Volunteers of America-Greater New York

This Hire a Veteran Day, we’re proud to spotlight Eric, a Marine Corps veteran from East Harlem, who regained his independence with the help of VOA-GNY. After serving his country and building a successful career at UPS Eric experienced a period of homelessness due to personal hardships. However, once he was connected to VOA-GNY’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families program, he received the financial assistance and support he needed to find housing and regain stability. “VOA-GNY gave me a lot of hope. They kept their promise,” Eric shares. Today, we honor veterans like Eric who bring invaluable skills and experiences to the workforce. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/gPDGexei

Did you catch last night’s New York Yankees game? ⚾ The team held a special home plate ceremony in honor of Operation Backpack® 2024, raising awareness of New York’s record levels of family homelessness and our goal of providing backpacks to thousands of children living in NYC homeless shelters. VOA-GNY was joined at home plate by our board members Paige Davis and Dino Wu, and partner Wells Fargo. Thank you to the New York Yankees and all of this year’s partners for supporting Operation Backpack®. We couldn’t do it without you! 🙌✨ #OperationBackpackNYC is picking up steam, and we need your support to ensure that children living in NYC homeless shelters go back to school with the supplies they need to succeed in the classroom and beyond. 🎒📚📘 Visit the link to donate and find more ways to get involved: https://lnkd.in/ezK_r2Tg #OperationBackpackNYC #Yankees #BackToSchool

Looking for a tangible and impactful way to get involved with Operation Backpack®? Beginning next Monday, July 22, for the second year in a row, we are hosting a backpack drive with our partner Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield U.S. at Westfield World Trade Center! 🎒 Show your support for the more than 50,000 children experiencing homelessness in New York City by donating a new, empty backpack for a chance to win two tickets to One World Observatory! 🎟️🎟️ The Shops at the Oculus
(concierge desk) July 22-24 & 29-31 8 AM - 6 PM Learn more about Operation Backpack® and find ways to get involved: https://lnkd.in/e335Hdg3

Did you know that around 11 million Americans over age 12 need vision correction glasses? 👀 👓 Earlier this month, The Floating Hospital and Helen Keller Intl visited Legacy Family Residence, one of our transitional shelters in Brooklyn, to provide free eye exams and eyeglasses to our clients of all ages. Regular eye exams are crucial for maintaining good vision and overall health. The right pair of glasses can have a significant impact on a client’s ability to navigate all aspects of life as they work to get back on their feet. Thank you, Helen Keller Intl and The Floating Hospital for providing the essential eye care our clients need! #VOAGNY

As Operation Backpack® is in full swing, we'd like to extend our gratitude to our longtime supporter, Duane Reade/Walgreens! 🙌 For the past 12 years, Duane Reade and Walgreens stores in New York have been raising funds to help children living in NYC domestic violence or homeless shelters receive backpacks filled with grade-specific school supplies, providing a sense of normalcy during the back-to-school season. Last year, Walgreens raised over $62,000 in-store for Operation Backpack®, helping children get the supplies they need to thrive in the classroom and beyond! 🎒 More than 50,000 students experiencing homelessness in NYC will need backpacks and school supplies this year, and we need your help! You or your company can donate, set up a fundraising team, and find more ways to support here: https://lnkd.in/eFRtxXKK #OperationBackpackNYC #VOAGNY

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 [email protected].

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