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When temperatures climb closer to 100°F, life on the streets can go from unbearable to deadly. When the predicted heat index reaches 95°F or higher, the City of New York declares a “CODE RED”. During a Code Red, the BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team will be working hard to help our most vulnerable neighbors get off the streets and into shelter.

Designated cooling centers are open during a CODE RED all around New York City and the Bronx. If you are living without air conditioning and need a place to cool down contact 311 or click here to find a cooling center near you. Please check on your neighbors, especially the elderly and sick. Cooling centers are open and available to the public. More info

Stanley Vargas, MSW, Director of Social Services, Westchester Avenue Safe Haven

Stanley Vargas, MSW, has spent his entire social work career with BronxWorks, growing within the organization’s Adult Homeless Services department. Stanley is the Director of Social Services at the BronxWorks Westchester Avenue Safe Haven (WASH), where he supervises case management staff and liaisons with medical psychiatric providers to support all clientele at the safe haven.

Stanley was born and raised in Harlem to a single mother. He moved to the Bronx when he was a teen and continued to live in the borough for many years. He grew up in a Dominican family with several strong female figures leading the households, all who strongly prioritized education. Stanley earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts with a specialty in substance use from the City College of New York. He held various positions before joining BronxWorks in 2017 as an outreach worker for the Homeless Outreach Team (HOT).

Stanley quickly progressed to be a Case Manager and then Senior Case Manager for HOT, when he then gained the desire and encouragement to go back to school for his Masters degree in Social Work. Stanley attended Hunter College’s Silberman School of Social Work and was able to complete his One Year Residency requirement within the Adult Homeless Services department at BronxWorks. After earning his MSW, Stanley was promoted to Director of Social Services at the Westchester Avenue Safe Haven, where he has worked for almost two years now. Having started his career with BronxWorks in street outreach, Stanley is able to leverage his experience and better understand clients’ circumstances at the safe haven. He is very proud to be part of the impactful work accomplished by the organization for some of the most vulnerable members of the community.

“Working here doesn’t feel like a job. I see the impact of BronxWorks, and I love having that one-on-one connection with the community I was raised in.”  

Outside of work, Stanley is an avid New York sports fan. He is also now a father to two young daughters and loves to spend time with his family.

 

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