Hearts to Homes News - Hearts to Homes

November 18, 2022November 18, 2022

Hearts to Homes is pleased to announce a partnership with CASA-NYC

Hearts to Homes is pleased to announce a partnership with CASA-NYC. Family court judges assign CASA-NYC volunteers to the most complex cases for young people involved in the NYC child welfare system. These volunteers work diligently to provide individualized attention to each child, ensuring their needs are protected and rights addressed while helping them navigate the maze of the NYC foster care system. They work to ensure that children in foster care are moved quickly into safe, stable, nurturing, and permanent homes – with their families of origin whenever possible. We welcome CASA-NYC as the 27^th referring partner in our Hearts to Homes family.

November 1, 2022November 18, 2022

Meet our New Board Members!

New board member image — Clockwise from top left: Gloria Dios, Allison Reich, Jan Jason, Mary Leitner

Hearts to Homes is pleased to welcome, and introduce to our donors, four new members of our Board of Directors. Each of these individuals brings a commitment to philanthropy and to our mission to help foster youth make a smoother transition from foster care to independence. We look forward to working with them as we continue our work in New York City, Westchester, Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland and Putnam counties.

Gloria Dios

Gloria Dios is a Financial Advisor and lives between Southampton and NYC. She graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she studied Film & TV and minored in business. After graduation, she worked as a casting producer and editor for various reality TV shows. Growing up the daughter of two financial advisors, she developed a passion for educating and helping others with financial literacy which led to her career change. She is on the Southampton Village Business Revitalization committee and a board member for Heart of the Hamptons, a food pantry and general assistance nonprofit in Southampton.

Jan Jason

Jan Jason joined the Hearts to Homes board after fifteen years at the Rockland County Department of Social Services where she served as Coordinator of Operations, Analysis and Planning. Her experience consisted of collaborating with management and supervisory staff on program administration including children and family services, child welfare, and adult services, as well as benefits programs. In her previous position as assistant to the Commissioner of Social Services, she served as liaison with government agencies, community organizations, and county departments to increase collaborative efforts and maximize resources to benefit clients. Jan retired in 2017 and since then has volunteered as a board member of Child Care Resources of Rockland, as a classroom aide in the East Ramapo, NY Early Childhood Learning Center, with the Soup Angels Food Program in Nyack, NY, and as a Surrogate Decision-Making Committee Member with the NYS Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs.

Mary Leitner

Mary is a graduate of Fordham University and Iona University and a long-time Westchester resident who currently lives in Mamaroneck. She spent her career in financial services and retired from UBS after 25 years. Supporting local organizations is important to Mary, her husband John, and their two adult children. Mary served on the board of the YWCA of White Plains and Central Westchester for over ten years, and recently as board secretary. The opportunity to empower young adults attracted Mary to Hearts to Homes.

Allison Reich

Allison Reich is an advertising professional working as a Group Copy Supervisor at a Havas Group agency. She is a graduate of Lafayette College where she studied English and Studio Art. Her lifelong passion for contributing to her community and creating a better world through enacting change has led to volunteer work with local and national nonprofit organizations focused on the arts, health, and social causes. Allison previously served on the Junior Committee of Hearts to Homes, and she is thrilled to continue supporting young adults starting their lives outside of the foster care system as a member of the Board of Directors.

October 15, 2022November 18, 2022

News Report Documents the Impact of Your Support!

On Wednesday, October 12, NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt featured the story of Christina Abraham, a young woman who received Hearts to Homes furnishing support this past August. Watch the report to learn more about the impact your donation makes!

Part 1 and Part 2 of NBC Nightly News Films give a more in-depth look into the process of aging out and Hearts to Homes’ program for assistance.

Unprotected: Aging out of foster care (Part 1)

Unprotected: Aging out of foster care (Part 2)

October 10, 2022October 10, 2022

Talented and Treasured

Our thanks for the treasure, time, and talents of Debbra Stolarik and Patrick Dolan, two Hearts to Homes board members who have finished their term. Their efforts on behalf of foster youth helped us expand our support to youth at twenty-six organizations. Our mission would not have had this growth without their amazing leadership!

Left: Debbra Stolarik was one of our earliest supporters and was there from the moment we incorporated! She was, and will continue to be, one of the greatest cheerleaders for the youth we serve. Debbra’s efforts on our newsletters kept our donors informed about new partnerships and the needs that foster youth face.

Right: As a board member, Patrick Dolan took leadership of several special events, bringing them to higher heights! We are indebted to him for his concern for the young adults we support, his thoughtfulness in board discussions, and his willingness to take on new experiences. He will be a tough act to follow!

Thank you for sharing your compassion, your generosity, and your leadership with Hearts to Homes!

September 19, 2022September 19, 2022

Two new agency expansions bring Hearts to Homes assistance to Putnam and Suffolk counties

Hearts to Homes is pleased to announce two new partnerships which are helping us expand our services geographically to more individuals in need!

NAFI New York is a multi-service agency that has provided programming and individualized support services to youth and families, since 2005, in a variety of settings across New York State. In this case, this partnership is the direct result of an expansion of services to Putnam County! NAFI’s core services include foster care, wraparound programming, and ground-breaking, evidence-based services for families in their homes and communities.

Family & Children’s Association (FCA) is a non-sectarian, not-for-profit that is dedicated to providing help and hope to Long Island’s most vulnerable children, families, seniors, and communities. We are pleased to be supporting young adults who are part of FCA’s Project Independence. This new partnership has led to the furnishing of our first home in Suffolk County!

We welcome NAFI and FCA as the 25th and 26^th referring partner in our Hearts to Homes family.

July 7, 2022October 10, 2022

Hearts to Homes partners with Lutheran Social Services of New York (LSSNY)

Hearts to Homes is pleased to announce a partnership with Lutheran Social Services of New York (LSSNY).

For over 130 years, LSSNY has provided early childhood education, supportive housing, hunger prevention, foster care, and legal services for immigrants and refugees. The agency is transforming from a provider of social services to a purveyor of social change. By working to dismantle the causes and effects of persistent poverty and social injustice, LSSNY transforms communities, helping program participants reach their full potential.

Hearts to Homes is proud to support LSSNY youth who are aging out of foster care. We welcome them as the 22nd partner agency in our Hearts to Homes family.

June 23, 2022

Services Expanded to Include Rockland County

Cuomo Bridge — The New Tappan Zee Bridge (The Governor M. Cuomo) spanning the Hudson River in New York.

Hearts to Homes is happy to announce the expansion of services to young adults aging out of foster care in Rockland County. We look forward to working with Rockland County Department of Social Services to provide furnishings and furniture to Rockland youth in need. This follows recent expansions to Nassau and Suffolk counties.

June 14, 2022

Hearts to Homes’ Board Member Jeremiah Perez-Torres Op-Ed

We are pleased to share an Op-ED written by our H2H board member, Jeremiah Perez-Torres.

Opinion: For Youth Aging Out of Foster Care, Housing Support is Crucial (citylimits.org)

April 18, 2022

Hearts to Homes Expands Services

Hearts to Homes is expanding, and we wanted you to be the first to know! Young adults who are aging out of foster care in Nassau and Suffolk are now eligible for our services. Some of our existing partner agencies already work with foster youth in these counties, so the transition to helping young adults in these new geographic areas will be seamless! Without you, this expansion would not be possible. Thank you for your continued support. We hope you are as excited as we are by this news!

March 23, 2022

Speech by Tyneisha Fraser at the Open Hearts at Oceana Event March 23, 2022

Tyneisha Fraser is a social worker with Catholic Guardian Services. She has lived experience with Hearts to Homes as a young adult aging out of foster care herself. She has also referred eight young adults to us over the last few years in her role as a case planner in family foster care. Tyneisha brings a unique perspective, as both a recipient and a referring case planner. We thank her for her thoughtful words.

Good evening, everyone.

My name is Tyneisha Fraser. Today I will tell you about my journey growing up in foster care and my experience with the Hearts to Home Organization. My siblings and I were placed in foster care when I was 7 years old. At the age of thirteen years old, my mother passed away, which left me to grow up in foster care alone. During my teenage years, I struggled with my self-esteem, searching for love and affection from my teachers and peers. I also struggled with losing my birth mother and being separated from my siblings.

While enduring all my adversities in foster care, I used school as an outlet to distract me from my displaced life. I graduated from high school and was accepted into Manhattanville College, located in Purchase, NY. A lot of young adults go to college to party, meet new people and to plan for a career. I went to college to run away from my problems. I went to college to have a safe and stable placement to call my own. Once I graduated with my bachelor’s degree from Manhatanville College, it was time for me to transition to adulthood in my own apartment.

Moving into my apartment. I recall being concerned about a number of things. I wondered, how am I going to pay my rent monthly? How am I going to purchase furniture for my apartment? How am I going to cook without pots, cookware and kitchen utensils? Most young adults have house warming parties and their families and friends come together and buy them household items. I was a young adult who did not have any family or friends to help support me with this huge life altering transition.

When I moved into my apartment I did not invite anyone over because I felt uncomfortable. I did not have a bed, living room furniture and other essential items one needs to live comfortably. My apartment was empty!!! Hearts to Homes changed my life. This unique and amazing program provided me with everything I needed for my apartment, some of which I still use today. Hearts to Homes purchased my first queen-sized bed, provided me with pots, glassware and a comforter set with pillows, and a microwave. I remember inviting my friends and my family to my home for the first time and they were so impressed with my apartment. I felt confident and comfortable, allowing my family and friends to spend time and make memories with me in my new home.

As a case planner, I referred nine youth to the Hearts to Homes Program. I remembered how excited the adolescents and young adults were on my caseload when they were able to fill out their Hearts to Homes referral form. The young adults were so happy to choose the furniture and household items they wanted for their apartment. The young adults and adolescents in foster care do not have the opportunity to make decisions for their life. Hearts to Homes program provides the opportunity for young adults to choose what they want in their own apartments.

I remembered how excited the young adults were to know their items were mailed to the agency. Some of our young adults were nearly in tears when I told them I was delivering their items to their NYCHA apartment. As I helped the young adults bring all their items into their NYCHA apartment, I would assist the youth with unpacking their items such as, helping the young adults place their glass cups, plates, pots, and kitchen utensils in their kitchen cabinets. I would help the young adult with setting up their shower curtain in their bathroom. I would help the young adults with assembling their lamps for their living room, etc. As a case planner we go through so many different monuments with our young adults for years. Over time, our young adults build trust and relationships with their case planner. So, who better than a case planner to help transition our young adults into their apartments with their Hearts to Homes’ items?

In the future, I hope Hearts to Homes can expand the program to youth in foster care who do not have high school diplomas or a GED Certificate. Most of our youth in foster care do not have high school diplomas, GED Certificates or college degrees. Our young adults without degrees need this program as well.

I would like to conclude by saying, thank you to the Hearts to Homes program for supporting me and all the adolescents and young adults I have referred to the Hearts to Home program through Catholic Guardian Services. I am so grateful and appreciative and hope Hearts to Homes program continues to help more young adults with backgrounds that mirrors mine as they transition into adulthood and move into their own apartments. With all the trauma our young adults experienced, they deserve to have a comfortable, safe place to call their own. ACS and contracted foster care agencies assist young adults with obtaining their own apartments, but this amazing program extends their Hearts to allow our young adults to create a home. Thank You, and have a wonderful evening.