Talented and Treasured

Debra and Patrick

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!

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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 Logo

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.  

FCA Logo

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 26th referring partner in our Hearts to Homes family.

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

LSSNY Logo

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.

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.

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!

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.

tyneisha_fraser

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.

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What a Year 2021 Was! A Peak Inside the Numbers!

  • 100 apartments furnished over 365 days!
  • Assistance provided to youth aged 18 to 25. The average age of our young adults is 21 years old.
  • 80% of apartments furnished were in Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Bronx. We also provided furnishings to youth in Queens, Staten Island, Westchester, Orange and Broome Counties as well as one in New Jersey.
  • We provided furnishings to 25 women who were leaving foster care while pregnant or parenting. In many cases, Good + Foundation or Bundles of Joy provided several items needed for their child(ren). Synergistic partnerships are so important!
  • While 100% of our young adults have a high school diploma or GED, we assisted 11 youth who aged out after graduating college and 27 young adults who are college students. Education can be a vital steppingstone to success!
  • Over 50% of those who have been referred to us in the last several months desire some type of mentoring relationship. Recognizing this, Hearts to Homes’ volunteers are already actively at work referring youth to appropriate organizations where they can make this critical connection! Stay tuned to our social media for more about this important topic.
  • Unfortunately, too many young adults who are referred to us are unemployed (45%). Hearts to Homes will be analyzing this further to see if there are ways in which we can assist those looking for employment.

Hearts to Homes partners with Good Shepherd Services

Good Shepherd Logo

Hearts to Homes is pleased to announce a partnership with Good Shepherd Services.

Originally founded in the 1940s as a home for young girls and women, Good Shepherd has grown into an organization with over 80 programs dedicated to meeting the needs of all New Yorkers who live in neighborhoods where inequitable education and scarce resources are pervasive.

Guided by social and racial justice, Good Shepherd Services partners and grows with communities so that all NYC children, youth and families succeed and thrive.

Hearts to Homes is proud to be one of these wonderful partnerships as we support Good Shepherd youth who are aging out of foster care. We welcome them as the 20th partner agency in our Hearts to Homes family.

Hearts to Homes partners with HeartShare St. Vincent’s Services

Heartshare Logo

Hearts to Homes is pleased to announce a partnership with HeartShare St. Vincent’s Services. Founded in 1869 as a home for working boys, HeartShare St. Vincent’s is guided by the realization that New York City can be an amazing place to live where unbelievable opportunities exist. However, many children and families are not able to realize these opportunities. Just as they overcome one hurdle, they are immediately faced with another. HeartShare St. Vincent’s Services steps in where needed. Each and every day, they continue their mission of fighting for the overlooked youth of this city.

Hearts to Homes is proud to welcome this wonderful organization as the 19th partner agency in our Hearts to Homes family!