Saratoga Afterschool kids head to a local dugout twice a week to play baseball with Rosedale Little League. The kids play against teams in the League while sporting new jerseys and cleats provided by their team sponsor, KidCare. Afterschool Director Michael Chapman believes sports can
HFH's latest snapshot examines the application process for shelter eligibility. When applying for shelter, clients are in 'conditional status.' Nearly a fourth of clients are in conditional status at any time, and many remain in this limbo, reapplying for eligibility, for months. Download this PDF Snapshot
“Stay calm and whisper / I am worthy, I am enough, I am me” – “Give Yourself Grace,” Alenell Under the guidance of Recreation Coordinator Francina Smith, a group of five middle school and high school students in Saratoga’s afterschool rec program had the
In preparation for a fun-filled summer at HFH Summer Camps, a volunteer group of staff members headed up to Camp Wakonda in Harriman State Park to plant a garden of flowers, herbs, and vegetables. As part of what is fast-becoming an annual tradition—“Camp Cleanup Day”—team members
The “Saratoga Silly Project,” a collection of ceramics, claymation, and animation, will be displayed in an interactive gallery at Saratoga Family Residence. The project features clay sculpture characters based on children at Saratoga sculpted by Beverly George, a recreation coordinator in the afterschool program.
In her nearly three decades working in the housekeeping department, Hilda Figueroa has been known to light up any room she walks into at Saratoga Family Residence in Jamaica, Queens. It’s a quality that other staff at Saratoga have come to cherish, especially amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, when many struggled to
Earlier this month, the creativity of Saratoga Family Residence’s afterschool students took center stage at the Worldwide Plays Festival in Bryant Park. The festival was produced by Writopia, a non-profit that offers creative writing workshops for children ages 2-18. Writopia has been collaborating with HFH since 2013, primarily providing supplemental afterschool
“Life changed for me when I started camp.” For Camp Administrator Tyrone Squire, camp has “always been in his heart.” Growing up in Fullerton, CA, he spent his summers at a Boy Scout camp off the coast of California. Since starting with HFH in 2015, Tyrone has translated his positive camp
Afterschool students at Saratoga Family Residence tested out the trade of plumbing with a recent workshop, hosted by Tools & Tiaras, that portrayed how water filtration systems operate. Students learned the significance of the field of plumbing and the job security that can be gained by entering the trade. The
Charima Thompson began her professional journey at HFH working at Prospect Family Residence in the safety department. After five years in safety—starting as a Safety Aide and then receiving a promotion to Safety Supervisor—she decided to chase her aspirations and apply to a position as a Housing Specialist at HFH’s newest