Neighborhood News June 2021 |
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When NCS client Patricia talks about her childhood, it doesn’t sound too unusual. She was born in the south, where she lived until her family moved to New York City when she was three years old. Patricia was shy but liked school, especially her English classes.
As an adolescent, Patricia started to struggle emotionally. Looking back, she realizes that she suffered from undiagnosed depression. “I felt lost. I didn’t know where I fit in with my
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family, with my friends.” By the time she finished high school, Patricia was using drugs to cope with these struggles.
Her mother put her in a residential drug treatment program when she was 18 years old. Decades of intermittent drug use, unsuccessful treatment, and arrests followed.
By her 50s, Patricia was living in a homeless shelter, getting high every day. She knew that she needed help, and her case manager encouraged her to attend a Chance for Change (CFC) meeting at the shelter. During this group meeting, she learned about the support NCS offers for people like her who live with addiction and homelessness. CFC uses a harm-reduction approach, helping clients take the steps they are ready and able to take.
Patricia started attending group sessions and working with a CFC counselor. In 2019, she moved to the NCS Residence, a supportive housing program where she has a stable home and receives case management and psychiatric treatment along with continued support from the CFC team.
Patricia knows that wanting to stay off drugs isn’t enough—she also needs help from the people around her. She says that NCS is helping her surround herself “with people who help me stay clean.”
Last fall, in the middle of the pandemic, Patricia had a setback. But while in the past this usually meant that she would keep getting high for weeks or months, this time was different thanks to the tools and support she received from NCS. Read about Patricia's experience in her own words.
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Your support makes Patricia's success possible. NCS donors like you invest in services that are the difference between surviving and thriving. |
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Your monthly donation—or one-time gift—will ensure that Patricia, and dozens more like her, will have what they need to succeed. |
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In the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder and the resurgence of Black Lives Matter protests last summer, Elaine Gorsline, NCS’s Vocational Specialist, began thinking about how we could better use the physical space at Louis Nine House to inspire the young adult residents.
She teamed up with Alleny Compres, Louis Nine House’s Arts Coordinator/ Employment Specialist, to add inspiration to the Community Room. They curated a list of successful athletes, entertainers, politicians, civil rights leaders, and landmarks that they felt represented the residents. Louis Nine House tenants voted for the photos they would like to see on the walls.
“It is so important for people to be able to see others who look like them and are successful,” Elaine shared. “I want to make sure that all of the Louis Nine House residents are inspired to greatness every time they walk in the room. I love that they chose who they wanted to include and that this project really represents them.”
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In February, Pearl Chin joined NCS as the Director of Finance and Administration. We have all loved getting to know her (even if it’s mostly been virtual) and want you to meet Pearl, too.
Pearl was born and raised in New York City and has spent most of her life living in lower Manhattan. With dreams of becoming a rich and famous banker, she earned her MBA from Cornell and went into management consulting. This career path changed when the 9/11 terrorist attacks devastated the financial world and Pearl’s neighborhood, causing her to reassess her priorities.
Many non-profits were struggling in the aftermath of 9/11, and Pearl discovered a passion for using her management consulting skills to help guide these organizations out of financial distress. Over the past twenty years, she has gained tremendous experience working at various New York City non-profits, and she is excited for her role at NCS.
“I am a member of the Strategic Task Force on Low-Income Housing and Homelessness at my church, Trinity Church Wall Street”, Pearl explained. “I am excited to merge my passions for housing in New York City and non-profit financial management in one role. I have always wanted to work for a non-profit focused on housing, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity.”
In her personal time, Pearl enjoys eating out and sampling all of the cuisines that NYC has to offer. Given her career, it’s no surprise that she is also a fan of the first U.S. Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton (“he set up our entire banking system!”), who is buried in the Trinity Church Wall Street cemetery.
We are all so happy to have Pearl on the NCS team!
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Thank you to volunteers from St. James' Church on the Upper East Side for coming to the NCS Residence every month to make dinner for our residents!
The tenants can't wait to share dinner together with the volunteers, but in the meantime, the NCS clients safely enjoyed a warm cooked meal and know that their neighbors are thinking about them!
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Administrative Office
50 Broadway
Suite 1301
New York, NY 10004
Phone: (212) 537-5100
Fax: (212) 860-2301
ncs@ncsinc.org
www.ncsinc.org
Board of Directors
David A. Oliver
President
Wolcott B. Dunham, Jr.
Stephanie W. Guest
Thomas J. Kilkenny
Stuart N. Siegel
Vice Presidents
Susan Stevens
Treasurer
Jan F. Golann
Secretary
Victoria Bert
Barbara Chocky
Anne S. Davidson
Abigail Black Elbaum
Patricia Falk
Alice Greif
Matthew D. Hughes
Oren K. Isacoff
Ann Ross Loeb
Rachael Piltch-Loeb
Marta Radzyminski
Stephanie Shuman
Christopher W. Solomon
Ann L. Shalof
Chief Executive Officer
NCS Programs
Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter provides New Yorkers who are homeless or at risk of homelessness with a home, a community, and access to the services that they need to thrive. We create innovative solutions and engage community partners to provide housing and support that can transform lives.
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