Every summer, Shawn Thorns, Director of Camp Wakonda, tells his counselors the story of one of his former campers, Brandon, who participated in HFH Summer Camps during Thorns's first year as a General Counselor in 2005. "He had behavioral issues," Thorns said of Brandon, then eight-years-old. "They wanted to send him home, but
With her more than 26 years of experience working at HFH, Payroll Manager Desiree Sanabria has had ample opportunity to note changes in everything from payroll management software to the location of HFH’s physical office space. “When we were moving from 50 to 36, I found what I used to call my “bible,”
As Assistant Manager of Recreation at Saratoga, Breanna Battle manages programming that allows participants to explore their passions through a diverse selection of activities, from kids soccer practice to adult computer class. Battle and her staff at recreation cultivate this variety intentionally, so that families feel empowered to get involved, regardless of where their
The first session of HFH Summer Camps 2019 begins on June 28, but camper recruitment efforts are already underway for the summer, when hundreds of New York City kids will enjoy a free sleepaway camp experience. Paola Rodriguez, Camp Registrar for HFH Summer Camps, is responsible for coordinating the team of Camp Recruiters
As a teenager, Celina Rodriguez, Director of Family Services at Prospect Family Residence, experienced living in a homeless shelter with her single mother and four siblings. Now, she channels that experience into coordinating comprehensive support for homeless families seeking to secure permanent housing and financial stability. “It helps me to communicate with people
Melody Clemons-Smith, Senior Client Care Coordinator (CCC) at Saratoga Family Residence, did not always imagine herself in the field of social work. “I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up,” Clemons-Smith said. “But I was always a helper at heart.” Working as a microbiology technician at Northwell Hospital for
When Vivian Vera, Senior Accountant in the Homes for the Homeless (HFH) Finance office, applied for college, her grandfather suggested that she study accounting. “My mom was the only one who supported us, so my grandfather was like a father in my life.” She took his advice, and the rest is history. Born
Javier Marin, a maintenance worker at Saratoga, has been working hard since the age of 14. His outstanding work ethic continues to attract notice at Homes for the Homeless (HFH). Marin has lived in Queens for 18 years. Born and raised in Colombia, he moved to the United States in his early 30s.
Dorothea Nixon, Director of Prospect Family Support Center, credits her success to a strong support system growing up. Now, she’s trying to build that same support system for others. Nixon was born into a family of 5 on Long Island. They bounced from town to town, experiencing intermittent bouts of homelessness, but one thing
Shantie Chattergoon, born and raised far from New York, uses her job as a receptionist to make sure that all feel at home in the Homes for the Homeless central office. Born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, in 1987 Chattergoon’s husband got a job that moved the couple and their children to
