Social Services

Young and Restless: City Drop-In Centers Told to Keep Runaway, Homeless Youth Awake at Night

Feb. 9, 2023, 6:06 p.m.Feb. 10, 2023, 10:59 a.m.

The directive shocked leaders of five overnight facilities that have let youth in crisis lie down on city-sanctioned cots since 2018.

Posted inSeniors

Attendance at Senior Centers Slowly Rebounds as Older New Yorkers Seek Food and Friends

Oct. 25, 2022, 5:00 a.m.Oct. 27, 2022, 1:10 p.m.

COVID shut down dozens of centers for older New Yorkers, but they are starting to reopen. Providers and patrons testified to the crucial role of these gathering places.

Posted inSocial Services

How New Yorkers Can Help Haiti Following the Earthquake That Killed 1,300

Aug. 16, 2021, 9:36 p.m.Aug. 17, 2021, 8:21 a.m.

Local activists and politicians are working to ensure that donations are sent to the right organizations. Many want to prevent a repeat of when the American Red Cross raised $500 million and only built six homes after the devastating 2010 quake.

Posted inLabor

Social Service and Unions Leaders Clash Over Effort to Help Workers Organize

Aug. 2, 2021, 9:38 p.m.Aug. 2, 2021, 10:41 p.m.

A bill pushed by City Council Speaker Corey Johnson could alter the labor picture at nonprofits. Social service executives say the move could mean more burdens as late city contract payments already bring some to the brink.

Posted inSocial Services

NYC Translation Law Often Ignored, at High Human Cost in the COVID Era

June 2, 2021, 8:47 p.m.June 3, 2021, 7:56 a.m.

Nonprofit groups say a 2017 law requiring translations of key documents into 10 languages isn’t being followed by all city agencies, including the city health department.

Posted inHousing

Homeless Reflect on Life in a New York City Hotel Room, One Year Later

May 10, 2021, 7:59 p.m.May 12, 2021, 8:10 a.m.

For some New Yorkers, the pandemic proved an ironic lifesaver: Spending a year living in clean, private hotel rooms allowed them to get some stability in their lives and finally see hope for the future — if they’re not kicked back into city shelters.

Posted inReligion

For Crumbling Congregations, a Bible on How to Save a House of Worship

March 22, 2021, 9:39 p.m.March 22, 2021, 9:47 p.m.

As more religious communities succumb to financial woes worsened by the pandemic, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer offers an “Action Book” for congregants trying to avoid selling out their spiritual homes.

Posted inLife

Washington Heights Armory on Defense Over Who Gets to Use Space

March 15, 2021, 8:09 p.m.March 16, 2021, 9:52 a.m.

The Fort Washington Avenue Armory, currently a vaccination site, has some of the most coveted public space in Upper Manhattan. But some locals say the nonprofit running the building doesn’t offer equitable access.