A Day of Mandated Community Service Brings Smiles

A chilly winter day of service for mandated Harlem Hard H.A.T.S. (Helping Adolenscents Think Strategically) participants at the Carter Burden Center Meals on Wheels site—turns morning groans to happy smiles. Staff started the day of service by explaining to the participants how volunteering and giving back to the community is important. Then participants were broken up into two groups. Each group delivered eight meals to home-bound elderly.

The performance of the Harlem Hard H.A.T.S. participants was impressive. They delivered each meal with a smile and a positive attitude. Clients were very pleased with the service.

After the serve projects participants met to reflect on their day of service. Below are some of their comments:


I felt tired, but I was proud of myself for helping the elderly.
I learned if this program had not existed, people would be hungry
and I learned it’s good to volunteer. It puts smiles on peoples face.
-- Antony

I feel good because I helped out the community. Also I felt good because I did something good. I learned that helping people that couldn't leave their house is good. I learned that working together can also get the job done.
--Celeste

After the community service, I felt happy to help. I learned that helping people that are elderly is a good thing. I also learned that good people are thankful.
--Antoine

I felt good because we saw a lot of happy faces and they looked pleased.
I learned that a lot of people take their free time to send food to others that can’t go out.
I also realized that today wasn't so bad.
--Cheyenne

Is New York City Safer?

Recently, many have questioned New York City’s crime statistics. Franklin Zimring, a law professor from the University of California at Berkeley, has researched homicide, robbery and auto theft as reported by the New York City Police Department from 1990 to 2009. He then compared these numbers to independent sources to verify or discount the sizable decline in each crime. Read some of Professor Zimring preliminary findings in the Wall Street Journal by clicking here.

East Harlem Town Hall Meeting

Attend Manhattan District Attorney, Cyrus R. Vance's first East Harlem Town Hall meeting, co-sponsored by Community Board #11. District Attorney Vance will highlight his new initiatives and give the community the opportunity to ask questions and voice their concerns. For more information contact the Community Affairs Unit at (212) 335-9082.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Taino Towers Crystal Ball Room

4th Floor

240 East 123rd Street

New York, NY 10035


To see flyer click here.

The Impact of Supportive Housing on Chronically Homeless, Child Walfare Involved Families Webinar

February 2, 2011
2:00pm ET

We invite you to participate in an exclusive 60-minute webinar co-hosted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Corporation for Supportive Housing to share evaluative data from the cutting-edge Keeping Families Together pilot program. The evaluation demonstrates the impact of supportive housing on families who are chronically homeless and child welfare involved. The Keeping Families Together pilot program was designed to answer the question: “With the right combination of affordable housing and supportive services, can highly vulnerable families provide a stable, healthy environment for their children, thus preventing child welfare involvement?”

Between October 2007 and July 2009, 29 New York City families participated in the program. These families all had significant, sometimes intergenerational, histories of chronic homelessness, child welfare involvement, substance abuse or mental illness, interpersonal violence and trauma.

Evaluation results show that the Keeping Families Together pilot program holds real promise through a holistic approach to affordable housing and services that preserves families experiencing serious challenges. The pilot shows that we can bring families back from the brink of major crisis and reduce the cycle of homelessness and involvement with child welfare and other agencies.

Scheduled for Wednesday, February 2, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. (EST) / 11:00 a.m. (PST), this webinar will provide a framework for the Keeping Families Together program and discuss evaluation results. Following the 40-minute presentation, all speakers will be available to answer your questions during a 20-minute Q&A session.


What you will learn:

1. The importance of connectivity in helping vulnerable families-specifically the impact of supportive housing on families who are chronically homeless and involved with child welfare.
2. Overview of the Keeping Families Together model-a practical approach that holds significant promise for preserving vulnerable families and improving their health.
3. Results from the Metis Associates evaluation on the Keeping Families Together pilot program.

Speakers will include:

Nancy Barrand, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Connie Temple, Corporation for Supportive Housing
Richard Cho, Corporation for Supportive Housing
Alison Harte, Corporation for Supportive Housing-Keeping Families Together Metis Associates Eric Nicklas, Child Welfare Expert and Former Keeping Families Together Workgroup Member

The deadline to register for this event is Monday, January 31. All participants will also have an opportunity to download an in-depth brochure detailing the program and a summary of the study results.

To register:
1. Go to https://rwjf.webex.com/rwjf/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=571998536
2. Select Register.
3. On the registration form, enter your information and then select Submit.

Life After Foster Care

A recent publication by the Center For New York City Affairs at The New School entitiled, "In Transition: A better future for youth leaving foster care," looks at the current state of New York City's foster care system. While the Report cites some progress overall in the child welfare system, there is still much to be done. Despite declining numbers of youth in foster care, the percentage of young adults 18 to 21 has grown, and too many still age-out of foster care and into the shelter system.



New York City may not be alone in the struggle to prepare youth after foster care. A Critical Look At The Foster Care System: Foster Care Outcomes, a national study showed that youth in other states with history in the foster care system are more likely to be involved in the criminal justice system, have lower academic success, and higher rates of homelessness.

A Message for Young Men

Street Corner Resources Inc.
Presents

“Mentoring the Inner Spirit to Succeed”

On January 12, 2011 at 11:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Street Corner Resources, Inc. will host a motivational event for male youth. The Event will take place at Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building on 163 West 125th Street in Harlem.

The event guest speaker is Mr. Ramon Maisonet, a Crisis Intervention Counselor, an author, playwright and motivational speaker who was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. Ramon has attended Audrey Cohen College for Human Services, and upon completion has been providing counseling in various modalities of treatment. For the last nine years Ramon has been working as a clinician in the field of substance abuse.

To learn more about Street Corner Resources, Inc and the event click here.

Cuomo Supports Closing Underutilized Juvenile Detention Facilities

Stating that an "incarceration program is not a jobs program" during his State of the State Speech today, new Governor Andrew Cuomo indicated he will work with the legislature to close underutilized juvenile placement facilites that are providing "ineffective programs" to juveniles, most of whom come from New York City. Efforts to consolidate the state's juvenile justice syetm will face stiff oppostion from unions and upstate communities where these facilites provide good paying jobs. The Governor's plan may also be at odds with a recent lawsuit by the City of New York that seeks to take over responsibility for juvenile placement of NYC youth. To watch the video click here.

Family Centered Child Welfare Reform Article

The Child Welfare Organizing Project's recent issue of Rise Magazine entitled "From Rights to Reality" highlights concrete suggestions for improving the effectiveness of the child welfare investigative process. The personal stories of parents engaged by the child welfare system are especially compelling and worth reading.

Gang Reduction Initiative in the “Gang Capital of the World”

In October 2010, the Urban Institute and Harder + Company published a report on the first year implementation findings of the Gang Reduction and Youth Development Program (GRYD). GRYD is a multi-year initiative managed by the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office. The program targets 12 neighborhoods and consists of 24 sites, at a cost of 20 million a year. Established in 2007, the program aims to reduce crime and violence associated with gangs through the implementation of three components:

Prevention: reduce gang-joining through prevention services to youth ages 10–15 who are not already gang members.
Intervention: Providing services to gang members ages 14–25 to assist leaving the gang
life.

Crisis Management: Engaging in immediate reaction to gang conflicts and other street level incidents as they arise and conducting ongoing peacekeeping activities in
gang communities to help keep retaliations and flare-ups under control.

The report provides a literature review on gangs and the evolution of gangs in Los Angles the “Gang Capital of the world.” The report is particularly beneficial for those interested in gang reeducation program development, as the report explains in detail how the program has evolved through the year(s), challenges faced and lessons learned. A question not answered in the report: has GRYD reduced violence in the Los Angeles targeted neighborhoods? Read the full report here.