News from the Front Lines
Thank you for being with us on the front lines of fighting homelessness in NYC.
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New Year’s Message from the Executive Director
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This is the first issue of our Front Lines newsletter for 2018 and it is a perfect opportunity to wish you and your family a very happy and healthy 2018. I also want to say thank you to each and every one of you who supported Care for the Homeless in 2017, whether it was a cash or in-kind donation, volunteering your valuable time, or attending one of our events. I would like to start this new year by letting you know how vital you are to our work.
2018 promises to be a challenging year. We are closely watching developments in Congress and hoping that community health center funding remains the bi-partisan priority it has been for several decades. We continue to face unprecedented demand for shelter from homeless individuals and families. Our health center and shelter staff are facing an epidemic of opiate addiction and overdoses. This is the time for government -- and our great partners like you -- to give us the tools we need to address these challenges. It is our sincere hope that the rewarding feeling you experience when you support CFH will be your motivation to continue helping our homeless neighbors this year and beyond.
We also have positive news to share. In 2017, CFH expanded the range of health care services for our patients to include podiatry and dental care as well as vision screening for children and adults. Those services will continue in 2018 and we are exploring new strategies to reach even more individuals and families experiencing homelessness in our city. In 2017, we were also designated a Patient-Centered Medical Home, recognition of the quality of our services by NCQA, the national leader in the accreditation of health care organizations. We will have more exciting news as 2018 progresses and I look forward to reporting to you on these developments in future issues of this newsletter.
I am moved every day by the commitment of the staff and board of CFH to our mission of delivering high-quality healthcare, shelter and social services to our most vulnerable neighbors. It is profoundly encouraging to the entire CFH family that good friends like you choose to support our work. Thank you for everything you did in 2017 and for everything you will do in 2018.
Sincerely,
George Nashak
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Your New Year's Resolution Inspiration
Marisa, a patient at the Citadel Health Center in Queens, has a history of diabetes in her family. Both of her parents and her adolescent son suffer from the illness. Gabriela, a Health Educator at CFH, said “When I first met Marisa, she said, ‘I know everything there is to know about diabetes, I don’t want to die from it.’” Gabriela has been working with Marisa for the past six months. She says Marisa is very knowledgeable about her medications and taking them on time, but she was very unaware of the amount of physical activity that is needed to improve her overall health. Gabriela started working with Marisa by taking small steps—literally--which includes education on what is considered exercise and how much Marisa should be getting. Together, Gabriela and Marisa created an exercise plan. Marisa was reluctant at first, but she now does 30 minutes of exercise, five days a week, and has lost 5 pounds! We hope these ladies are an inspiration to you because YOU help make this possible!
Read more about Marisa and her work with Gabriela here.
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Winter Drive Success
It is still very early in the winter season, yet we have already experienced record cold temperatures. Thanks to our many and varied donors, hundreds of men, women, and children struggling with homelessness will be a bit warmer and safer from the bitter temps this year. Together, we collected well over 1,500 winter accessories! So far, we’ve packed and distributed over 400 kits containing hats, gloves and socks for adults and children. But we are STILL counting and packing-up kits thanks to an abundance of support. To show our appreciation, we want to thank the following individuals, companies and schools, who gave to our winter drive thus far: BounceX, CD&R Builds, Giphy, Hats 4 the Homeless, Kathy Alwill & The Royalty Network, Kean University Poetry Club, MongoDB, Namely, NewsCred, Organizing for Action, OnDeck, Placed, Poppin, Prolific Interactive, Roads to Success (Girls Prep location), Shapeways, and VaynerMedia.
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Want more updates from CFH
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Interested in learning more about our policy and advocacy work? Or maybe you would like to volunteer at our next event. If so, sign up for our Policy Matters Newsletter and/or our Volunteer Newsletter for monthly updates to learn how you can get involved!
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News From the Front Lines
is a monthly update about Care for the Homeless' efforts to fight homelessness in New York City.
Thank you for your generous support of our mission.
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