HOW...WHEN...

WHERE GUIDE TO FOOD PANTRIES IN MANHATTAN

If youre going to a pantry far from your residence, call ahead. Some pantries only serve people in their own part of town. Its always wise to take ID with your address, and proof of family size (if youre picking up food for the whole family). St. Bartholomew
109 E. 50th Street (212) 378-0234 Tuesdays and Fridays, 11 am -2 pm By appointment only so call ahead. Serves unemployed, seniors, people on P.A. or HIV posititive. Need ID and proof of address.

Holy Trinity Church/Helping Hands Pantry

20 Cumming St., Washington Heights between Broadway and Seaman. (212) 569-7780 2nd and 4th Friday of each month, 4-6 pm. Call ahead. Need proof of address and ID.

St. Gregorys Church

144 W. 90th Street, between Amsterdam and Columbus Ave. (212) 724-9766 Tuesday and Thursday, 10 am-12 noon Call ahead, need written referral

St. Joseph of the Holy Family Manhattan Bible Church

Manhattan Love Kitchen 3816 9th Avenue (212) 942-4204 1st and 3rd Thursdays, 2-4 pm Call ahead, need written referral 405 W. 125th Street (212) 662-9125 Saturday, 10 am-12 noon. Serves neighborhood residents only. Need written referral

Bettances
280 Henry Steet (212) 227-8401. Monday and Friday, 10 am-12 noon. Need written referral.

St. Peters Episcopal Church Canaan Senior Service Center

10 Lenox Avenue (212) 876-2638 Most weekdays, 10 am-12 noon (or 10 am to 5 pm, if youre over 60). Call ahead for days and bring written referral, photo ID, and benefit card for each child in family.

Metro Baptist Church

410 W. 40th Street (212) 594-4464 First four Saturdays of the month, 11-11:30 am Serves neighborhood residents only

346 W. 20 St. (212) 929-2390 Monday through Friday, 10-11:30 Referral needed. Saturday, 11-11:30 am. No referral needed on Saturday.

West Side Campaign Against Hunger Middle Collegiate Church

50 E. 7th Street (212) 477-0666 Wednesday, 8 am 1st come, 1st served. Need ID 263 W. 86th Street (212) 362-3662 Monday 8 am-12 noon, 1-6:30 pm. Wednesday-Friday, 8 am-12 noon, 1-3 pm. Need photo ID, proof of household size and income.

72nd Street Food Pantry of the Council Senior Center

241 W. 72nd Street (212) 799-7205 Monday, 12 noon - 2 pm Need ID and proof of family size.

Project Basement
542 West 153rd St. (212) 862-3427 Wednesdays, 10 am-12 noon. Need ID.

Emmaus House
160 W. 120 Street (212) 749-9404 Tuesday 12 noon-1 pm Call ahead to confirm availability. ID preferred.

Riverside Church
91 Claremont Avenue, between 120th and 122nd St. (212) 870-6700 Tuesday through Friday, 10 am-1:30 pm Serves 1st 60 arrivals. Need written referral, photo ID, budget letter.

Good Shepherd Church

108 Cooper St.reet, take A train to 207th St . (212) 567-1300 Saturday, 9:00-10:30 am Need ID.

For referrals to food pantries all over the city, and also to soup kitchens, the NYC Hunger Hotline at 1 866 888 8777. Dialing this number will also give you the option of accessing the Human Resources Administration InfoLine which gives out information on food stamps, Medicaid, public assistance, home care, child care, adult protective services and other emergency services. Agents are available Monday-Friday 8 am-5 pm and automated information is available 24/7.

Salvation Army Grace and Hope Mission

114 Third Ave. (212) 982-1230 An agency must call in a referral for you Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, 9 am-3 pm for 5 pm pick-up the same day. 175 E. 125th Street (212) 860-3200 Monday through Friday, 9:30 am-4 pm Serves certain zip codes. Call for appointment.

St. Cecilias Church

125 E. 105 Street (212) 348-0488 Thursday and Friday, 9:30-11:30 am East Harlem residents only. To come in more than once, need to register with proof of address and income.
Published by: Information for Families, Inc. PMB E5, 332 Bleecker Street New York, NY 10014-2980 Publisher: Joan McAllister (212) 645-6940 (voice or fax)

Holy Name of Jesus Christ

207 W. 96th Street (212) 749-0276 Need written referral, with family size, faxed on Monday to (212) 749-2045 for pickup on Tuesday, 2:30 pm. Need picture ID.

HOW...WHEN...WHERE January-February 2005 page 4

ADENTRO: COMO...CUANDO...DONDE EN ESPAOL

HOW. . . W H E N . . . W H ERE
I n f o rmation for homeless and relocated families in New York City J a n u a ry - F e b ru a ry 2005
Number of families in the shelter system: 8,693

NYC OFFERS HOMELESS NEW RENT SUBSIDY

YC has a new rent supplement program for homeless New Yorkers called HOUSING STABILITY PLUS. At a hearing of the New York City Councils General Welfare Committee last month, Linda Gibbs, Commissioner of the Department of Homeless Services (DHS), described the new subsidy as the most significant housing assistance program in New York City history. Some councilmembers congratuled DHS on moving fast to establish the program. But in the audience and on the steps of City Hall and at meetings across town, homeless New Yorkers and advocates raised serious questions about it. Steve Banks, Attorney in Chief of the Legal Aid Society, called the citys plan significantly flawed. Housing Stability Plus was designed by DHS and approved by New York State to replace the two major programs that for many years have given permanent housing to homeless families -- EARP/Section 8 and priority for NYCHA public housing apartments. DHS officials argued that ending these programs was necessary because the supply of Federal Section 8 vouchers was drying up. Also, they said, making vouchers available to homeless families gave them an incentive to go into the shelter system. The main feature of the new Housing Stability Plus is a five-year rent subsidy, which will go down in value 20% a year and will be offered to three groups of people: homeless families in shelter with an active public assistance case, chronically homeless single adults and adult families in shelter (for at least nine months) who qualify for Safety Net assistance, and public assistance eligible parents who are waiting for housing in order to reunite with children in foster care. The amount of the new supplement is based on the size of the public assistance case. For example, a family of three, who receive a monthly $400 shelter allowance, will receive in addition a monthly $525 Housing

On City Hall steps, advocates and homeless demand housing help.

Stability Plus rent supplement for a total maximum rent of $925 per month for Year 1. Then each year after that, the supplement (not the monthly shelter allowance) will decline by 20 percent of the first year's supplement, that is 20 percent of $525 or $105 as follows: _______________________________________________ Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 $925 $820 $715 $610 $505 _______________________________________________ The program will be funded by Federal, state and city money and will cost $60 million a year. By years end, a thousand homeless families had been notified they could receive the new subsidy. DHS says it is working hard to streamline the application process. So whats wrong with the program? Heres what people are saying; The five year time limit. Advocates say that experience with time-limited subsidies like EIHP (Employment Incentive Housing Program) and LTSP (Long Term Stayer Program) shows that not all families can afford to pay the rent without a subsidy in
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INSIDE
HOW TO THINK ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OUR CHILDREN page 2 FOOD PANTRIES IN MANHATTAN page 4

OUR WEB SITE FOR ARTICLES FROM PREVIOUS ISSUES AND OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION: www.InformationForFamilies.org

HOW TO THINK ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH

by Denise Torres, Director of Social Services, Care for the Homeless

ncreasingly, we hear about mental illness in children. The United States Surgeon General estimates almost 5 million children and adolescents have a mental illness. Mental illness is difficult to talk about because there is still fear and shame about being sick. It is really important to remember that mental illnesses are diseases and need to be evaluated, diagnosed, and treated earlyjust like any other disease. Early and consistent treatment often means a full and happy adjustment to the illness.

To make sure there is not another medical explanation, it is extremely important that children be given full physicals and other procedures like laboratory tests and X-rays.

What do you look for?

There are some general symptoms to look for in children and adolescents: Feeling helpless or hopeless with thoughts of death Changes in sleeping and/or eating habits including appetite Changes in school performance, such as poor grades despite good efforts Loss of interest in friends and activities they usually enjoy Significant increase in time spent alone Excessive worrying, sadness or anxiety Hyperactivity Persistent nightmares Substance use (including cigarettes, alcohol and drugs or inhalants) Persistent disobedience or aggressive behavior Defying authority, skipping school, stealing or damaging property Frequent temper tantrums or anger Hearing voices or seeing things that are not there (hallucinations) These symptoms could mean different diagnoses or disorders. It is important to be assessed by a mental health clinician such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, clinical nurse practitioner, or licensed clinical social worker. During the evaluation process the childs and the familys history and current circumstances should be discussed. Also, input from teachers, care providers, or others who spend time with the child concerning the behaviors and symptoms should be obtained. Evaluation tools and tests are used to make sure the child is being given the correct diagnosis.

How do you know there is a problem?

As with any disease, there are signs and symptoms that help in diagnosing mental illness. It is often very difficult to tell if a child has a disorder because some of the signs can be part of a childs personality, a reaction to changes in the childs life, or are just a part of growing up. Think of the child with outbursts/tantrums. Is this because she is not old enough to understand limits or tolerate something frustrating (those terrible twos)? Is it because things in her world have changed and she is feeling upset? Is it because she is rebelling against her parents (those teen years)? Behaviors become symptoms when the behavior: 1) is not acceptable or appropriate for the childs age. An example is bedwetting: For young children who have recently been potty trained it is not unusual to have an accident, but we expect 11 year olds to be able to control their bladders. 2) has lasted a long time. A good example is sadness. Sadness is a normal feeling, but feeling sad for many weeks is not. 3) is frequent. Occasional disobedience and testing of rules and limits is normal in children, but constant and repeated disobeying of rules is not. 4) is impacting the childs or the familys ability to live or function. An example is a child who likes routines. She feels better and safer if she does A then B and then C. At first this is not a problem, but she becomes unable to ever do things out of the routine. She, and everyone in the family, become prisoner to the routine. 5) is not a result of some medical condition. Lets look at bedwetting again. That same 11 year old would not be considered mentally ill if there is an infection or other physical reason for the behavior.

What diagnoses are common?

Some mental illnesses are specific to children. Some diagnoses only occur in adults. There are many

HOW...WHEN...WHERE January-February 2005 page 2

OF OUR CHILDREN
diagnoses that are used in both children and adults. Because there are so many, mental illnesses are grouped into disorders. Common disorders in children include: Anxiety disorders: Children with anxiety disorders respond to certain things or situations with fear and dread, as well as with physical signs of anxiety (nervousness), such as a rapid heartbeat and sweating. Disruptive behavior disorders: Children with these disorders tend to defy rules and often are disruptive in structured environments, such as school. Tic disorders: These disorders cause a person to perform repeated, sudden, involuntary and often meaningless movements and sounds, called tics. Pervasive development disorders: Children with these disorders are confused in their thinking and generally have problems understanding the world around them. Eating disorders: Eating disorders involve intense emotions and attitudes, as well as unusual behaviors, associated with weight and/or food. Elimination disorders: These disorders affect behavior related to the elimination of body wastes (feces and urine). Learning and communication disorders: Children with these disorders have problems storing, organizing, and processing information, as well as relating their thoughts and ideas. Affective (mood) disorders: These disorders involve persistent feelings of sadness and/or rapidly changing moods. If the symptoms and disorders above match what a child you know has been experiencingget help it could mean saving a life.

NYC OFFERS HOMELESS NEW RENT SUBSIDY

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five years. The time limit would endanger families with health and other problems that prevent them fro m earning enough to afford rent. The declining value of the subsidy. Even families with jobs will be hard pressed to make up a Shante Gillard 20% annual reduction in the rent supplement. Shante Gillard, a resident of West End Intergenerational Residence, asks: If I go to school to be a registered nurse, how am I going to be able to pay rent if I have to pay 20% more every year? Besides, if youre really successful you lose the subsidy. You need a p.a. case to keep the subsidy. Get a job that pays enough to close your public assistance case, you will lose your eligibility for Housing Stability Plus. As Paige Sayle, director of community relations at the Partnership for the Homeless, told the City Council, families would likely turn down jobs or take low paying jobs in order to keep their rent subsidy. Disincentives for landlords to rent under this program. Landlords are not offered a bonus as they were under the EARP program. Rent levels are lower than

those under Section 8. Bill de Blasio, chair of the General Welfare Committee, asked: What is the incentive for landlords if they dont have the ((EARP)) bonus and they have decreasing subsidies? Lauren Bholai-Paretti, Executive Director of the Council on Homeless Policies and Services, said shes been talking to landlords and brokers who say This p rogram is not a reliable mechanism for families to pay rent. Families on welfare are sanctioned often by mistake and a sanction or case closing will result in losing the rent subsidy. Then, landlords ask, how will they be able to pay the rent? Risks to victims of domestic violence. Annabel Palma, 18th council district representative from the Southeast Bronx, is concerned that its likely to take time to work out kinks in the new system. And for DV victims, delay can be a matter of life or death. I understand the problems of domestic violence victims, Palma says. Councilwoman Annabel Palma Ive been there myself.

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