Blog
COVID-19 Response: Community Support Bringing Snacks and Smiles to Our Shelters
May 21, 2020

One thing that is giving us hope during the COVID-19 crisis: the amazing support we have received from our NYC community. Today, we’re giving a special shout-out to the people who have brought true moments of joy to CUCS’s transitional housing programs.

Our transitional housing programs are a place where people can find support and care as they make a transition to permanent housing. The people who live at these sites have experienced homelessness, mental health conditions, and many challenges in their life. The COVID-19 crisis has only made these circumstances harder. So, it is incredibly meaningful when the New York community reaches out to our tenants and the staff who support them. It sends a message that says “Yes, we see you, we care about you, and we are going to get through this together.”

In Brooklyn, our Prospect Place program was gifted a wonderful donation from their neighbors at the Prospect Place Block Association. With the donation, our staff was able to buy snacks and put together goodie bags for the women who live there. The goodie bags made our tenants’ day and the encouragement from the neighborhood was an invaluable gift. 

But that’s not all—we have also been able to distribute chips and popcorn to all of our transitional housing sites, thanks to incredible help from NYChips and a donation of over 300 bags of popcorn from BjornQorn. These have been great pick-me-ups for our tenants, and we are proud to be able to give them a little brightness in this way. 

Meanwhile, our frontline staff are also receiving some amazing support: Junzi Kitchen has begun delivering weekly meals for our staff at these housing sites through their Share a Meal program. This program is fueled by donations from Junzi customers, and we are so grateful for everyone who has chipped in, as well as to the staff at Junzi who are cooking, coordinating, and delivering these delicious meals. Our staff is going above and beyond to take care of our tenants, and these incredible donations make it easier for them to take care of themselves, too.

While many things are uncertain during these times, we know that we can count on our community to get us through. Every kind word, every donation, and every show of support means the world to us here at CUCS.

You can help us keep New Yorkers healthy, safe, and housed by donating to the CUCS COVID Relief Fund.