As we settle into 2020, we’d like to take a moment to celebrate the HFH families, staff, and supporters who’ve guided and enriched our programming in 2019. With the number of families experiencing homelessness in New York City on the rise from approximately 8,000 families in 2004 to more than 12,000 families in 2019, it’s more important than ever that communities step up to provide families with more than just a place to sleep. We’re grateful for the HFH community that has supported, nourished, and innovated our programming over the past year, and we’re looking forward to an equally exciting 2020.
MEET THE PARENTS
Thank you guys for this [Family Safety Day], it’s really great. You have to teach the kids about safety, about fire, and everything. That’s how you make it to the next day.
They do a lot of shows with the kids. I enjoy them and my kids do, too. So, I asked if we could do a family talent show. A lot of the recreation staff chipped in to help, and the kids, too. We had a good support team.
Although my house is not a castle, what is important is that we are healthy and happy. Humble, but with love. That is what is the most important.
It’s teamwork. As long as you, the individual, the resident, are doing your part, you know the workers will make sure you’re on top.
We just need the confidence to build ourselves up and to let us know that everything is going to be alright. That this isn’t the last step that we’re going through and we’re going to achieve plenty of other goals.
I love my kids! My home is love.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR: Family Talent Show
Star, a mother at Saratoga Family Residence, proposed and organized a Family Talent Show along with staff at Saratoga Recreation. She played a key role in the festivities, recruiting families, decorating the stage, and even choreographing dances for the show.
On November 21, Williamsbridge Family Services held a ‘Celebrate Your Greatness’ event for parents. The event featured interview tips, professional makeup artists, and a barber.
Originally from New Jersey, Shallaya discovered she was pregnant while living at a single women’s shelter in Harlem. “I’m new to New York, so I wasn’t sure how to do things,” she explained. “So I had to start from scratch.”
MEET THE TEAM
Seeing the kids at their fullest happiness and enjoyment is my favorite part about camps. The 12 days that they’re here, I want them to experience love, positivity, and family. That’s why they’re at camp.
I really enjoy what I do and the people I’ve met here along the way. I’ve found over the years, that all of the people that have worked here really wanted to help. You know, it was in their heart to help people.
I think the fun activities are the discovery periods. It’s where you try something new and see if that might be your passion. That’s where ambition kicks in—where you find out what it is you want to do. I think that’s something that you can’t teach or force. You just have to guide, and let it be discovered.
I’m a family man and it’s a family shelter. I’ve got a family that supports me so I think that I can shed a little love too.
For the time that a family is here, they’re coming into a clean building, they’re coming into a safe building. If there’s a leak in your room, I’m going to make sure that we handle it immediately. You’re going to live in a safe, nurturing environment while you’re here so that you and your kids have an opportunity to have a better living environment.
I thought it was important for our family services departments to feel connected to their community and to also know that there are different resources out there that they can use for their clients.
Any time you get parents and kids together to celebrate, it’s a wonderful thing. It makes our participants feel special. The spotlight is—literally—on them.
On the first day, we do a whole family program with the parents and the kids to help ease the transition. The parents get to see how the kids are going to be learning this year through play, and hopefully we’ll alleviate some of the stress parents have on the first day of school.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR: F is for Family
Staff from Prospect Family Services and Prospect Afterschool came together to facilitate a workshop for families called F is for Family. Staff helped parents to engage with the set of resources developed by Sesame Street in Communities for explaining the experience of homelessness to young children. HFH was an adviser in the development of this initiative, which includes a storybook, videos, an activities.
Staff at HFH family residences had the opportunity to connect with representatives from local community organizations at two resource fairs, gathering information and resources that will help them to offer the best possible services to their clients at HFH Family Residences.
We highlighted several of our staff members throughout the year with our series of Staff Spotlights. In Spotlight On: Shawn Thorns, we spoke with Shawn Thorns about his journey from General Counselor to Director of Camp Wakonda at HFH Summer Camps.
MEET THE KIDS
I’m going to miss my mom because I’m not used to that stuff—but when I went last year, it was fun. Now going this year, I’m not scared anymore. Every single day is like a new day. I like looking at the animals and seeing deer. I like swimming in the water. It’s lots of fun. Just joy. No sadness, no madness—just joy.
Camp last year was fun. We had activities like art, nature, swimming, and more. I’m really excited to go back there. I like to explore and I’m an adventurous person. It’s really fun and I like to do creative stuff there. I learned how to do a lanyard called box. I miss the counselors and I hope some of my friends that I made last year will come.
When you hear the fire alarm come on and when you feel your door and it’s hot, then you should know there’s a fire.
I’m excited because I’m in it! Everything with me is beautiful.
Books are awesome! Books are cool! Books are everywhere, even at your school. When you read a book you let your imagination run free. Like a pirate ship on the seven seas. Books are amazing! Books are what I adore! In the library you can find any book you’re looking for.
It is okay to be yourself. You never have to be nobody else. You never know, the flower that shines so bright, but hides from the light, can be something extraordinary. Because bullies might be jealous anyway and maybe one day you will be better than them anyway. That’s why when the flower grows up, it will blossom and bloom and they may say, “I never knew the most unique flower can shine above the rest.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR: Family Film Premiere
Every month, kids at Williamsbridge Recreation explore a new theme through interactive lessons and group projects. For one month, they learned about filmmaking by writing, producing, and acting in their own short films. The month-long project culminated in the premiere of their short films at a Family Film Premiere attended by parents, staff, and the young stars themselves.
Every year, Camp Recruiters build excitement for the upcoming HFH Summer Camps season by hosting Family Fun Days at all three HFH Family Residences. At Williamsbridge’s Family Fun Day, prospective campers also heard testimonies from some of HFH Summer Camps’ most influential promoters—former campers.
This year, teachers from Mad Science, which produces interactive STEM lessons, visited HFH Early Childhood Education Center for a hands-on chemistry workshops. These innovative lessons, which are tailored for young children, added to the diversity of programming available this year for HFH’s youngest learners, from Salsa classes to the fundamentals of soccer.
MEET THE VOLUNTEERS
I like volunteering because sometimes you can be just unaware of things. You’re concerned with your own daily problems, but when you volunteer, it’s a reminder that you need to focus on the bigger things. It’s good to help out.
First off, they’re really cute. It was actually really fun to help them, and it was good to know that they were having fun and they had a fun activity to do.
We’re not just giving clothes; we’re making it a fashion show. That’s what makes it special for me. And the kids, we’ve been working with them for a year, so they know us. Tonight’s going to be great because we’ll get to meet some of their parents.
It’s actually really nice and I like helping people. It feels good because it’s a natural thing to do and at the end of the day, it’s fun. It’s actually fun doing it. You get great experiences.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR: The Old Navy Fashion Show
Volunteers from the Old Navy Green Acres store in Valley Stream, NY organized a Fashion Show for families at Saratoga, with participants of all ages showcasing their personality through carefully assembled outfits, accessories, and signature walks.
Two professors and a group of freshmen from St. John’s University have been working on the expansion of a mural project they’ve developed in Saratoga Family Residence’s parking lot. Throughout the year, the students have continued to expand their project, bringing new life and color to the backdrop of some of Saratoga’s most exciting outdoor family events.
Two young volunteers, Maya and Marissa, exemplified the spirit of kid-driven philanthropy and volunteerism by leading a storytelling and gardening activity at Saratoga Early Childhood Education Center accompanied by a school fundraiser.
MEET THE PARTNERS
Rather than just a dance program or a sports program or a tutoring program, where life skills and socio-emotional skills are sort of a byproduct of programming, we build those tenants into our actual programming. Dance is sort of our gateway to introducing these concepts. If we’re working on being brave, we’ll introduce a step that’s really challenging. Then afterwards, we’ll talk about it. What was it like when you couldn’t get that step?
I believe that every kid should start off equal, going to school. The earlier that you can help the kids, the better off they are. We have your back—with a backpack.
If you start with stuff like this, where it’s hands-on and really silly, the word science is no longer a scary word. It’s not something to be afraid of. They’ll say, ‘oh, I remember I did science. Science is in my world every day’.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE YEAR: KidCare Job Hop
KidCare, a longtime HFH partner, kicked off the 2019 school year with a Job Hop, where young people enrolled in HFH programming had the chance to chat about their dream careers with volunteers representing a wide range of fields, from teachers to electricians.
Children at Saratoga got in the back-to-school spirit during a backpack and school supplies giveaway on September 4, the day before the first day of school for New York City public school students. The back-to-school giveaway was made possible by a series of donations from several HFH partners, ranging from employees at multinational companies to local grassroots organizations.
DMF Youth, an HFH partner, provides weekly classes in dance, meditation, and wellness at Prospect Afterschool. We spoke with Lindi Duesenberg, Founder and Executive Director of DMF Youth, about socio-emotional learning, mindfulness, and motivation at Prospect Afterschool.
MEET THE SUPPORTERS
Donations of items like toys, professional attire, and baby supplies help us to support families at HFH. Take a look at some of our favorite donations from the past year.
