Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter | August 2021
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Neighborhood News August 2021
NCS To Pilot New Program
NCS recently announced plans to develop a pilot program to provide a residence for college students who are experiencing homelessness.  
 
A study released in March 2019 by the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice found that 55% of CUNY students reported experiencing housing insecurity, with 14% having been homeless in the previous year. That number increases to 18% for the system's community colleges. The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic downturn suggest that these numbers have already risen and will continue to climb. 
 
Our goal is to provide stable housing and on-site supports that will give unhoused CUNY students the best chance to complete their degrees and begin successful futures. We are pleased to have secured planning grants from Trinity Church Wall Street Philanthropies and Booth Ferris Foundation, and a College Completion Innovation Fund award from GraduateNYC. 
 
You can read more about this issue and our planned solution in this article and we will share updates on our progress. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Nancy Riedl, NCS’s Chief Development Officer, at nriedl@ncsinc.org. 
Last June, we told you about NCS client Muray who wants to be a fashion designer and began sewing masks for those who couldn’t afford them at the start of the pandemic. This summer, she got experience working on a different accessory— socks. 
 
Muray was accepted into the Bombas Design Mentorship Program, which she completed at the end of July. During the six-week program, Muray learned about the business side of fashion and helped design a sock pack that is set to drop in Fall 2022.   
Muray (left) with the Bombas mentors
For Muray, the highlight was learning how to work on a team and accepting feedback on her designs. “I can’t get my feelings too involved when it comes to business because all designers get critiqued,” she shared. “I can’t be sad if something doesn’t work because when it comes to business, it can’t just be about what colors or designs I like the most but what will sell. Bombas helped me see that.” 
 
Muray hopes to work in couture fashion and recognizes that what she learned this summer provides a good foundation. “I will definitely incorporate what I learned, especially about the business side of things and how to run a corporation that focuses on people.” 
 
“I am so thankful to Bombas for this program. It gives people like me who didn’t go to design school or don’t have the right experiences on my resume a chance to show our talent and to gain the experience we need to keep going. They are open to giving everyone a chance to succeed.” 
 
Thank you Bombas for always doing more to “bee better.” 
From the day that young adults like K move into Louis Nine House, our team helps them complete their education, find a job, prepare for a career, and develop the life skills to achieve their goal of living independently.

Sometimes our clients accomplish so much, and their goal is within their reach... but they just need a little boost to get there. In cases like this, the NCS Futures Fund helps them overcome obstacles blocking their paths toward education, employment, and independent housing. 
 
Some residents may have received a scholarship for school but need money for textbooks or transportation. Others need help paying for the licensing exam required by their chosen profession. And others are ready to move out of NCS housing and into their own apartment but need help with the security deposit or moving expenses. 
 
This fund is the difference between "I wish I could" and "I can!" It helps make dreams come true.

K moved out of NCS housing in the summer of 2020 and continued to work with our vocational and education program. She became a licensed security guard with support from NCS. We helped her research and register for the program and the Futures Fund provided K with Metrocards to get to and from the program and then to job interviews, as well as new clothing for interviews. An NCS volunteer helped her prepare for the interview process, and K is currently working as a security guard in Brooklyn.

This summer, NCS is asking supporters to turn our clients' wishes into realities. We have already raised $1,345 for the Futures Fund. Can you help us get to $1,500 to ensure our clients can reach their goals? Click the image below to donate today!
It’s fitting that Rachael Piltch-Loeb, uses building a home as an analogy for combatting the pandemic. In addition to her career as a public health emergency preparedness and response expert, Rachael is an NCS Board Member and founding chair of the NextGen Network who clearly cares a lot about housing.  
 
“There’s no easy solution to the disinformation,” she shares. “But we need people to get vaccinated. It’s like building a house. Combating the pandemic requires a variety of tools. The vaccine is the absolute best tool that we have and the more people who use this tool, the faster we will get through this. The faster we’ll build. But you can’t build a house with just one tool. Until enough people are vaccinated, there are other tools we need to keep using like masks.” 
 
Throughout the pandemic, Rachael’s expertise has been cited by international sources including the BBC, the Atlantic, and Bloomberg News. Closer to home, NCS CEO Ann Shalof has benefitted from Rachael’s advice.  
 
“Throughout the past year and a half, we've all been navigating through uncharted waters,” said Shalof. “Rachael has generously shared her expertise and insights, particularly regarding how to encourage vaccination at our residences. We are extremely fortunate to have had her help and support during this difficult time."
 
Rachael Piltch-Loeb holds appointments at both the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health as a Preparedness Fellow and the NYU School of Global Public Health as an associate research scientist. She earned her PhD in public health from NYU, a MSPH from the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, and BS from Georgetown University.
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.