Care For the Homeless

Help keep homeless New Yorkers healthy and warm this winter. Share the warmth and donate to the Care for the Homeless Winter Drive. Interested in organizing a collection drive? Download the 2013 Winter Drive Poster here or call the Development Office at (212) 366-4459 ext. 202 to learn more. Thank you for making a difference for homeless individuals and families this winter.

The Care for the Homeless Speakers’ Bureau presented its first public program to an audience of 20 on Tuesday, October 28th. Fittingly, the topic was health care issues for homeless people in New York City. A number of clients told their stories of living without a home and trying to access health care. One client leader, Gayle Dorsky, talked about living on the streets and squatting. “I was lucky,” she said, “I found Care for the Homeless.” She spoke about friends who weren’t so lucky.  “I watched their health decline. Some developed chronic diseases. Some died,” she said. In addition to several client speakers, the program featured Care for the Homeless Assistant Executive Director Debbian Fletcher-Blake who spoke about health care issues specific to people experiencing homeless in New York City. “A lot remains to be done," she said. Fletcher-Blake said the age adjusted life expectancy for chronically homeless people in New York City is about 50 years. 

Did you know that 20 minutes after you quit smoking, your body begins to heal itself? Volunteer this November and help save lives. Care for the Homeless is a proud partner of the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout campaign. Our slogan is: "Any day is a good day to quit smoking." This November, Care for the Homeless is hosting smoking cessation express workshops to educate and empower clients. We are now accepting volunteers for the following upcoming workshops: Monday, November 18 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Brooklyn) Tuesday, November 19 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. (Bronx) Friday, November 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Bronx) Saturday, November 23 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Bronx) Interested in volunteering to help with these workshops? No advance training required. 2 hour volunteer shifts available. Sign up online or email Joe Vargas at volunteerservices@cfhnyc.org for more information.  Help Care for the Homeless share the benefits of quitting with

Jeff Foreman, Director of Policy   Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York State did something Care for the Homeless has long advocated. He adopted the public policy that housing is health care. CFH’s health care professionals, who treat people experiencing homelessness every day, advocate for it. They know it’s not just easier to access treatment when you’re stably housed, but ongoing treatment is always more effective for those who have stable housing. Studies show age adjusted life expectancy for chronically homeless people is in the 40s and 50s, compared to a national life expectancy of over 80 years. A 2012 study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology concluded “homelessness is an independent risk factor for death from specific causes.” Homelessness itself is a contributing cause of ill health and premature deaths. Managing treatment on the streets, or even in shelters, is difficult.  Fighting infections with an already compromised or weak immun

Meet Maria. A single mom living in a New York City homeless shelter, Maria says: "I'm here because of my kids." "My being here is the first step to getting an apartment," she continues. "Once I'm back on my feet, I can work on getting my kids back." Getting back on her feet isn't easy. For homeless New Yorkers like Maria, finding full-time employment with a living wage is next to impossible. Over 44% of homeless persons are employed. As the New York Times reported on September 17th, having a job, or 2, doesn't mean having a home. (Read our published Letter to the Editor response here .) "Work is challenging," says Maria. "I get $7.50 an hour, and it's part-time. Right now, I'm limited to 13 hours a week, but soon, I'm hoping to get 25 hours a week. I save 60% of my income right now while I'm in the shelter, but at this rate, it's going to take a long time before I can save enough to move

As you got on, or off, the subway today you may have seen it in the Metro New York : an article about the coalition of advocates Care for the Homeless helped organize and our efforts to make ending homelessness central issues in this year’s Mayoral campaign.  If you did you probably noticed the larger, bolder paragraph quoting Care for the Homeless' Executive Director:                 “Poor policy choices helped create modern-day homelessness,  and better public policy can end it."  -- Bobby Watts, Executive Director of Care for the Homeless Here’s a link to the whole Metro story: 2013 United to End Homelessness Rally http://www.metro.us/newyork/news/local/2013/10/07/homeless-coalition-homelessness-next-mayor-city-council/ And this is a link to the United to End Homelessness “Roadmap to End Homelessness” – a well-researched briefing book on the platform Care for the Homeless and 130 organizations have endorsed to help fight, prevent and o

Did you miss Care for the Homeless on AM 1600 WWRL this past Sunday? Care for the Homeless client leader David Broxton and Policy Director Jeff Foreman were featured on WWRL's Voices of Human Services radio show on Sunday, September 29, 2013. Invited to discuss our recent successful voter registration drive, David also shared his personal story of he overcome homelessness. "I had hit rock bottom. Care for the Homeless saved my life. Today, I'm living on the corner of good health and happiness." Did you miss the show? Want to listen to the interview again? Check out the podcast here (interview starts at 33:36). We thank the Human Services Council and AM 1600 WWRL for featuring Care for the Homeless.

Letter to the Editor by Jeff Foreman, Director of Policy New York: Two Cities? An argument rages about whether New York is "two cities," with half just getting by as income inequality explodes with the arrival of multimillionaires. Who seriously questions our growing poverty or that many struggle just to get by?  We can combat inequality through investment in affordable housing, including for very low income families, supportive housing for those who need it, and other progressive policies.    Read the entire Letter to the Editor published October 2, 2013 in the New York Times and the news article that prompted Care for the Homeless' response.   [Read more] For more information on the Care for the Homeless Agenda to End Homeless , visit our web site and subscribe to our monthly Policy Matters newsletter .

Jeff Foreman, Director of Policy It might seem like déjà vu but we’re in another fiscal crisis of our own making in Washington. The House and Senate have been unable to agree on at least three major funding items that are critical to the country. First, there’s the budget. In recent years it’s become usual to miss budget deadlines (the new fiscal year started October 1st) but keep the government going by passing temporary “Continuing Resolutions” to continue funding government at current levels until something is agreed to. In today’s hyper-partisan and frequently nonfunctional environment, short term resolutions add little optimism of reaching a real agreement. They just kick the can down the road, and not very far either. Second, the federal government will reach its debt limit, possibly in days but certainly no more than weeks, compounding the problem. The government can’t legally spend more than its debt limit. So reaching the debt limit doesn’t stop debt accumulation