Nazareth Housing Presents Vision of Safe & Secure Housing

Photo caption: from left to right: Mike Callaghan, Executive Director, Nazareth Housing, BJ Flagg, Kiwanis President, Ann Wronski

Nazareth Housing Presents Vision of Safe & Secure Housing

-- Non-profit organization works to prevent homelessness and helps residents gain economic independence by offering emergency family shelter, supportive housing, urgent needs assistance, and financial literacy services –

New Canaan, CT, January 28, 2016—New Canaan Kiwanis recently welcomed Michael Callaghan, Nazareth Housing’s dynamic executive director, to present expanded programming offered by Nazareth Housing, a NYC-based 501(c)(3), not-for-profit, non-sectarian organization.

Nazareth was introduced to Kiwanis by Kiwanis member Ann Wronski, through her work with Thorpe Family Residence, which merged with Nazareth on January 1, 2016.

According to Ms. Wronski, “I have been an active volunteer at Thorpe Family Residence since it opened in 1989, ever since I was a Freshman at Fordham University in the Bronx. The shelter was a couple of blocks walk from Fordham. During the past several years my husband, Steve, and I have worked to connect New Canaan residents with Thorpe via New Canaan Kiwanis and St. Aloysius Parish,” she said.

“The Thorpe / Nazareth children especially enjoy the circus each year, sponsored by the Y and Kiwanis.

Kiwanis provides the bus transportation for the children coming up from the Bronx, and teens from St. Aloysius buddy up with children from Thorpe House who spend the day in New Canaan (the country) enjoying lunch and the circus.

“We started with a few small fundraisers, such as a lemonade stand run by New Canaan children and a few jewelry parties hosted at my home, and later expanded to two benefits held in New Canaan, one honoring St. Aloysius, and one honoring Kiwanis. More than $125,000 has been raised by committees made up of New Canaan residents during the past few years, and a third benefit it in the works!”

Now that Thorpe has joined Nazreth Housing, we’ll have so many more opportunities to help provide secure shelter for families!” Ms. Wronski continued. .

Nazareth Housing provides supportive housing, homelessness prevention services, urgent needs assistance, and emergency family shelter to low-income New Yorkers. Nazareth Housing was incorporated in 1983 under the leadership of founder Sr. Marion Agnes Daniel’s innovative spirit to reclaim safe and secure housing in the Lower East Side. More than thirty years later Nazareth Housing has expanded to deliver social impact in the Lower East Side as well as the Bronx, currently operating four (4) buildings that include forty-five (45) units of supportive housing and twenty-six (26) units of emergency family shelter.

In FY2015, Nazareth Housing provided homelessness prevention services to over 7,000 individuals, and 100% of the 783 families receiving eviction prevention services remained safely housed.

Complementary to its housing services, Nazareth Housing offers LifeLab, a collection of programs that provide focused and effective workshops, training, strength-based supportive engagement, and inspired play to both adult participants and youth. Workshops include housing seminars, financial coaching, and budgeting strategies for adults as well as theater camp and reading classes for children.

Nazareth Housing is a HUD certified housing counseling agency, and the only HUD certified agency in New York City that works exclusively with low-income and fair housing rental issues. For more information, visit www.nazarethhousingnyc.org.

To learn more about Kiwanis, to become a member, or for more information on the New Canaan Kiwanis Club’s upcoming events and programs please “like” them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kiwanis-Club-of-New-Canaan/211264272229693.

Kiwanis International is a global non-profit organization of members of every age, who are dedicated to changing the world, one child and one community at a time.

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