Volunteers of America-Greater New York

We are excited to announce that VOA-GNY has been selected for the 2024 Lowe’s Hometowns program by Lowe's Companies, Inc., a five-year, $100 million initiative to rebuild and revitalize community spaces nationwide! As one of the 100 community projects chosen this year, the Lowe’s Hometowns grant will allow us to renovate and beautify the common and outdoor spaces at Rose House, one of our permanent supportive housing programs for adults, most of whom were formerly homeless. The improvements will include new furniture and appliances, updated electrical work, and enhancements to the building’s outdoor areas—making the space brighter, more functional, and inviting for our residents. 🏠 Stay tuned for updates on this beautification project! To learn more about the program or this year’s projects, visit Lowes.com/hometowns #VOAGNY #LowesHometowns

Summer is in full swing, and so are the beautification projects at our temporary housing programs! ☀️ Last month, volunteers from Nexstar Media Group, Inc. spent a day enhancing the outdoor common areas at Legacy Family Residence in Brooklyn, painting benches and planting flowers in the soon-to-be-opened backyard playground. 🌻 Meanwhile, at University Family Residence in the Bronx, volunteers from Related Companies gave the community room a fresh coat of paint and assembled new furniture and bookshelves for our clients to enjoy. 🛋️📚 Both of these programs are transitional shelters for families. We not only provide services to help families achieve independence and obtain permanent housing, but we also strive to make their current living spaces feel like home, restoring a sense of normalcy. A huge thank you to Related Companies and Nexstar Media Group, Inc. for their time and dedication to making our shelters more comfortable for our clients! If your team is interested in getting involved, email volunteers@voa-gny.org.

Last weekend, VOA-GNY staff from across the organization showed off their LGBTQ+ pride and allyship by marching in the 2024 @NYCPride Parade! 🌈 The Pride March is a powerful reminder of the progress we’ve made and the work that still needs to be done to ensure justice and equality for all. As a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving ALL of our neighbors experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness, we’re working to address unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals experiencing homelessness. LGBTQ+ adults are more than twice as likely to report experiencing homelessness at some point in their lives, as compared to the general population. In the New York City shelter system, well-documented challenges around lack of privacy and safety are especially acute where the LGBTQ+ community is concerned. In particular, transgender individuals are more likely to choose to live in public spaces such as streets and subways rather than navigate a system where most shelters are divided by gender binary. VOA-GNY's Street to Home program successfully uses a "housing first" approach to place unsheltered adults directly into permanent supportive housing. The results have been staggering: 10% of participants in the Street to Home program identify as transgender—a figure in stark contrast to the 0.5% of individuals in shelter who identify as transgender. Learn more about this impactful approach in a new op-ed by VOA-GNY Chief of Staff Nick Brasse in amNewYork: https://lnkd.in/eC4va38x 🏳️🌈❤️ #NYCPride #PrideParade #LGBTQ #HousingJustice #VOAGNY #🌈

Representatives from Apple Bank recently visited Wales Avenue Residence, one of VOA-GNY’s behavioral health housing programs for adults and youth, to meet with clients, discuss the importance of bank accounts, and answer their financial questions. Financial literacy is crucial for wealth building, especially for those experiencing homelessness. Thank you Apple Bank for hosting this informative event, helping our clients understand the basics of personal finance and empowering them to take control of their finances! #WealthBuilding #VOAGNY

Volunteers of America-Greater New York (VOA-GNY) condemns in the strongest possible terms last week’s Supreme Court ruling upholding the constitutionality of laws that criminalize sleeping in public spaces even when there is a lack of shelter. Policies that criminalize poverty and homelessness do nothing to prevent poverty or homelessness. Instead, they make it even harder for individuals and families to break the cycle of poverty by negatively impacting their freedom, mental and physical health, and ability to work and find housing. Housing is a human right. VOA-GNY is proud to be a provider of both temporary and affordable housing in New York City, where people have a right to shelter. In our 128 years working with individuals and families in need, we’ve seen the life-changing, life-saving impact of access to safe shelter and affordable housing. More than half of Americans are just one missed paycheck from homelessness. This looming crisis is especially dire in areas like New York, where the cost of living is skyrocketing, the cost of housing is increasing more rapidly than inflation, and the housing vacancy rate is just 1.4 percent. This ruling serves as a wake-up call for New York, which must fulfill its commitments to building affordable housing and aggressively defend its right to shelter. It is our moral obligation—and VOA-GNY’s mission—to continue to provide support to those in our communities who are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. Read the statement on our website here: https://lnkd.in/eEvj4Mmw #JohnsonVGrantsPass #HousingNotHandcuffs #HousingIsAHumanRight

This Pride Month, as we celebrate the strides made for LGBTQ+ rights, we must continue to advocate for housing justice and equality. 🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+ individuals are twice as likely to experience homelessness at some point in their lives. They’re also more likely to remain unsheltered, faced with a shelter system that’s divided by gender binary and a lack of alternate options. One proven solution is the “housing first” approach. VOA-GNY's Street to Home program, which uses a ”housing first” philosophy, has been successful at helping LGBTQ+ individuals—especially trans-identifying individuals—secure permanent, affordable housing without requiring shelter stays first. Read more in our new op-ed for amNewYork by VOA-GNY Chief of Staff Nick Brasse: https://lnkd.in/eC4va38x #VOAGNY #PrideMonth #LGBTQ #HousingJustice #Equality

School’s out, Operation Backpack® is IN! 🎒 Today is the last day of school for nearly one million public school students in NYC. While most kids are just starting their break, VOA-GNY is already hard at work preparing for the fall to provide backpacks and supplies to students experiencing homelessness. As the number of children living in NYC shelters reaches a new record of 50,000, we can’t afford to take the summer off. We need your support! Donate today or get started as a team! 👐 You can set up a fundraising team and raise money among your colleagues, family, friends, and network. Your company can also get involved through sponsorships and in-kind donations. Give today or learn more here: https://lnkd.in/ezK_r2Tg #VOAGNY #OperationBackpackNYC

Last week, volunteers from HSBC cooked up some burgers and hot dogs on the grill to kick off the summer with our residents at Commonwealth Residence, one of our permanent supportive housing programs for individuals who have experienced homelessness, including many veterans! 🌞🍔🌭 A big thank you to all the volunteers who joined us! Your efforts brought smiles, great food, and a sense of community to our clients! #VOAGNY #CommunityImpact

Thank you to SIM NY Metro members Herb Hofmann, Shar Rubio and Judy Arteche-Carr for joining us at yesterday's partnership summit on the intersection of philanthropy and technology!

🌟 Happy Father's Day to all dads and father figures! 🌟 This Father’s Day, we’re celebrating the resilience and dedication of individuals like Kelvin, a father of three and a VOA-GNY client. After leaving the military, Kelvin worked long hours for a low wage to support his family—but he didn’t mind, if it meant they could stay together. Eventually, to keep the family together, Kelvin had to enter the shelter system arriving at VOA-GNY’s Bushwick Family Residence, where he received the essential support he and his children needed, including school supplies through Operation Backpack ®. Read the full story on how Kelvin secured permanent housing for his family, with VOA-GNY staff's help here: https://lnkd.in/ez6Vff8M #VOAGNY #FathersDay #BecauseofVOAGNY