NCS's 40 Stories

Josephine “Josie” McFadden played an important role in NCS’s history for 35 years, starting from day one. 

Isabella always gave her all in school, working hard to make her family proud and achieve her dream of becoming a nurse. But living with her mom, dad, grandmother, and sister in a 300 square-foot apartment meant she didn’t always have a quiet place to study or get a full night’s sleep.

NCS provides housing for New Yorkers who need it—but housing is not always enough. Many people who experience homelessness also need other services to achieve independence, which is why NCS offers additional programs to help our clients thrive. This includes Options, our vocational, education and employment program, which opened over twenty-five years ago. 

In the early 1980s, when congregations on the Upper East Side came together to form a community response to the growing homelessness epidemic (eventually coalescing into NCS), one of the first actions the group took was to run neighborhood meal programs, with each congregation choosing a different day to feed their neighbors in need. Forty years later, Temple Emanu-El still hosts lunch every Sunday.  

Louis Nine House (LNH) is home to 46 young adults who have aged out of foster care or experienced homelessness and mental illness. In addition to housing, the residents have access to supportive services including creative outlets that encourage personal and professional development through music, visual and performance art, and other forms of self-expression.

David Oliver has been President of the NCS Board of Directors since 2008, but he began helping his neighbors long before then.

The Brick Presbyterian Church was a founding partner of NCS, and the church continues to support our work in many ways, including volunteering. Many Brick members of all ages participate in volunteer opportunities—and for the Froelichs, it’s a family affair!

Brinton Parson isn’t your average volunteer. Or Board Member. Or Director of Development.

Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter has served New Yorkers in need for forty years. But we wouldn’t be able to offer the level of service we do without the help of our community partners, some of whom have been with us since the very beginning.

It’s no surprise that food is one of the most requested items at NCS’s programs. Whether it's a warm meal or shelf-stable canned goods in our food pantries, food is essential. And with the cost of food up 13% over the past year and some neighborhood meal programs still suspended because of the pandemic, food donations have become even more pivotal for our clients.

Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter is proud of our Upper East Side roots. Our organization started as a coalition of local churches, synagogues, and community organizations—and we are thankful that forty years later, many of these same institutions continue to care for their neighbors, including the tenants at the NCS Residence.

“NCS Scholars is giving me space,” Odalys shared. “I’ve never had that. I’m able to focus on my school work and follow my dreams. I am excited for this next chapter."

NCS Scholars is led by Mary Jacobs (nee Clark) previously the Senior Case Manager at Louis Nine House (LNH), NCS’s supportive residence for young adults. “I love working with young people who have experienced homelessness,” she shared. “I love helping them break down barriers and helping them reach their goals.”

In October, students began moving into NCS Scholars: LIC, our program that houses CUNY students experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. Residents have access to on-site supports that address issues associated with homelessness and housing insecurity.

When Nico Navab was in high school, he spent a summer volunteering to deliver food to seniors who were unable to leave their homes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While making his usual deliveries of shelf-stable items like canned vegetables, he wondered if there was a way to include fresh baked goods as part of his deliveries.

For the past 40 years, NCS has been looking for innovative ways to help our neighbors. When there are issues that don’t have an existing solution, we create one.

It is always exciting when an NCS client excels at their passion and the entire community can cheer them on. And wow have we had that opportunity with Louis Nine House resident Juan.

Stephanie Guest has been an NCS supporter for almost 30 years. The relationship started when she met with Reverend Hays Rockwell of St. James’ Church to discuss life, and the reverend thought it might be good for Stephanie to volunteer at the St. James’ lunch program during the summer when many ongoing volunteers were away.

Patricia spent 20 years of her life addicted to heroin, alcohol, and crack cocaine. Her addictions led to a life on and off the streets, in and out of shelters, and cut off from her family. In January 2019, a counselor from Chance for Change, our out-patient substance-use clinic, led an information session at Patricia’s shelter.

Eva Cecelia McCoy and Sophia Adelle McCoy grew up in Minnesota and moved to New York City with their mom about five years ago, when the teens were in middle school and college. The sisters were excited to form a new community of friends, who like them, cared about helping others.

All over New York City, there are programs designed to help our neighbors, offering food, mental health counseling, warm clothes, showers, and more. NCS staff members realized that not everyone who could benefit from these services knew where to find them. We wanted to change that and decided to start in our own backyard.

TiAsia spends her days honing her design craft and making plans for a career in the fashion industry. But connecting with this passion wasn’t always easy.

Monique Phillips knows her way around Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter.

Tenants at the NCS Residence often call Helen the mother of the building because of the care she shows her neighbors. Helen frequently checks in on others, takes a leading role at the monthly tenant meetings, and tries to make sure everyone feels special.

Before she started working for NCS three years ago, Na'eema Nadir performed outreach in NYC's subways, connecting people experiencing homelessness with meals, shelter, and other services as needed. That experience was helpful in her first role at NCS, providing information and referrals for guests at Upper East Side meal programs through our Community Human Services Information Referral Program (CHIRP).

Three years ago, BC lived in a homeless shelter and struggled with substance abuse. She’d had a challenging path to recovery until she started attending meetings at Chance for Chance, NCS’s outpatient substance use treatment program.

Chance for Change (CFC), NCS’s out-patient substance-use treatment program, is uniquely designed to serve homeless individuals battling addiction, often combined with mental illness. Over the years, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House’s Women’s Mental Health Shelter (WMHS), located at the Park Avenue Armory, has been an essential partner in giving our clients the services they need.

Muray, an NCS client, has dreamed of becoming a professional fashion designer for a long time. When NCS’s vocational staff connected her with the Bombas Mentorship Program, she got “feet-on” industry experience like she never had before.

Teila’s childhood was not easy. From a young age, she suffered from abandonment and abuse. She stayed with various family members but by the time she was 15, she was on her own and living in youth shelters, trying not to give up hope. But her life began to turn around when she moved into Louis Nine House at age 22.