Volunteers help out at The Bridge, a social service organization on 108th street. Image via The Bridge.
The Columbus-Amsterdam Business Improvement District has put together a large list of local social service agencies, churches and other nonprofits that could use some help this holiday season — and all year of course. The list is laid out in an attractive and printable form here (pdf), and we’ve copy-pasted it in a less attractive (but still hopefully useful) form below.
Community Social Services
Holiday Wish List
2015-2016
There are many social service programs in our neighborhood If you would like to donate any of the items they have requested, or if you would like to learn more about their services, please give them a call. Happy Holidays!
ASCENSION CHURCH
221 W 107th Street 212-222-0666
rklueber@ascensionchurchnyc.org
oortiz@ascensionschoolnyc.org
Ascension Church reaches out to the poor, the elderly, those not able to shop, those on food stamps, the homeless, and the hungry. The children of the Ascension Church Religious Education Program run a Food Pantry, collecting canned and dry packaged goods and distributing generous grocery bags to the needy of the neighborhood every third Saturday of the month. Ascension Parish also hosts a Homeless Shelter that hosts beds for up to 20 homeless men every Saturday night. Ascension School, a Catholic elementary school serving pre-K to grade 8, runs an after school tutoring program.
Wish List: canned and dry packaged foods, boxed milk, and toilet paper for food pantry; cooks, sleep-over volunteers, monetary donations to buy food, and toiletries for homeless shelter; tutors for after school tutoring program.
AUGUST AICHHORN CENTER FOR ADOLESCENT RESIDENTIAL CARE, INC.
23 W 106th Street 212-316-9353
The Aichhorn Center is a non-profit corporation organized in New York City in 1977. Its mission is to assist teenagers by providing residential treatment services. It remains a prototype model for providing meaningful treatment to youth who cannot be managed in ordinary group homes or institutional settings. Here children develop long-term and close interactions with the supportive adults that care for them in their daily lives. This program is intensive and includes complete educational and recreational facilities at the site and a staff-patient ratio of 3 to 1.
Wish List: Double Dutch ropes, digital cameras, laptops and/or tablets, art supplies, board games, puzzles, young adult reading materials, DVDs and CDs.
BLOOMINGDALE FAMILY PROGRAM, INC.
125 W 109th Street 212-663-4067
www.bloomingdalefamilyprogram.org
Since its inception in 1960, the Bloomingdale Family Program has served thousands of preschool children and their families. The program is a pioneer in early childhood education, special education, and parent development. Bloomingdale provides a wide range of services that include ESL, computer classes, women’s support groups, career development, on-site speech and play therapy, family literacy initiatives, and Universal Pre-K.
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON BEACON 54
(A Program of Harlem Children’s Zone)
103 W 107th Street 212-866-5579
www.hcz.org 646-539-5941
The Booker T. Washington Beacon 54 (BTW) aims to help students achieve academic success, while also helping them become healthier and more engaged in the world around them. In addition to providing homework help and tutoring, BTW employs specialized teaching artists, who introduce students to photography, video, dance, art, karate, organized sports and career development. BTW also offers a wide range of programming for adults, including GED, ESL, salsa, yoga, boot camp, Zumba, and nutrition classes. Our overall mission is to combat generational poverty and minimize the achievement gap in our communities.
Wish List: musical instruments (drums, violins, guitars, keyboards), sound equipment (speakers, cordless mics), 10 Lego sets, 4 tablets for students, 2 modern up-to-date computers, volunteers (coding/programming)
THE BRIDGE, INC.
248 W 108th Street 212-663-3000
www.thebridgeny.org
The Bridge, now in its 61st year, is a community-based nonprofit organization that serves over 2,300 vulnerable New Yorkers throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. The Bridge’s comprehensive services include safe and affordable housing (with 5 residences on the Upper West Side), mental health and substance abuse treatment, homeless outreach, veterans’ services, health care in collaboration with the Ryan Health Center, and creative arts therapies. The housing programs serve 821 adults with serious mental illness, young adults aging out of residential treatment and foster care, veterans, and low income families.
Wish List: gifts for clients including personal grooming, warm socks, gloves, scarves, and fun items
CATHEDRAL COMMUNITY CARES
1047 Amsterdam Ave 212-316-7583
ccc@stjohndivine.org
The mission of Cathedral Community Cares (CCC) is to combat and alleviate poverty through preventive poverty services, education and advocacy–specifically targeting the issues of health and hunger. CCC runs a Sunday Soup Kitchen, serving breakfast at 10am, lunch at 12:30pm, and take-home supper every week. They also host a Clothing Closet, open on Tuesday and Thursday for distribution between 10am and 1pm (clients must arrive before 12:30pm.) Additionally, CCC advises clients on SNAP Certification and Re-Certification by appointment and provides Health Education and Screenings.
Wish List: non-perishable unopened food items; men’s and women’s winter clothing; new, unwrapped toys (all donations must be received before Dec 16); unopened, travel-sized hygiene products
The best times to drop off donated items are Mondays and Wednesdays from 10am-5pm.
THE CHILDREN’S AID SOCIETY
885 Columbus Ave 212-865-6337
www.childrensaidsociety.org
The Children’s Aid Society at Frederick Douglass Center provides essential services to children and families on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The center was founded in 1958 by The Children’s Aid Society, and today, more than 600 children and their families use the center each day. The facilities include a full-service library, gymnasium, outdoor playground facilities, and after-school and nursery classrooms. Services include: Head Start, Child Care, After-School and Summer Camps for Elementary and Middle School, Teen Programs, and an AAU Basketball program.
Wish List: sports equipment, board games (e.g. UNO, Monopoly, Trouble, Sorry)
CLUSTER HOUSE (URBAN PATHWAYS)
904 Amsterdam Ave 212-736-7385 ext. 220
www.urbanpathways.org
As a data-driven and innovative leader, Urban Pathways ensures that homeless and at-risk New Yorkers have the housing, services, and support that they need to be self-sufficient. Recently reopened after a complete renovation, Cluster House is the seventh supportive housing residence managed by Urban Pathways. Cluster House provides long-term housing to individuals who live with serious mental illness and who meet financial eligibility requirements.
Wish List: socks, unisex comfortable clothing (e.g. sweats), winter coats
DOMINICAN SUNDAY, INC.
175 W 107th Street 212-749-0781
domincansunday@hotmail.com 646-606-4651
Dominican Sunday, Inc. is a non-profit organization founded in 1995 and is committed to empowering and providing a variety of support to the residents of the West Harlem, Manhattan Valley, and Morningside communities. Currently, the organization offers a variety of support in the following areas: youth development, workforce development, adult education (citizenship, ESL, and GED classes), and housing advocacy.
Wish List: new awning for storefront, electronic gate, laser printer, copy machine, 5 sets of mouse and keyboard for PCs, 11 new office chairs, volunteers (skills: grant writing, fundraising, receptionist).
FRANCISCAN COMMUNITY CENTER
214 W 97th Street 212-932-8040
www.fccnyc.org
The Franciscan Community Center (FCC) exists to serve the people of Manhattan’s Upper West Side and reach out to all, in particular the poor, the alienated, and immigrant populations. FCC develops, manages, and supports educational, recreational, and outreach programs that create positive change in the lives of those it serves. FCC offers over ten different programs and services in the following areas: the FCC Thrift Shop, After School Program, Performing Arts, Art & Painting, Babies & Toddlers, Counseling, Legal & Social Referral Services, Food Pantry & 93rd Street Sandwich Line.
Wish List: shopping baskets, jewelry displays, art supplies, sporting equipment (e.g. basketballs, rubber balls, soccer balls), board games, brown paper sandwich bags.
GODDARD RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY CENTER AND OUTREACH CONSORTIUM
www.goddard.org
Options Program
352 W 110th Street 212-678-4667 Goddard Riverside runs the Options Program, which provides one-to-one college counseling, mentoring and tutoring for students, and training for professionals engaged in the field of college counseling. Options also provides ongoing support to ensure that students stay in school.
Law Project
51 W 109th Street 212-799-9638
The Goddard Riverside Law Project, founded in 1981, provides free legal services and tenant organizing assistance to low-income residents of single resident occupancy (SRO) buildings on Manhattan’s West Side. The Project represents SRO and some apartment tenants in eviction proceedings, preventing the illegal conversion of SRO buildings, protecting the rights of tenants, and helping to better their living conditions.
Wish List: those interested in volunteering should contact Evie Joselow at (212) 873-660 ext. 314 or ejoselow@goddard.org
GROSVENOR NEIGBHORHOOD HOUSE YMCA
176 W 105th Street 212-749-8500
www.ymcanyc.org
The Grosvenor Neighborhood House YMCA provides a safe haven for youth and families who live on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Programs include: Early Childhood, After-School, Summer Camps, Healthy Living Activities & Workshops, and ESL Classes.
Wish List: arts and crafts supplies, board games, yarn and crochet needles, sponsorship for summer scholarships
JEWISH HOME LIFECARE
120 W 106th Street 212-870-4618
www.jewishhome.org
Jewish Home Lifecare provides healthcare services and assistance for elders. With more than 160 years of experience as a not-for-profit elder care system, Jewish Home provides a network of care and serves as a resource for aging elders and caregivers. Our Research Institute on Aging works to expand knowledge of the aging experience and models of service and to contribute to the quality of care and quality of life afforded to older adults and their families. Jewish Home Lifecare’s staff, trustees, and partners strive to be a vital force in serving elders and those who care for them.
Wish List: iPods, Kindles, new headphones, portable CD players, portable DVD players, DVDs, arts & craft supplies, beads, new cosmetics, lotions, new caps, new scarves, costume jewelry, NY Times Subscription, Daily News Subscription, books on CDs, new large print books, holiday gifts for seniors
LIFEFORCE IN LATER YEARS (LILY)
irenezola@L-i-L-Y.org 917-775-1199
www.lifeforce-in-later-years.org
Lifeforce in Later Years/LiLY is a response to the dire challenges faced by older seniors in our culture. Its life-affirming programs aim to improve their quality of life through inter-generational partnerships, increased visibility, and vital community care options. In our community, the Morningside Village program helps over 100 elders to remain comfortably in their own homes with the support of a corps of 90 volunteers and professional staff who provide friendly visits, connect older seniors to community services, and help with practical matters.
Wish List: raffle prizes (small fun items), food for January community party, cozy place for monthly film screenings, volunteers (to visit seniors or help with other programs; special corps for fundraising gala on May 9), monetary donations
ONE STOP AT JASA
(Jewish Association Serving the Aging)
475 Riverside Drive
Suite 1846 212-864-7900 ext. 4815
One Stop at JASA provides care assistance and care management for elderly residents of the community. Partnered with the Department for the Aging, One Stop assists senior citizens with benefits, entitlements, food stamps, home healthcare, legal assistance, housing/eviction assistance, and Section 8 applications. One Stop also serves homebound clients by assigning them personal case workers who address their individual needs.
Wish List: office supplies, laptop (for home visits)
OPEN DOOR CHILD CARE CENTER
820 Columbus Ave 212-749-5572
www.opendoor.org
Open Door Child Care Center was organized in 1958 and provides day care for children aged two to five years old. Open Door is committed to working closely with parents and other caregivers and developing the potential of each child, regardless of disability or disadvantage. The Center also collaborates with other organizations, both within the educational and political arenas, to secure additional resources to expand quality programs for preschool children. Open Door partners with public and private schools at the elementary level in order to effect a smooth transition between preschool and school-based programs.
Wish List: 5 laptops or computers for teachers, children books, 12 folding chairs.
RYAN COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER
110 W 97th Street 212-316-7905
www.ryancenter.org
The William F. Ryan Community Health Center is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that was founded on the principle that “health care is a right, not a privilege.” For over 47 years, Ryan has provided high quality, affordable, culturally and linguistically competent, primary, preventive, specialty health care and support services to medically underserved populations in Manhattan.
Wish List: new or gently used children’s books to provide to our pediatric patients
MICHAEL’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
225 W 99th Street 212-222-2700
www.saintmichaelschurch.org
St. Michael’s Saturday Kitchen feeds a hearty meal to over 200 people each Saturday at 10am. The Pilgrim Resource Center provides referrals to social services, such as food pantries, meals, clothing, and essential personal items.
Wish List: new socks, gloves, t-shirts, underwear, warm caps, scarves; MetroCards with 2 ride balances; restaurant pot-holders
TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH
164 W 100th Street 212-222-7045 www.trinitylutherannyc.org
Trinity Lutheran Church’s Creative Learning Center (CLC) is a free after-school program for elementary aged children. CLC is a safe, caring environment for children to engage creatively with topics covered in school. Trinity Place Shelter (TPS) is a non-sectarian transitional shelter for LGBTQ 18-25 year olds. TPS provides residents a safe space to sleep, eat, store belongings, access transportation, counseling, and additional independent living supportive services. Trinity will also be offering a healthy, filling Christmas Breakfast on December 25.
Wish List: food items or financial contributions for the Christmas breakfast; school supplies, sports equipment, healthy non-perishable snacks; gift cards (TJ Maxx, DSW, CVS, etc.), new twin bed sheets, new bath towels, new socks, new winter hats, scarves, gloves, toiletries, First Aid items; general financial contributions
WEST END PRESBYTERIAN
165 W 105th Street 212-663-2900 ext. 11
alistair@iahh.org
West End Presbyterian, partnered with the Interfaith Assembly on Housing and Homelessness and other West Side Congregations, is sponsoring the Panim El Panim Life-Skills Empowerment Program. The program is a twelve week, twenty-four session program developed for men and women who are formerly or presently homeless. Panim El Panim has been in operation for seven years, and two semesters are planned for 2016 (Feb-May and Sept-Dec.) West End also hosts a food panty every Tuesday and Thursday from 11:30-12:30.
Wish List: volunteers (mentors needed for eight 2-hr commitments over a semester), family-style meal (sponsor a meal for 12-20 people), financial contribution (underwrite full or partial stipend for graduates)
WEST SIDE FEDERATION FOR SENIOR AND SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
www.wsfssh.org
Center at the Red Oak
135 W 106th Street 212-749-7015 ext. 2620
The Center at the Red Oak is a full service center serving older persons in the Manhattan Valley community, funded by the New York City Department for the Aging (DFTA). Regular activities include: arts activities, health and wellness classes, English and computer classes, games and groups, special workshops, trips around the city, and social service assistance. On-site services are provided in English and Español, with additional language resources available. The Center serves breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday with a suggested donation. Membership is free.
Wish List: tables, chairs, table cloths, arts and crafts supplies, yarn, fabric, jewelry making supplies, light weightlifting equipment, ping-pong table
Frederick Douglass Senior Center
868 Amsterdam Ave 212-666-4019
The Frederick Douglass Senior Center provides day programs for senior citizens in the neighborhood. The Center provides free coffee, bagels, and fruit on weekday mornings and offers many activities, including ceramics and jewelry making.
Valley Lodge
149 W 108th Street 212-678-0570 ext. 2001
Valley Lodge is a transitional shelter where homeless older people who have been living in city shelters are able to get help with the problems that caused their homelessness so they can return to independent living in the community. At Valley Lodge, 92 individuals receive 24 hour service with a full meal program, case management, programs and activities, and medical and psychiatric services. When they are ready to move on, Valley Lodge works with them to find homes that fit their needs.
Wish List: household and kitchen equipment (pots, pans, silverware); winter coats, hats, gloves, scarves
**************
Columbus Amsterdam Business Improvement District is a not-for-profit organization that works to improve conditions in the neighborhood of Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues from 96th to 110th Streets. We supplement city services and work with NYC agencies and Community Board 7.
Some of our current projects include:
· Tree care and flower planting
· Tree guard maintenance
· Graffiti removal
· Holiday lighting
· Listing of commercial vacancies
· Monthly EVENTS calendar
· Family Days festivals
· History Walks and Talks with Bloomingdale Neighborhood History Group
More information at www.columbusamsterdambid.org or on Twitter @Col_AmBID
The BID has worked with local restaurants between 96th and 110th Streets to create Bloomingdale Restaurants. To that end, we have sponsored three Taste of Bloomingdale: Flavors of the World events and have launched a new website highlighting some of the 100+ restaurants in this area. Learn more at www.bloomingdalerestaurants.nyc
If you would like to learn more about what we do, please call or email us.
COLUMBUS AMSTERDAM BID
991 Amsterdam Avenue New York, NY 10025
Phone: 212-666-9774
info@columbusamsterdambid.org
Peter Arndtsen, District Manager
This is a terrific and useful list. Thank you very much for posting it.
This is a fantastic list. Thank you for generating it. I’ll be able to use it year round.
If anyone uses Blue Apron, they have an option available to donate your Thanksgiving meal to those in need. I think it ends today though.