Hope Community Services Inc

Programs: Housing stabilization programs - see schedule ohope's housing stabilization programs seek to prevent homelessness by providing rent assistance and information and referral services. It operates five major housing programs funded through the city of new rochelle, westchester department of social services, housing and urban development (hud) and new york state. All these programs offer critical housing support for clients. City of new rochelle re-housing initiative (cnr) is a permanent housing program for eligible homeless residents of westchester who have substance abuse and/or mental health disabilities. The program benefits individuals who are deemed to be housing-ready with a focus on homeless veterans. In addition to placing them in housing the program provides case management and referrals to supportive services. It is federally funded through hud. The program provided rental assistance to 17 individuals in 2017. The refuge is a housing program specifically for lgbtq youth between the ages of 18 and 25. It is transitional housing, which means clients are permitted to stay in the program for a maximum of 18 months. The program is person-centered and each client will have a goal and multiple caseworkers who will assist in reaching that goal. The youth will be referred for job training, vocational programs and completion of any high school or college. We have formed a partnership with westchester jewish community services, center lane and the loft. These agencies will provide both intensive case management and social interaction skills training for the clients. The program provided rental assistance to 22 individuals in 2017. Stehp assist individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness move into stable housing goal of the program is to assist individuals and families to prevent the eviction process, remain in permanent housing and to assist them with supportive services during their homelessness. Program components involve identifying housing locations, providing rental and other forms of financial assistance, and offering supportive services. The program coordinates community resources to ensure that program participants are linked to any necessary on-going support assistance. Particular attention is paid to employment services and employment support for participants. The programs provided rental assistance to 57 individuals during 2017.

food programs - see schedule osoup kitchenhope's soup kitchen provides a well-balanced hot meal to clients 52 weeks a year every tuesday, wednesday and friday and the last two mondays of each month. Our door open to the general public at 2 pm for snacks and beverages. At 5 pm we serve a hot meal including fresh salad, soup, a main course with fresh vegetables, bread and butter, potatoes, rice or pasta and desert. We also serve special holiday meals and, when available distribute fresh produce. In addition, the soup kitchen opens at 9 am and stays open until 7 pm for out homeless resource center (hrc) clients monday through friday. The hrc clients are served breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as snacks and beverages throughout the day. Hope's soup kitchen has become a unique community where birthdays and special occasions are celebrated by the volunteers and clients. It has become a refuge for the homeless of new rochelle. The soup kitchen is also a point of entry for all of our other programs. Food pantryhope's food pantry provides bagged groceries to the poorest residents of new rochelle. Hope has been providing for those in need for 34 years. People learn about the program by word of mouth, and through our flyers and brochures that are distributed throughout new rochelle. Our clients include senior citizens existing on a fixed income, people with physical and mental challenges, people in recovery, working poor families, immigrants, newly unemployed and the homeless. The grocery bags distributed enable struggling individuals and families to reallocate a portion of their limited income to the high cost of housing in westchester county. Last year more than 700 children registered in our pantry relied on hope to provide adequate nutrition for their growing bodies and minds. Without hope's assistance, our clients would face the terrible choice of food or shelter. Our seniors would have to choose between much needed medication and food. We provide customized bags for people on a medically restricted diet such as low sodium or low sugar. We provide non-cooking bags for those clients who have no access to cooking facilities. We also strive to accommodate the ethnic food preferences of our diverse population. In an effort to assist home bound seniors and other citizens, we have arranged for staff from the nearby low income housing development to pick up and deliver groceries for those people. For holidays we provide something extra so that our clients can enjoy a holiday meal with their families or significant others. For thanksgiving we gave out 1,000 turkeys and all the trimmings; we also partner with a local church who delivers a complete cooked thanksgiving meal to clients' homes. For christmas we gave out hams and turkeys, for easter we gave out chickens and ham. Our efforts to provide food to those in need are coordinated with local churches, school social workers, and social service agencies to assure that residents in need can access the food required to provide for themselves and their families. The food pantry serves as a point of entry to our other programs. It is a means to identify people who can be assisted through our outreach services and soup kitchen and housing programs.

community outreach/sef-sufficiency program - see schedule ohope's community outreach/self-sufficiency program (ssp) helps low-income families access entitlements, find jobs, and obtain health care and substance abuse treatment. It also assist with citizenship and literacy classes, immigration issues and domestic violence issues. The program provides counseling and support to single mothers and works with them to problem solve and negotiate the day to day issues related to health care, education and social service systems on behalf of themselves and their children. Additionally, ssp provides children with clothing, car seats, baby food, formula and diapers. We offer help filling out applications for food stamps, medicare and medicaid and interface with the schools and medical providers on behalf of non english speaking clients. The ssp program offers walk-in crisis intervention, problem solving and referrals to all of hope's programs as well as referrals to othe agencies and government entitlements.

as part of its overall mission, hope community services holds several donation drives each year. In 2017, the backpack and school supply drive resulted in 500 backpacks being distributed. The winter coat, hat, gloves and scarf drive resulted in over 1,500 coats and accessories being distributed. During the holiday season, over 1,200 toys were distributed at the hope community holiday party.