Care For the Homeless

A Break Well Spent After hours of studying for mid-terms and adding the final touches to projects, the most euphoric thing a college student looks forward to, is their spring break vacation. Many choose to indulge in the tranquility of warm beaches and enjoy cool, salty swims. Others opt for colder temperatures, flying on skis at breakneck speeds. And some simply enjoy the cozy comforts of home. A break is a break though, no matter how one chooses to spend it. The same cannot be said for those participating in a different option offered by many schools, known as Alternative Spring Break (ASB). Students partaking in these programs sacrifice their vacation, and instead, choose to spend their week away from school learning about timely and significant social issues. This past week, about a dozen students from Rice University in Houston, Texas made the 1,600+ mile journey to New York City, to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the intersection between mental health ...

Please join us in welcoming our two newest members of the Board of Directors. Harry K. Thomas began his diplomatic career in 2003, when he was appointed as the United States Ambassador to Bangladesh. Over the course of his nearly 15-year career, he would also serve as Ambassador to the Philippines and Zimbabwe. In between ambassador roles, Thomas also served as Director General of the Foreign Service and as Executive Secretary and Special Assistant to Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice. On his new role with CFH, Thomas commented, “I joined the Board because I believe that 'we the people’ can and must, solve the challenges that homelessness presents. I know that the world's wealthiest nation can improve our homeless sisters and brothers lives. CFH is the leading organization that is working to overcome this obstacle in NYC, my hometown. I will work with the Board Members to broaden the depth and breadth of CFH's reach and outcomes.” Joining Thomas i...

Building Relationships, Earning Trust What do the West Indies, an Armadillo, a Dove, and Care For the Homeless (CFH) have in common? If you guessed the small island nation of Grenada, you’d only be half right. The other half of the answer pertains to Granada native, Dr. Sherill Purcell, who recently celebrated her 28-year anniversary with CFH. Dr. Purcell came to the United States when she was 21 and settled with her family in Kings County, Brooklyn, NY. She completed undergrad at CUNY-Brooklyn and subsequently graduated from New Jersey Medical School in Newark, NJ. Her early years at CFH were spent at a family shelter in Brooklyn. Purcell now splits her time as a pediatrician between CFH’s Citadel Open Access Health Center in Queens, NY and her own private practice. Even now in 2019 though, after her long career in medicine, she’s still meaningfully influenced by her native roots; especially when it comes to working with underserved patient populations. Purcell commente...

A Partner in Health Vladimir Taub, NP Thursday, January 17 th was a frigid day. It bore the type cold that sneaks its way through all the nooks and crannies of your jacket and latches on tight, like gum to the bottom of your shoe. Immediately, you’re desperately rubbing your gloved hands together and pressing them to the sides of your head to keep your ears from going numb. On a day when the peak temperature was only 25 degrees, before the wind chill, you’d assume that most people would just stay in and do their best to keep warm. Unfortunately, not everybody has that luxury. Outside the Salvation Army Jamaica Citadel Community Center in Queens, NY, people lined the street as they waited for the food pantry to open. And even though the site didn’t open until 11 a.m., dozens braved the cold at as early as 9 to claim their spots. Despite the presence of warm jackets, hats, and gloves, the symptoms of cold, perhaps the flu, such as coughs, sneezes, and obvious flu/cold sym...

Home Stability Support (HSS) Assembly-member Hevesi speaking at Homeless Persons' Memorial Day 2018   Assembly member Andrew Hevesi is continuing his fight in Albany to pass the Home Stability Support (HSS) Legislation, something that he spoke about at our 2018 Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day. Care for the Homeless and our client leaders, have been advocating for this legislation to raise the housing subsidy available to New Yorkers receiving public assistance up to 85% of the average fair market rent established by the federal Department of Urban Development (HUD), for a community based on family size.  HSS is a statewide rent supplement for families and individuals who are eligible for public assistance benefits as well as for those facing eviction, homelessness, or loss of housing due to domestic violence or hazardous living conditions. There are currently 171,000 households in New York receiving the public assistance “shelter allowance”, but the...

Small Town, Big Heart From Left, Team Members Lexi Flick, Ashley Stewart, Captain Tina Flick,   CFH Development Associate Brian Myers, and Themla Stewart. Sixty-five miles north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania lies the small town of Rimersburg. Settled in 1829 and incorporated in 1853, the town is home to just a little under 900 residents. Small numbers haven’t prevented its population from making big, charitable impacts. Clarion County, where Rimersburg is located, hosts an annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s. This past year, the 20 teams and 147 participants managed to raise over $27,000 for their cause. Right at the top of the list of donors was Memory Lane’s Forget-Me-Nots, who raised nearly $4,000 of the total. The team is made up of captain Tina Flick and seven other members.  The biggest portion of that amazing total is raised in New York City. Flick and her team have been making the journey here for the past two years. This is a big feat in and of it...

January is Cervical Health Awareness Month. Every year, more than 11,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with cervical cancer. With regular screenings and follow-up care though, the disease can often be prevented. However, while such a health measure is a priority for some, the same cannot always be said for women who are unstably housed or experiencing homelessness. When an individual is experiencing food and housing insecurity, those elements take precedence. So, as a thank you for participating in this essential preventative health exam, patients receiving pap smears can choose either a pocketbook or jewelry from the donations we collect. Care For the Homeless is currently accepting gently used to new pocketbooks and jewelry. Donations can be brought to our 33 rd Street offices or to Susan’s Place in the Bronx. January 23 rd is the final day to make your donation, so don’t wait! Join us in the support and promotion of cervical health! Please co...

Mark Woollett and Candace Clift are California natives – Mark hails from Orange, CA and Candace from the greater Sacramento area. But they met in Massachusetts, both acting in a production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream . They moved to New York City in 2013, and as many artists who move here can attest, it can be hard to pay the bills while following your dreams. They keep their toes dipped firmly in the world of theatre by working at The Barrow Group Theatre Company and School, where Mark helps in finance and Candace works in school operations and teaches, in addition to several other jobs between them! Q.      How did you first learn about Care For the Homeless? A.      Mark heard an NPR story about a group in Boston that provides Medical care for the homeless and was inspired to see if a similar organization existed in New York City. A quick Google search brought him to Care For The Homeless, and he was impressed by its...