, HeartRight Foundation has provided social, therapeutic and educational opportunities with an emphasis on helping people make community connections resulting in lasting relationships and community membership.  The focus of HeartRight Foundation has broadened and changed over time to assist the I/DD adults we serve with basic necessities that most of us take for granted.

The majority of individuals with I/DD are on a fixed income far below the federal poverty level.  Cuts to federally funded programs during economic recessions, the pandemic, wildfires, and the serious lack of affordable housing in California have deepened the negative impacts to this already vulnerable population.  HeartRight Foundation helps to mitigate those negative impacts by providing funding for household needs, moving expenses, accessibility modifications to existing housing, travel, recreation, hobby enrichment, medical/dental care and medical equipment not funded by MediCal such as corrective shoes, hearing aids, and speech devices.