Na'eema's Journey with NCS

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). Shortly after, she took on the role of Case Manager at the NCS Residence, regularly communicating with residents and assisting them with any issues.

"I meet a lot of different clients and hear a lot of different stories," Na'eema shared about her experience at NCS. "I enjoy helping and being able to provide them whatever services I can."

When COVID hit New York City, it added an extra layer of difficulty to meeting our clients' needs. But Na'eema faced that challenge head-on. She transitioned CHIRP to a telephone hotline when the program was forced to become virtual, ensuring people could still find the resources they needed. Robert Yancey, NCS's Chief Program Officer, said, "adding Na'eema's knowledge of community resources and experience working with vulnerable populations has been extremely helpful during the pandemic."

Na'eema went above and beyond her job description in other ways to serve our clients. During the height of COVID, she teamed up with Lydia Ashton, a former NCS staff member who came out of retirement to help with NCS's pandemic response, to deliver meals to tenants in their rooms to make sure they were getting healthy meals while social distancing. 

This fall, Na'eema will follow her passion for serving her community further as she starts classes in the Mental Health Scholarship Program at The Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, where she will pursue her Master's degree. When asked about the program, Na'eema said, "I hope to use the knowledge and training that I gain as tools to aid me in enhancing the well-being of the clients that I serve at NCS as well as in supporting them in meeting their basic and complex needs."

NCS can help our current and formerly homeless clients thrive because of the talent and dedication of staff members like Na'eema. We are so grateful for everything she does, and we wish her the best of luck as she starts her MSW program!

In honor of NCS’s 40th anniversary, we will be sharing stories about our founders, volunteers, supporters, and staff who make our work possible, and the residents and clients at the center of our mission.
Check back throughout the year as we regularly update the series with new stories from our 40 years here.