Archive for the ‘New York City’ Category
Wednesday, May 15th, 2013
By Alice Kenny
Catholic Charities’ Monge Codio — known best, perhaps, for Catholic Charities-sponsored pilgrimages he made to Haiti to help those hurt by the 2010 earthquake disaster and the American Haitians for Economic Advancement & Development program he founded — celebrated his three-year anniversary as Director of Operations for CYO’s Hudson Valley Region during a live broadcast last week on AM1300 WRCR.
He spoke not only about ongoing help for folks still reeling from the Haiti disaster but also about a host of activities and initiatives offered by Catholic Charities CYO.
For example, more than 17,000 youth participate in CYO NY’s basketball program alone.
Yet CYO offers far more than the basketball program for which it is best known, said this former college basketball coach whose resume includes stints coaching at Concordia, Iona and Northeastern University.
CYO serves children from third through eighth grade and offers, for example, art and essay contests, scouting, retreats, track and field contests, soft ball and even a special golf program for children with developmental disabilities.
“We welcome everyone,” Monge said.
Check Monge out live on AM 1300 WRCR . The link is slow but it’s worth the wait.
Read more about Monge’s trip to Haiti in Catholic New York.
Would you like to volunteer to help run an existing CYO program or help start a new one? Contact Monge at 212-271-1000 x 2058.
Tags: AM1300 WRCR, American Haitians for Economic Advancement & Development, basketball program, Catholic Charities CYO, Concordia, Director of Operations for CYO’s Hudson Valley Region, earthquake disaster, Haiti disaster, Haiti Earthquake, Iona, Monge Codio, Northeastern University, volunteer
Posted in New York City, Protecting and Nurturing Children and Youth, Volunteering | No Comments »
Monday, May 13th, 2013
Dennis Scimone, Director of Residential Services for Beacon of Hope House with Denise Bauer Director, Beacon of Hope House
By Alice Kenny
Hosted by and for consumers with mental illness, the Catholic Charities Beacon of Hope annual talent show and dinner theatre– now in its twenty-eighth year — is always packed with creativity, comedy and fun.
But this year’s show held at the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Center in Harlem on May 1 went over the top thanks to a last-minute rendition of “God Bless America” belted out by the Harlem Alumni Boys and Girls Choir.
Catholic Charities Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Center is always a hopping place. Dance classes, music, theatre and social service programs fill this central Harlem meeting spot day in and day out from its basement to its top floor.
Sometimes the synergy morphs into magic, as it did on Talent Show night.
Ninety consumers along with family and friends from Beacon of Hope residential programs and its vocational club house had already feasted at the dinner theatre event as fellow consumers emceed and regaled them with a fashion show, songs, dances, original poetry, and outstanding music played on the guitar, drums and harmonica.
A special night like this, however, seemed to need something extra, said Damian Buzzerio, who helped coordinate a team of five volunteers that helped at the event. That’s when the Harlem Alumni Boys and Girls Choir that had been training in their usual rehearsal room, made their surprise appearance. As their special gift to this special group, the choir trooped on stage and belted out God Bless America.
“It is becoming more and more difficult to find such a special and safe place for events such as these to flourish,” says Debbie Ciraolo, an American Sign Language interpreter with Beacon of Hope who assisted with the show. “I cherish this experience.”
Join us to find a “special, safe place” that recognizes your talents and creativity.
Click here to find a volunteer opportunity tailored just for you.
Tags: American Sign Language interpreter, annual talent show, Beacon of Hope, Damian Buzzerio, Dance classes, dances, Debbie Ciraolo, Harlem, Harlem Alumni Boys and Girls Choir, Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Center, mental illness, Music, poetry, social service programs, songs, theatre
Posted in Agencies, New York City, Policy and Advocacy, Supporting the Physically and Emotionally Challenged, Volunteering | No Comments »
Friday, May 10th, 2013
By Alice Kenny
Accustomed to hard work, scant funds and dreams only of their children’s futures, 15 wives and relatives of day laborers instead received free haircuts, makeovers and all-round pampering on Wednesday, May 8, 2013 in the St. Peter’s Parish gym in Yonkers, in preparation for Mothers Day.
The women belong to a mothers group associated with Obreros Unidos De Yonkers, a group of approximately 300 day laborers in the Yonkers area.
The women received haircuts free of charge provided by two hairstylist/salon owners who are also parishioners of St. Peter’s Parish. They also received a make-up lesson and application by a Mary Kay representative. And two of the recipient moms, far more accustomed to giving than receiving, opted to donate their cut hair to Locks of Love, a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from medical hair loss.
The Mothers Day celebration was part of Catholic Charities’ ongoing involvement with Obreros Unidos De Yonkers, a group of approximately 300 day laborers in the Yonkers area. Through this program, Catholic Charities educates workers on employment rights and responsibilities in order to prevent exploitation and abuse. Catholic Charities also assists in the collection of unpaid wages, helps workers get access to healthcare services, provides emergency food, and offers English language and computer skills instruction.
Looking for more information about Obreros Unidos de Yonkers?
Call (914) 375-6729/48 or visit the office at St. Peter’s Church basement, 91 Ludlow Street, Yonkers, NY 10705
Call the Catholic Charities Help Line — (888) 744-7900 — for help finding services you need.
Wishing you a wonderful Mothers Day!
Tags: Catholic Charities Help Line, computer skills, emergency food, English language, hairstylist, healthcare services, Locks of Love, Mary Kay, Mothers Day, Obreros Unidos De Yonkers, salon owners, St. Peter’s Parish
Posted in Events, New York City, Parishes, Welcoming and Integrating Immigrants and Refugees | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 7th, 2013
From Left to Right: George Rodriguez, Fidelis Care NY Director of Marketing; Mark Sclafani, Vice President, Marketing; Pamela Hassan, Chief Marketing Officer; Msgr. Kevin Sullivan, Catholic Charities Executive Director; Beatriz Diaz Taveras, Executive Director CCCS
By Alice Kenny
Fidelis Care, a partner with Catholic Charities Community Services (CCCS) for nearly a decade, donated $509,000 to Catholic Charities on May 3, 2013 to further the two agencies’ aligned mission to serve the poor and needy of New York.
This partnership has proved particularly important in light of the punishing impact the lasting effects the economic recession and deep cuts in social service programs have had on families in need.
- One in every six New Yorkers – 1.4 million of our neighbors – now relies on daily emergency food.
- More than half are employed yet still cannot manage to make ends meet with their earnings. Close to 9,700 families with 15,000 children sleep in homeless shelters.
These numbers indicate what Catholic Charities already knows. Poverty is not merely the lack of adequate financial resources. Instead, it entails a profound deprivation, a denial of full participation in the economic, social and political life of society and an inability to influence decisions that affect one’s own life. It means being powerless in a way that assaults not only one’s pocketbook but also one’s fundamental human dignity.
Fidelis Care is the New York State Catholic Health Plan, providing health coverage to children and adults in 58 counties statewide. The mission of Fidelis Care is to ensure that every resident, regardless of income, age, religion, gender, or ethnic background, has access to quality health care and is provided with dignity and respect. Through partnerships with providers, schools, and community agencies like Catholic Charities New York, Fidelis Care works to foster healthier futures for members and their families.
Now as more and more individuals and families seek help, the Fidelis Care grant assists Catholic Charities Community Services as we continue to respond as we always have, with professional case management services across the ten counties of the Archdiocese of New York that alleviate crises and set families and individuals on a path toward stability.
Tags: Archdiocese of New York, Beatriz Diaz Taveras, case management services, Catholic Charities Community Services, Catholic Charities New York, economic recession, emergency food, Fidelis Care, health coverage, homeless shelters, New York State Catholic Health Plan, quality health care, social service programs
Posted in Agencies, Feeding the Hungry and Sheltering the Homeless, Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, New York City, Protecting and Nurturing Children and Youth, Staten Island, Strengthening Families and Resolving Crises, Supporting the Physically and Emotionally Challenged, What We Do at Catholic Charities | No Comments »
Monday, May 6th, 2013
On the very last, most beautiful day of April 2013, 143 tireless workers put down their frying pans, serving trays, aprons, and hand trucks to feast and be celebrated. From the farthest corners of the Bronx to the Lower East Side, volunteers from food pantries and soup kitchens supported by Catholic Charities Community Services gathered at the Triangle Building of Alianza for the first-ever Volunteer Appreciation Event held in their honor.
The same men and women who, earlier that day, were packing 200 bags of food or scrubbing pots, got the chance to sit down to a catered meal while CCCS staff called out name after name of volunteer chefs, food packers, inventory specialists, and data base managers. In all, 46 program coordinators and long-time volunteers from 14 different programs came up to the podium to receive certificates from Monsignor Kevin Sullivan. Honors were given for years of service ranging from 20 to 36 years, and for those special volunteers who worked “Above and Beyond”, as their certificates stated. These included senior Maria Sanchez, founder of St. Anthony’s Soup Kitchen in the Bronx, who has been leading the program for 20 years, and young Walter Martin, who uses his free time in between job interviews to work for no less than 4 different pantries.
“We’ve been wanting to do this for so long” said Jeanne McGettigan, Director of Emergency Food Services. “Monsignor Sullivan and Staci-Jo Bruce, Director of Volunteer Services were the ones who finally made it happen. It was so moving to see all of these generous, hard-working people gathered together in one place. We really are one big team, but we don’t often get to see ourselves that way.”
Ms. McGettigan said the event organizers were particularly pleased that CCCS staff was able to make these activities completely bi-lingual. Well over 50% of the volunteers in attendance consider Spanish their first language. To make sure that all felt included, everything from invitations, to program cards and presentations by speakers was carried out in Spanish and English. Project Manager Lizaura German emceed and translated as needed. Monsignor Sullivan and Beatriz Diaz Taveras, Executive Director of CCCS traveled comfortably between languages as they thanked the volunteers for their steadfast efforts to beat back hunger in their communities.
Also delivering a rousing speech in two languages was special guest Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez of Washington Heights and Inwood. Remembering how, during his childhood, his own family had sometimes needed food assistance, he told the volunteers that he “didn’t think twice” about dedicating Council discretionary funds to the busy CCCS pantry nearby his office.
An additional service award was presented to Christopher Melito of Credit Suisse, recognizing the company’s Day of Service, which brought 20 corporate employees to a CCCS food pantry for the day to prepare and demonstrate healthy cooking methods and give pantry customers the equipment to carry out the same practices in their own kitchens.
The feeling in the room was so joyful, and the cumulative effect of hearing story after story of faith in action was so moving, a number of staff and volunteers stated their conviction that this first-ever event should now be considered an annual gathering not to be missed.
Tags: Alianza, Beatriz Diaz Taveras, Bronx, Catholic Charities Community Services, Christopher Melito, Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, Credit Suisse, data base managers, Day of Service, Director of Emergency Food Services, Director of Volunteer Services, food assistance, food packers, food pantries, healthy cooking methods, inventory specialists, inwood, Jeanne McGettigan, Lizaura German, Maria Sanchez, Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, soup kitchens, St. Anthony’s Soup Kitchen, Staci-Jo Bruce, Triangle Building, Volunteer Appreciation Event, volunteer chefs, Walter Martin, Washington Heights
Posted in Feeding the Hungry and Sheltering the Homeless, Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, New York City, Parishes, Protecting and Nurturing Children and Youth, Staten Island, Strengthening Families and Resolving Crises, Volunteering | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 1st, 2013
By Alice Kenny
Immigration reform may pass this year, predicts Kevin Appleby, director of migration and refugee policy at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, as he speaks with Msgr. Kevin Sullivan on JustLove radio broadcast on April 27.
“Political winds, Mr. Appleby says, “are blowing our way.”
Called the “guru of immigration reform” by Msgr. Sullivan, Mr. Appleby offers an inside perspective on immigration reform’s history, hurdles and likelihood of success.
“We don’t have a system based on the rule of law anymore,” Mr. Appleby says. “It’s based on chaos.
“At the border we have a sign that says ‘keep out’ but at the workplace we have a sign that says ‘help wanted.’”
Eleven million people live in the shadows and form an underground economy, he added. Massive deportations divide families and pull parents away from children. Persons struggling for a better life die as they try to cross the desert.
Solutions have been debated for decades, ever since Congress passed its last major immigration reform bill in 1986.
What’s different now “in a word,” says Mr. Appleby, “is the election; both parties have taken note and realized that the demographics of our country are changing and they need to get out ahead of it.”
Tune in to hear the entire show on The Catholic Channel 129, SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio.
Looking for information about Comprehensive Immigration Reform?
Catholic Charities is here to help.
Click here to learn how to prepare for immigration reform
Contact us now.
Call Catholic Charities at New York State New Americans Hotline: 1-800-566-7636
Tags: campaign, deportations, families, immigrant community, immigrants, Immigration Reform, immigration status, Justice for Immigrants, Kevin Appleby, legal immigration policies, Legal Services for Immigrants, naturalization cases, New York State New Americans Hotline, NYS New Americans Hotline, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Posted in New York City, Parishes, Protecting and Nurturing Children and Youth, Strengthening Families and Resolving Crises, Welcoming and Integrating Immigrants and Refugees, What We Do at Catholic Charities | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 30th, 2013
By Alice Kenny
Giselle Harrington speaks with Msgr. Kevin Sullivan at volunteer luncheon.
Catholic Charities honored seven Refugee Resettlement Department volunteers who together logged more than 700 volunteer hours in just over half a year at an internationally themed volunteer luncheon held Friday, April 26.
“There’s a great need for nonprofit work,” said Giselle Harrington, a volunteer who worked in Egypt and Palestine teaching children with mental disabilities before returning to the United States and volunteering with Catholic Charities. “Volunteers really make nonprofit work happen.”
Similar to fellow volunteers that attended the luncheon, Ms. Harrington helps refugees pull together resumes and find work.
“I use my understanding of how to network,” Ms. Harrington said, “so that people can become employed, self sufficient and have a good result.”
Would you like to help change a life?
Click here to find a volunteer opportunity tailored just for you.
Tags: awards, Giselle Harrington, international community, luncheon, nonprofit, Refugee Resettlement Department, refugees, resumes, volunteer opportunity, Volunteers
Posted in Events, Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, New York City, Uncategorized, Volunteering, Welcoming and Integrating Immigrants and Refugees, What We Do at Catholic Charities | No Comments »
Monday, April 29th, 2013
By Alice Kenny
Looking for free staffing plus a chance to help teens this summer?
Check out Catholic Charities Community Services/Alianza Division’s Summer Youth Employment Program. We are looking for organizations and agencies to partner with us to provide young people with a worksite and great work experience.
What’s in it for you?
All told, we plan to train and place more than 900 teens and young adults, ages 14 — 24, at worksites throughout New York City from July 8th until August 17th. And this is all at no cost to you.
The Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) provides New York City teens and young adults with summer employment and educational experiences that capitalize on individual strengths, develop skills, and connect youth to positive adult role models.
SYEP provides six weeks of entry-level jobs at community-based organizations, government agencies and private sector businesses. In past years these have included hospitals, summer camps, nonprofits, small businesses, law firms, museums, sports enterprises and retail organizations.
What’s in it for youth?
The Summer Youth Employment Program is designed to:
- Emphasize real-world labor expectations
- Increase awareness of services offered by local community-based organizations
- Provide opportunities for career instruction, financial literacy training, academic improvement, and social growth
CCCS works in collaboration with the Department of Youth and Community Development and pays participants the minimum wage pay rate of $7.25.
Don’t worry. We provide the salary; you provide the site.
How about some details?
As an SYEP worksite, you agree to:
- Provide productive and meaningful work assignments
- Provide training and supervision
- Communicate regularly with the community-based organization that placed participants to ensure accurate compensation for hours worked
- Evaluate your participants and provide adequate feedback and mentoring
- You can choose Group 1: Youth ages 14-15 or Group 2: Youth ages 16-24.
- The younger group works 15 work hours plus 5 educational hours per week. (No worries: We provide the educational hours.)
- Group 2 can work 25 hours a week.
Sounds great. How do I sign up?
Click here to learn more and become a worksite.
Click here to learn more.
Tags: academic improvement, Alianza, career instruction, Catholic Charities Community Services, community-based organizations, Department of Youth and Community Development, entry-level jobs, financial literacy training, government agencies, hospitals, law firms, museums, New York City, nonprofits, private sector businesses, small businesses, social growth, sports enterprises, summer camps, summer employment, Summer Youth Employment Program, SYEP, teens, young adults
Posted in New York City, Protecting and Nurturing Children and Youth | No Comments »
Friday, April 26th, 2013
Press conference spotlights services for Sandy survivors.
By Alice Kenny
Chinatown political representatives joined TV correspondents and reporters at a well-attended press conference held at the Greater Chinatown Community Association (GCCA) in Manhattan’s Chinatown last week to broadcast the latest information about disaster support for Sandy survivors. Watch it on SINOVISION.net.
GCCA, an affiliated agency of the Archdiocese of New York’s federation, is one of more than fifteen social service agencies extending from Long Island to the Hudson Valley providing local, on-the-ground disaster case management to individuals with homes or businesses damaged by Superstorm Sandy. The New York State Disaster Case Management Program, managed by Catholic Charities Community Services, Archdiocese of New York, will provide approximately 200 disaster case managers to assist individuals and families in the 13 -New York counties hardest hit by Superstorm Sandy.
Designed to streamline support and avoid frustration and confusion, the Disaster Case Management program whittles down the complex system of disaster support by providing survivors with a single point of contact to access a broad range of resources. This allows people still reeling from the loss of jobs and homes to avoid the need to search out multiple organizations that might respond to their various needs.
Instead, survivors can relate their experiences and submit their documentation to a single, local disaster case manager who guides them through the recovery process. This local model of providing disaster support proves particularly important in sites such as Chinatown where language barriers can make a confusing process almost overwhelming.
An elderly Chinese man with lung cancer whose basement apartment flooded during the storm, for example, received different answers from so many different places that, by the time he came to GCCA for help, “he was ready to give up,” said GCCA Executive Director Chih-Ping (Andy) Yu.
Disaster case managers are both advocates and expediters for those affected by Sandy. They first assess if clients have unmet needs related to the storm. If people qualify, they will be assigned a disaster case manager to serve as a single point of contact for all assistance, including that coming from insurance companies, private organizations, and government. Then, based on interactions with the client, the service coordinators create individualized disaster recovery plans, including advocating for access to needed services, coordinating benefits, and making referrals for services outside the scope of disaster case management. Existing Sandy-related services for individuals and families range from direct federal and state grants and Small Business Administration loans to insurance advocacy and referrals to the range of not-for-profit and voluntary programs that have been established.
The program is modeled after a similar one run by Catholic Charities Community Services in 34 counties across New York State following Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in 2011.
Eligibility for the Sandy New York State Disaster Case Management Program is open to anyone with an unmet need that arose from or was exacerbated by Superstorm Sandy, even those who have not applied to FEMA for assistance or are undocumented.
Looking for help?
- Call 1-855-258-0483 to find the location nearest you.
- Are you a Sandy survivor who lives in Chinatown or speaks a Chinese dialect and is looking for help? Contact the Greater Chinatown Community Association, 105 Mosco Street, New York, NY 10013. Phone 212-374-1311. www.gccanyc.org.
- For a full list of disaster case management locations, visit www.catholiccharitiesny.org.
Tags: Archdiocese of New York, Catholic Charities Community Services, Chih-Ping (Andy) Yu, Chinatown, Chinese, Disaster Case Management, FEMA, Greater Chinatown Community Association, hudson valley, Long Island, New York State Disaster Case Management Program, press conference, reporters, Sandy survivors, Small Business Administration, social service agencies, Superstorm Sandy, TV correspondents, undocumented
Posted in Events, New York City, Protecting and Nurturing Children and Youth, Strengthening Families and Resolving Crises, Welcoming and Integrating Immigrants and Refugees | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 24th, 2013
Whether you have applied for FEMA or not — even if you were not eligible or were denied assistance — there may be local
resources available for you.
A trained, compassionate case manager can work one-on-one with you to:
- Answer your questions about recovery
- Develop a plan to address your needs
- Connect you with appropriate community resources
- Determine what financial assistance may be available to you
- Advocate on your behalf with service and benefit providers
Call Today – Help is Here:
855-258-0483
Monday – Friday: 9am to 5pm
Find Local Agencies for Help:
| AGENCY PHONE # |
| Bronx |
| BronxWorks |
718-508-3194 |
| Brooklyn |
| Arab-American Family Support Center |
718-643-8000 |
| Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled |
718-998-3000 |
| Brooklyn Community Services |
718-310-5620 |
| Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens |
718-722-6223 |
| Council of Peoples in Organization (COPO) |
718-434-3266 |
| Good Shepherd Services |
718-522-6910/6911 |
| Greater Chinatown Community Association |
212-374-1311 |
| Lutheran Social Services of New York |
718-942-4196 |
| Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty |
212-453-9539
917-281-6721 |
| Shorefront YM-YWHA of Brighton- Manhattan Beach |
347-689-1880/1817 |
| Manhattan |
| Catholic Charities Community Services, Archdiocese of New York |
855-258-0483 |
| Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York (CIDNY) |
212-674-2300 |
| Greater Chinatown Community Association |
212-374-1311 |
| Queens |
| Arab-American Family Support Center |
718-643-8000 |
| Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens |
718-722-6223 |
| Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York (CIDNY) |
646-442-4186
212-674-2300 |
| Greater Chinatown Community Association |
212-374-1311 |
| Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty |
212-453-9539
917-281-6721 |
| SCO Family of Services |
516-493-6457/5284 |
| Staten Island |
| Catholic Charities Community Services, Archdiocese of New York |
718-447-6330, ext. 121 |
| El Centro del Inmigrante |
718-420-6466 |
| Lutheran Social Services of New York |
718-942-4196 |
| JCC of Staten Island |
718-475-5213 |
| Long Island |
| Catholic Charities Diocese of Rockville Centre |
631-608-8883/8882 |
| Family Service League |
631-369-0104 |
| FEGS Health and Human Services |
516-496-7550, press 6 |
| Lutheran Social Services of New York |
516-483-3240 ext. 3030 |
| Hudson Valley |
| Catholic Charities Community Services, Archdiocese of New York |
845-344-4868 |
Additional service providers will be included.
The New York State Disaster Case Management Program is operated by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York under the auspices of the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, Office of Emergency Management and funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Tags: Disaster case management Disaster relief, disaster recovery, families in crisis, families in need, Family emergency, FEMA, housing, Hurricane Sandy Fund, Hurricane Sandy Relief, sandy relief, Sandy survivors, Shelter
Posted in Feeding the Hungry and Sheltering the Homeless, New York City, Protecting and Nurturing Children and Youth, Staten Island, Strengthening Families and Resolving Crises, Uncategorized | No Comments »
