Volunteering: It's a Froehlich Family Affair

Shannon Froehlich first learned about NCS through the Women’s Association at Brick Church, her family’s parish, for 17 years. The Women’s Association raises money throughout the year, which they distribute to nine community organizations, including NCS. Shannon has toured the NCS Residence on the Upper East Side with CEO Ann Shalof and met many tenants. 

But the Froehlich family’s support of NCS isn’t limited to Shannon. Her two sons, Will, 16, and Drew, 13, both volunteer at Brick Church’s Wednesday Night Dinner Program, which hosts NCS residents. Will and Drew join their fellow youth church members to prepare and serve dinner, then enjoy the meal together with our residents. They have become passionate about the dinner and have even recruited their school friends to join.  

“They have really gotten to know some of the NCS residents,” Shannon shared. “They are specifically fans of Ronald, a long-time tenant who loves literature and talks to them about the books they’re reading for school.” 

The weekly dinner was suspended last March but will hopefully re-start later this year. In the meantime, though, the Froehlich's are finding other ways to support the NCS residents. Just before Thanksgiving, they dropped off hundreds of homemade cookies with wishes for a sweet holiday season.  

Will has taken his support of NCS even further. Literally! This Winter he walked a full marathon on his own through Central Park, asking people to sponsor him per mile and raising money for NCS. He has also shared his passion at Loyola School, the Upper East Side Jesuit school that he attends. The school emphasizes community service, and this week students assembled hygiene kits and delivered them to the Residence.  

The Froelich family is a great example of the community involvement that makes our work possible", said Ann Shalof, CEO of Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter. "We are fortunate to have ongoing support from the institutions that helped create our organization. The partnership, though, goes beyond these institutions to the members who get involved in personal ways to help make NCS home to their formerly homeless neighbors."

Thank you, Froehlich family, for supporting NCS. We can’t wait until you can be safely reunited with the residents.