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As we reflect on our partnerships, BronxWorks would be remiss if we did not highlight our longstanding relationship with Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson.
Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson has stood as one of the most important champions for the residents of the Bronx throughout her career as a New York State Assembly Member, New York City Council Member, and now, serving as the first female and first African American Bronx Borough President. BronxWorks recently sat down with Borough President Gibson to talk about her relentless drive to work for the people of the Bronx.
The Start of a Historic Career
Vanessa Gibson is a lifelong resident of New York City, raised in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the State University of New York at Albany and her MPA from CUNY Baruch College. During her senior year at SUNY Albany, Gibson interned for NYS Assembly Member Aurelia Greene.
Vanessa Gibson (right) with the late New York State Assembly Member and Deputy Bronx Borough President Aurelia Greene (center) and Carmen Allende, Former CAB Board Member (left) at a BronxWorks event in 2004.
“Aurelia gave me a job in her office and she really transformed my life. She ultimately became my mentor and set me on my career in public service. It was an honor to work for her.”
In 2009, after Aurelia Greene became the Deputy Bronx Borough President, Gibson was elected to the NYS Assembly for District 77 in the Bronx, in succession of her mentor. She served in the NYS Assembly for four years. In 2013, Gibson was elected to the New York City Council for District 16, where she served for eight years, until in 2021 she was elected as the fourteenth Bronx Borough President, making history as the first woman and first African American to hold the office.
“What does it mean to me? It means that every day I wake up with a purpose. It means that I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams, everything that they hoped and fought for. It means that I can be a role model for little girls and little boys in the Bronx that look just like me, that have the same struggles and sometimes the same insecurities. But they can see me and see their own hopes, their own dreams, and their own aspirations for a bright future.”
History With BronxWorks
Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson speaks at the BronxWorks 50th Anniversary Gala.
Gibson first learned about BronxWorks, then the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), while working as the District Office Manager for Aurelia Greene in the early 2000s. The relationship grew throughout Gibson’s time in the State Assembly and City Council. She helped secure funding for important community programs, like our Early Childhood Learning Center at the Carolyn McLaughlin Community Center (CMCC), Cornerstone Community Centers working with youth participants, and Older Adult Centers and Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs). As City Council Member, Gibson was integral in securing capital funds for critical renovations, including the CMCC pool, gym, and elevator. Furthermore, Gibson was an early champion for the BronxWorks Senior Homelessness Prevention Program (SHPP), helping to secure funding for the program for many years, which enabled BronxWorks to provide eviction prevention services to Bronx seniors, some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.
Then-City Council Member Gibson with BronxWorks leadership, staff, and participants at the opening of the BronxWorks Woodstock NORC in 2019.
“It just grew into a great relationship and it continued to blossom and bloom. When I became the Assembly Member and then in the City Council, I was able to support BronxWorks from a funding perspective and really work with the organization. And I made sure my neighboring colleagues also funded BronxWorks because they operated many centers in their districts as well.”
Then-City Council Member Gibson (second from right) with staff from the BronxWorks Farm Stands in 2020.
The relationship was cemented in our common objective to provide vital services to the communities of the Bronx. There is perhaps no bigger example of the importance of this alliance than during the COVID-19 pandemic. As City Council Member and later newly-elected Borough President, Gibson worked day-in and day-out with organizations like BronxWorks to provide the necessary services to help Bronx residents survive the emergency, navigate the unknown challenges, and receive resources and assistance. She was in regular contact with BronxWorks Executive Director Eileen Torres and other community leaders to understand the challenges on the streets and in the communities, to help address life-changing tragedies, and to continue to push the borough forward, to recover and rebuild stronger than before.
Then-City Council Member Vanessa Gibson (right) donates PPE to BronxWorks Executive Director Eileen Torres (left) in 2020.
“When you think about the pandemic and so many families struggling for basic necessities, it was BronxWorks that was open. Doors were never closed to serving our neighbors. We never closed our hearts to loving our clients and their families. Together, we have always been there, even when times are tough.”
Vision For The Bronx As Borough President
“My vision for the future of the Bronx is one of opportunity, is of making the Bronx a global destination, of making sure that we provide access and opportunities for our young people, from youth development to youth employment and pathways to college and careers and pathways to the middle class for families.”
President Gibson’s vision for the future of the Bronx include major projects, like renovations at Orchard Beach, Hunts Point Forward, Metro North Expansion, modernizing the Kingsbridge Armory, reimagining space for community use, for businesses and entrepreneurship, creating jobs, alleviating poverty, celebrating the vitality and history of the Bronx, of hip hop, of the hustle, diversity, and the pursuit of happiness throughout the borough.
“So I see that vision and I have that blueprint, and working with organizations like BronxWorks, we strive to get better and meet those targets every single day. We cannot do this work alone. We need partners at every angle, at every level to help support our vision. Because when we work together, when we align on the same priorities, we are truly unstoppable.”
As we reflect on our partnerships, BronxWorks would be remiss if we did not highlight our longstanding relationship with Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson.
Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson has stood as one of the most important champions for the residents of the Bronx throughout her career as a New York State Assembly Member, New York City Council Member, and now, serving as the first female and first African American Bronx Borough President. BronxWorks recently sat down with Borough President Gibson to talk about her relentless drive to work for the people of the Bronx.
The Start of a Historic Career
Vanessa Gibson is a lifelong resident of New York City, raised in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the State University of New York at Albany and her MPA from CUNY Baruch College. During her senior year at SUNY Albany, Gibson interned for NYS Assembly Member Aurelia Greene.
Vanessa Gibson (right) with the late New York State Assembly Member and Deputy Bronx Borough President Aurelia Greene (center) and Carmen Allende, Former CAB Board Member (left) at a BronxWorks event in 2004.
“Aurelia gave me a job in her office and she really transformed my life. She ultimately became my mentor and set me on my career in public service. It was an honor to work for her.”
In 2009, after Aurelia Greene became the Deputy Bronx Borough President, Gibson was elected to the NYS Assembly for District 77 in the Bronx, in succession of her mentor. She served in the NYS Assembly for four years. In 2013, Gibson was elected to the New York City Council for District 16, where she served for eight years, until in 2021 she was elected as the fourteenth Bronx Borough President, making history as the first woman and first African American to hold the office.
“What does it mean to me? It means that every day I wake up with a purpose. It means that I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams, everything that they hoped and fought for. It means that I can be a role model for little girls and little boys in the Bronx that look just like me, that have the same struggles and sometimes the same insecurities. But they can see me and see their own hopes, their own dreams, and their own aspirations for a bright future.”
History With BronxWorks
Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson speaks at the BronxWorks 50th Anniversary Gala.
Gibson first learned about BronxWorks, then the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), while working as the District Office Manager for Aurelia Greene in the early 2000s. The relationship grew throughout Gibson’s time in the State Assembly and City Council. She helped secure funding for important community programs, like our Early Childhood Learning Center at the Carolyn McLaughlin Community Center (CMCC), Cornerstone Community Centers working with youth participants, and Older Adult Centers and Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs). As City Council Member, Gibson was integral in securing capital funds for critical renovations, including the CMCC pool, gym, and elevator. Furthermore, Gibson was an early champion for the BronxWorks Senior Homelessness Prevention Program (SHPP), helping to secure funding for the program for many years, which enabled BronxWorks to provide eviction prevention services to Bronx seniors, some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.
Then-City Council Member Gibson with BronxWorks leadership, staff, and participants at the opening of the BronxWorks Woodstock NORC in 2019.
“It just grew into a great relationship and it continued to blossom and bloom. When I became the Assembly Member and then in the City Council, I was able to support BronxWorks from a funding perspective and really work with the organization. And I made sure my neighboring colleagues also funded BronxWorks because they operated many centers in their districts as well.”
Then-City Council Member Gibson (second from right) with staff from the BronxWorks Farm Stands in 2020.
The relationship was cemented in our common objective to provide vital services to the communities of the Bronx. There is perhaps no bigger example of the importance of this alliance than during the COVID-19 pandemic. As City Council Member and later newly-elected Borough President, Gibson worked day-in and day-out with organizations like BronxWorks to provide the necessary services to help Bronx residents survive the emergency, navigate the unknown challenges, and receive resources and assistance. She was in regular contact with BronxWorks Executive Director Eileen Torres and other community leaders to understand the challenges on the streets and in the communities, to help address life-changing tragedies, and to continue to push the borough forward, to recover and rebuild stronger than before.
Then-City Council Member Vanessa Gibson (right) donates PPE to BronxWorks Executive Director Eileen Torres (left) in 2020.
“When you think about the pandemic and so many families struggling for basic necessities, it was BronxWorks that was open. Doors were never closed to serving our neighbors. We never closed our hearts to loving our clients and their families. Together, we have always been there, even when times are tough.”
Vision For The Bronx As Borough President
“My vision for the future of the Bronx is one of opportunity, is of making the Bronx a global destination, of making sure that we provide access and opportunities for our young people, from youth development to youth employment and pathways to college and careers and pathways to the middle class for families.”
President Gibson’s vision for the future of the Bronx include major projects, like renovations at Orchard Beach, Hunts Point Forward, Metro North Expansion, modernizing the Kingsbridge Armory, reimagining space for community use, for businesses and entrepreneurship, creating jobs, alleviating poverty, celebrating the vitality and history of the Bronx, of hip hop, of the hustle, diversity, and the pursuit of happiness throughout the borough.
“So I see that vision and I have that blueprint, and working with organizations like BronxWorks, we strive to get better and meet those targets every single day. We cannot do this work alone. We need partners at every angle, at every level to help support our vision. Because when we work together, when we align on the same priorities, we are truly unstoppable.”
As a settlement house dedicated to uplifting the communities of the Bronx, a central tenet of our strategy is to hire from within our communities and then help our staff grow into leaders providing the critical services that our communities deserve and need. Case in point: Lisbenny Salcedo, Program Director, Park Haven Supportive Housing.
Lisbenny was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. After she graduated high school in the DR, she came to New York to pursue higher education. It was not easy for Lisbenny as an English-language learner, but still she completed her Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from the Borough of Manhattan Community College, followed by her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Management and her Master’s Degree in Public Administration both from John Jay College.
Lisbenny joined BronxWorks in 2019, after completing her B.A. She started as a Housing Specialist at the Pyramid Safe Haven, helping prepare chronically street homeless clients for the housing application process and, ultimately, permanent or supportive housing.
My favorite part of the job is being there when clients first see their apartments. That moment after all the work we’ve put in together through housing applications and interviews, seeing that work come to fruition, that’s what I loved most.”
In 2021, when the Park Haven Supportive Housing Program opened, Lisbenny joined the team as the Assistant Program Director. She helped with the start of the new program, moving 50 clients, including 10 families, into permanent supportive housing, while helping to guide the program through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, Lisbenny was promoted to the Program Director of Park Haven. She brings to the role her experience and perspective working with homeless clients on the shelter side and in permanent supportive housing.
The goals are very different. In the shelter, there is an ultimate outcome – housing placement. But in supportive housing, we work with clients for their lives and with their own goals, and they could be anything from education to employment to behavioral health, even relationships with their families. We get to see people grow into their lives after shelter, and it’s amazing.”
Outside of work, Lisbenny spends a lot of time reading. She also loves going to the gym and considers it her daily therapy. She loves to find all kinds of occasions to meet up with her family and friends.
As a settlement house dedicated to uplifting the communities of the Bronx, a central tenet of our strategy is to hire from within our communities and then help our staff grow into leaders providing the critical services that our communities deserve and need. Case in point: Lisbenny Salcedo, Program Director, Park Haven Supportive Housing.
Lisbenny was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. After she graduated high school in the DR, she came to New York to pursue higher education. It was not easy for Lisbenny as an English-language learner, but still she completed her Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from the Borough of Manhattan Community College, followed by her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Management and her Master’s Degree in Public Administration both from John Jay College.
Lisbenny joined BronxWorks in 2019, after completing her B.A. She started as a Housing Specialist at the Pyramid Safe Haven, helping prepare chronically street homeless clients for the housing application process and, ultimately, permanent or supportive housing.
My favorite part of the job is being there when clients first see their apartments. That moment after all the work we’ve put in together through housing applications and interviews, seeing that work come to fruition, that’s what I loved most.”
In 2021, when the Park Haven Supportive Housing Program opened, Lisbenny joined the team as the Assistant Program Director. She helped with the start of the new program, moving 50 clients, including 10 families, into permanent supportive housing, while helping to guide the program through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, Lisbenny was promoted to the Program Director of Park Haven. She brings to the role her experience and perspective working with homeless clients on the shelter side and in permanent supportive housing.
The goals are very different. In the shelter, there is an ultimate outcome – housing placement. But in supportive housing, we work with clients for their lives and with their own goals, and they could be anything from education to employment to behavioral health, even relationships with their families. We get to see people grow into their lives after shelter, and it’s amazing.”
Outside of work, Lisbenny spends a lot of time reading. She also loves going to the gym and considers it her daily therapy. She loves to find all kinds of occasions to meet up with her family and friends.
BronxWorks is grateful for the outpouring of support for our first ever BronxWorks Day celebration. Long-term partners, stakeholders, and friends gathered for the three-part event that included the long-awaited ribbon cutting for the newly renovated Carolyn McLaughlin Community Center (CMCC) Pool, a tour of select BronxWorks offices and locations, and an evening cocktail reception in the CMCC gymnasium. Special thanks to our guests, New York State Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez, who spoke about the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) that helped fund part of the pool renovations, and NYS Assembly Member Latoya Joyner, who also helped secure funding for the recent pool renovations. Thanks as well to Deputy Bronx Borough President Janet A. Peguero and New York City Council Member Althea Stevens for helping us commemorate the re-opening of this wonderful and important community resource. Finally, thanks to all of our guests who came out to experience the many facets of BronxWorks for a day and helped make it such an illuminating event.
BronxWorks Day kicked off in the morning with the ribbon cutting of the CMCC Pool. Popular for its aquatics programming, and as one of the few community swimming resources for the surrounding neighborhoods, the CMCC Pool was closed at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unsure of how long the pandemic would require the pool’s closure, BronxWorks took the opportunity to complete renovations thanks to funding secured through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, and NYS Assembly Member Latoya Joyner. We were joined by NYS Secretary of State Rodriguez; NYS Assembly Member Joyner; Deputy Bronx Borough President Janet A Peguero; NYC Council Member Althea Stevens; and Bronx Regional Representative, Fidel Malena from Governor Kathy Hocul’s office who helped us cut the ribbon.
Following the ribbon cutting, two buses picked up our guests for a tour of selected BronxWorks sites, including our Morris and East Concourse Older Adult Centers, Park Haven Supportive Housing and Workforce Development offices, Jackson Avenue Family Residence, Westchester Avenue Safe Haven, and Bronx Point. Our guests met with program leadership and staff, participated in activities, and experienced a glimpse of some of the services BronxWorks provides every single day. Tours of BronxWorks programs are always important opportunities to show our partners and stakeholders the community impact that results from their support.
BronxWorks Day culminated with a cocktail reception in the gymnasium at the Carolyn McLaughlin Community Center. Supporters mingled with BronxWorks board members and staff, helping us closeout the busy day with much needed food, refreshments, and heartfelt discussion. As big and complex as BronxWorks is, we always make sure to come together at every opportunity, to celebrate our work, each other, staff, friends, and supporters, and to connect over our mutual goals to support the communities of the Bronx.
BronxWorks is grateful for the outpouring of support for our first ever BronxWorks Day celebration. Long-term partners, stakeholders, and friends gathered for the three-part event that included the long-awaited ribbon cutting for the newly renovated Carolyn McLaughlin Community Center (CMCC) Pool, a tour of select BronxWorks offices and locations, and an evening cocktail reception in the CMCC gymnasium. Special thanks to our guests, New York State Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez, who spoke about the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) that helped fund part of the pool renovations, and NYS Assembly Member Latoya Joyner, who also helped secure funding for the recent pool renovations. Thanks as well to Deputy Bronx Borough President Janet A. Peguero and New York City Council Member Althea Stevens for helping us commemorate the re-opening of this wonderful and important community resource. Finally, thanks to all of our guests who came out to experience the many facets of BronxWorks for a day and helped make it such an illuminating event.
BronxWorks Day kicked off in the morning with the ribbon cutting of the CMCC Pool. Popular for its aquatics programming, and as one of the few community swimming resources for the surrounding neighborhoods, the CMCC Pool was closed at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unsure of how long the pandemic would require the pool’s closure, BronxWorks took the opportunity to complete renovations thanks to funding secured through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, and NYS Assembly Member Latoya Joyner. We were joined by NYS Secretary of State Rodriguez; NYS Assembly Member Joyner; Deputy Bronx Borough President Janet A Peguero; NYC Council Member Althea Stevens; and Bronx Regional Representative, Fidel Malena from Governor Kathy Hocul’s office who helped us cut the ribbon.
Following the ribbon cutting, two buses picked up our guests for a tour of selected BronxWorks sites, including our Morris and East Concourse Older Adult Centers, Park Haven Supportive Housing and Workforce Development offices, Jackson Avenue Family Residence, Westchester Avenue Safe Haven, and Bronx Point. Our guests met with program leadership and staff, participated in activities, and experienced a glimpse of some of the services BronxWorks provides every single day. Tours of BronxWorks programs are always important opportunities to show our partners and stakeholders the community impact that results from their support.
BronxWorks Day culminated with a cocktail reception in the gymnasium at the Carolyn McLaughlin Community Center. Supporters mingled with BronxWorks board members and staff, helping us closeout the busy day with much needed food, refreshments, and heartfelt discussion. As big and complex as BronxWorks is, we always make sure to come together at every opportunity, to celebrate our work, each other, staff, friends, and supporters, and to connect over our mutual goals to support the communities of the Bronx.
In the New York City social services landscape, the end of summer is foretold by the graduating Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) cohorts, tens of thousands of the city’s youth now equipped with new work experiences and skills.
This summer, BronxWorks SYEP enrolled 1,347 youth participants, from ages 14 to 24, across three initiatives. The first initiative was school-based, where BronxWorks partnered with four Bronx high schools (Frederick Douglas Academy, Careers in Sports High School, Academy for Language and Technology, and Bronx Leadership Academy II) to recruit SYEP participants. The second initiative recruited participants specifically from Bronx River New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) residents, and the third initiative was the open lottery for public applicants. This summer, BronxWorks SYEP received over three thousand applications to the open lottery.
A community group works with SYEP participants at BronxWorks.
ShaQuanna Cody-McGrew, Program Director, started to oversee the department’s youth workforce programs last year. “We inherited a great blueprint and team from previous years,” said Shaquanna. “My experience and community partnerships from Jobs Plus allowed us to expand programming, particularly with recruitment for the special initiative group from the Bronx River Houses.” As a result, BronxWorks SYEP exceeded their NYCHA participant targets from last year. To manage the over 1,300 participants, the SYEP team added 25 seasonal staff, including Program Assistants, Site Monitors, and Activity Specialists.
Some of the BronxWorks Summer staff and older youth participants who assisted with project-based learning groups.
Student participants were divided into two groups. The younger youth, ages 14 to 15, were separated into project-based learning groups, supervised by activity specialists. The groups developed different projects and activities and worked with community partners, such as Family Cook Productions and Arcturus Community Endeavors, to tackle a range of topics, like food preparation, nutrition, technology training, and more. Groups also organized and took trips to locations relevant to their projects. For their project-based work for the summer, youth participants received a stipend.
SYEP participants work together on learning more about technology and its application in the working world.
The older youth, ages 16 to 24, were assigned to a worksite to gain valuable job experience. The SYEP team works hard year-round to develop relationships with community partners to secure worksite placements for the summer. Worksites include large retailers like Kid City, CVS, and Burlington Coat Factory; local businesses and organizations like ASPCA, Association for Energy Affordability, Kraus Management Inc., New York Urban League, Rosa’s at Park, Sankofa Haus; as well as many BronxWorks sites, including Children & Youth Summer Camp Programs, Farm Stands, Shelters, and operations. Older youth participants were paid for their work. SYEP Site Monitors checked in with each participant and worksite supervisor to ensure compliance with program standards, mitigate any potential issues, and provide feedback to facilitate growth for the participants.
Nasir, an SYEP intern from the BronxWorks Administrative Building, who learned about maintenance and building operations.
When asked why SYEP is such an important and celebrated annual program for New York City, ShaQuanna said, “Having been in workforce development since 2015, our department is always concerned about how prepared our participants are with job readiness skills. SYEP imparts those skills and experiences on youth at a very early age, and when they are adults looking for jobs, they already have an understanding of what it takes.”
In the New York City social services landscape, the end of summer is foretold by the graduating Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) cohorts, tens of thousands of the city’s youth now equipped with new work experiences and skills.
This summer, BronxWorks SYEP enrolled 1,347 youth participants, from ages 14 to 24, across three initiatives. The first initiative was school-based, where BronxWorks partnered with four Bronx high schools (Frederick Douglas Academy, Careers in Sports High School, Academy for Language and Technology, and Bronx Leadership Academy II) to recruit SYEP participants. The second initiative recruited participants specifically from Bronx River New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) residents, and the third initiative was the open lottery for public applicants. This summer, BronxWorks SYEP received over three thousand applications to the open lottery.
A community group works with SYEP participants at BronxWorks.
ShaQuanna Cody-McGrew, Program Director, started to oversee the department’s youth workforce programs last year. “We inherited a great blueprint and team from previous years,” said Shaquanna. “My experience and community partnerships from Jobs Plus allowed us to expand programming, particularly with recruitment for the special initiative group from the Bronx River Houses.” As a result, BronxWorks SYEP exceeded their NYCHA participant targets from last year. To manage the over 1,300 participants, the SYEP team added 25 seasonal staff, including Program Assistants, Site Monitors, and Activity Specialists.
Some of the BronxWorks Summer staff and older youth participants who assisted with project-based learning groups.
Student participants were divided into two groups. The younger youth, ages 14 to 15, were separated into project-based learning groups, supervised by activity specialists. The groups developed different projects and activities and worked with community partners, such as Family Cook Productions and Arcturus Community Endeavors, to tackle a range of topics, like food preparation, nutrition, technology training, and more. Groups also organized and took trips to locations relevant to their projects. For their project-based work for the summer, youth participants received a stipend.
SYEP participants work together on learning more about technology and its application in the working world.
The older youth, ages 16 to 24, were assigned to a worksite to gain valuable job experience. The SYEP team works hard year-round to develop relationships with community partners to secure worksite placements for the summer. Worksites include large retailers like Kid City, CVS, and Burlington Coat Factory; local businesses and organizations like ASPCA, Association for Energy Affordability, Kraus Management Inc., New York Urban League, Rosa’s at Park, Sankofa Haus; as well as many BronxWorks sites, including Children & Youth Summer Camp Programs, Farm Stands, Shelters, and operations. Older youth participants were paid for their work. SYEP Site Monitors checked in with each participant and worksite supervisor to ensure compliance with program standards, mitigate any potential issues, and provide feedback to facilitate growth for the participants.
Nasir, an SYEP intern from the BronxWorks Administrative Building, who learned about maintenance and building operations.
When asked why SYEP is such an important and celebrated annual program for New York City, ShaQuanna said, “Having been in workforce development since 2015, our department is always concerned about how prepared our participants are with job readiness skills. SYEP imparts those skills and experiences on youth at a very early age, and when they are adults looking for jobs, they already have an understanding of what it takes.”
When it comes to youth workforce programming, you would be hard pressed to find a more experienced and understanding provider than ShaQuanna Cody-McGrew. ShaQuanna’s advantage comes not only from her many years providing direct services to vulnerable members of New York City communities, but also from her own lived experiences.
I got my GED. I attended community college and went on to complete my Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. My experience connects me to the participants in our programs.”
ShaQuanna grew up in Brooklyn. After receiving her Bachelor’s Degree from Medgar Evers College, she started her career in social services at the Bowery Residents Committee. In 2010, ShaQuanna moved to the Bronx, and in 2015 she started at BronxWorks.
I was looking for larger organizations to grow and develop professionally. I feel like when I came to BronxWorks, I found my home.”
ShaQuanna started in the Young Adult Internship Program (YAIP) as a Case Manager. In 2017, she began her journey to leadership in the role of Senior Resource Coordinator for the inception of the Jobs Plus program. She was later promoted to Assistant Program Director, and finally as the Program Director in 2021. In October 2022, ShaQuanna became the Program Director of BronxWorks Youth Workforce Programs, which includes three adult literacy programs, the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), and the corresponding Work, Learn, and Grow (WLG) program.
To ShaQuanna, workforce programming is about shaping legacies for families. Just like how she was afforded opportunities to succeed through social programs, ShaQuanna is creating those same opportunities for her participants by motivating them to strive for greater heights while developing a mindset for community support.
I feel like social services chose me. I saw how the work I did would affect the loves of others, and being a part of that became my drive and motivation. I was afforded opportunities because of agencies in my community, so being able to pay it forward is part of my life’s mission.”
Outside of work, ShaQuanna is a devoted mother. She loves to spend time with her daughter, playing basketball, swimming, traveling, gaining new experiences and trying new restaurants.
When it comes to youth workforce programming, you would be hard pressed to find a more experienced and understanding provider than ShaQuanna Cody-McGrew. ShaQuanna’s advantage comes not only from her many years providing direct services to vulnerable members of New York City communities, but also from her own lived experiences.
I got my GED. I attended community college and went on to complete my Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. My experience connects me to the participants in our programs.”
ShaQuanna grew up in Brooklyn. After receiving her Bachelor’s Degree from Medgar Evers College, she started her career in social services at the Bowery Residents Committee. In 2010, ShaQuanna moved to the Bronx, and in 2015 she started at BronxWorks.
I was looking for larger organizations to grow and develop professionally. I feel like when I came to BronxWorks, I found my home.”
ShaQuanna started in the Young Adult Internship Program (YAIP) as a Case Manager. In 2017, she began her journey to leadership in the role of Senior Resource Coordinator for the inception of the Jobs Plus program. She was later promoted to Assistant Program Director, and finally as the Program Director in 2021. In October 2022, ShaQuanna became the Program Director of BronxWorks Youth Workforce Programs, which includes three adult literacy programs, the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), and the corresponding Work, Learn, and Grow (WLG) program.
To ShaQuanna, workforce programming is about shaping legacies for families. Just like how she was afforded opportunities to succeed through social programs, ShaQuanna is creating those same opportunities for her participants by motivating them to strive for greater heights while developing a mindset for community support.
I feel like social services chose me. I saw how the work I did would affect the loves of others, and being a part of that became my drive and motivation. I was afforded opportunities because of agencies in my community, so being able to pay it forward is part of my life’s mission.”
Outside of work, ShaQuanna is a devoted mother. She loves to spend time with her daughter, playing basketball, swimming, traveling, gaining new experiences and trying new restaurants.
BronxWorks is proud of our staff who are dedicated to not only providing critical services to our clients and the communities of the Bronx, but also to helping ensure that our diverse identities and backgrounds are represented throughout the organization. In talking to staff, we are always fascinated by their stories, how they each found their way to BronxWorks, and how so many of them find a kindred purpose in the mission of BronxWorks. Dylan’s story exemplifies why these aspects of our staff are so important.
Dylan grew up in Rhode Island. He attended Hofstra University, earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, Global Studies, and Italian. After graduating in 2015, Dylan joined AmeriCorps for a year. In 2016, Dylan joined the Peace Corps and spent the following two years teaching English in Morocco. He joined BronxWorks in February 2020 as a Housing Coordinator for the Emergency Department Outreach Team (EDOT) at Lincoln Hospital. The program stationed BronxWorks staff within the emergency departments of partner hospitals to engage homeless individuals and patients in need of housing resources.
In March 2020 after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lincoln Hospital temporarily suspended the EDOT program, restricting access to the hospital for all non-essential programs and services. Dylan and the other team members moved to the Pyramid Safe Haven as stand-in Case Managers for three months until Lincoln Hospital allowed the EDOT program to resume. As one of the original team members, Dylan was pivotal in helping hospital staff and patients better understand the resources that the EDOT program and BronxWorks could provide to the homeless population at Lincoln Hospital.
It was a lot of outreach, interjecting myself into conversations, explaining the program to staff, and eventually people would start to remember, oh yeah there’s that guy from BronxWorks to help with the homeless patients.”
In June 2021, Dylan moved into a different role as the Program Developer for the BronxWorks Supportive Housing and Care Coordination Department. He also enrolled at Hunter College for his Master’s Degree in Social Work. In June 2022 Dylan started his social work internship as a Case Manager at the BronxWorks Park Haven Supportive Housing Program. He continues to work as a Program Developer for the Department, and is expecting to graduate with his MSW in August.
Since joining BronxWorks, Dylan has been a member of the agency-wide LGBTQ+ Committee, helping the staff-led group create a space within the organization for staff to safely discuss LGBTQ+ issues and encourage each other to share experiences.
It’s a way to feel more connected to my colleagues who share a part of my identity. BronxWorks is such a large organization, it can feel sometimes that stuff can get lost in the shuffle, but with the Committee, we know there is a mechanism in place to make sure that the LGBTQ community is represented.”
At the moment, Dylan’s schedule is packed between his job, his social work internship, and working toward completing his MSW. He’s looking forward to having time once he graduates to explore new hobbies. He loves to play volleyball recreationally, and is always trying to learn a new language. Dylan shared that he can speak some degree of Arabic, Italian, Spanish, French, German, and Swedish.
BronxWorks is proud of our staff who are dedicated to not only providing critical services to our clients and the communities of the Bronx, but also to helping ensure that our diverse identities and backgrounds are represented throughout the organization. In talking to staff, we are always fascinated by their stories, how they each found their way to BronxWorks, and how so many of them find a kindred purpose in the mission of BronxWorks. Dylan’s story exemplifies why these aspects of our staff are so important.
Dylan grew up in Rhode Island. He attended Hofstra University, earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, Global Studies, and Italian. After graduating in 2015, Dylan joined AmeriCorps for a year. In 2016, Dylan joined the Peace Corps and spent the following two years teaching English in Morocco. He joined BronxWorks in February 2020 as a Housing Coordinator for the Emergency Department Outreach Team (EDOT) at Lincoln Hospital. The program stationed BronxWorks staff within the emergency departments of partner hospitals to engage homeless individuals and patients in need of housing resources.
In March 2020 after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lincoln Hospital temporarily suspended the EDOT program, restricting access to the hospital for all non-essential programs and services. Dylan and the other team members moved to the Pyramid Safe Haven as stand-in Case Managers for three months until Lincoln Hospital allowed the EDOT program to resume. As one of the original team members, Dylan was pivotal in helping hospital staff and patients better understand the resources that the EDOT program and BronxWorks could provide to the homeless population at Lincoln Hospital.
It was a lot of outreach, interjecting myself into conversations, explaining the program to staff, and eventually people would start to remember, oh yeah there’s that guy from BronxWorks to help with the homeless patients.”
In June 2021, Dylan moved into a different role as the Program Developer for the BronxWorks Supportive Housing and Care Coordination Department. He also enrolled at Hunter College for his Master’s Degree in Social Work. In June 2022 Dylan started his social work internship as a Case Manager at the BronxWorks Park Haven Supportive Housing Program. He continues to work as a Program Developer for the Department, and is expecting to graduate with his MSW in August.
Since joining BronxWorks, Dylan has been a member of the agency-wide LGBTQ+ Committee, helping the staff-led group create a space within the organization for staff to safely discuss LGBTQ+ issues and encourage each other to share experiences.
It’s a way to feel more connected to my colleagues who share a part of my identity. BronxWorks is such a large organization, it can feel sometimes that stuff can get lost in the shuffle, but with the Committee, we know there is a mechanism in place to make sure that the LGBTQ community is represented.”
At the moment, Dylan’s schedule is packed between his job, his social work internship, and working toward completing his MSW. He’s looking forward to having time once he graduates to explore new hobbies. He loves to play volleyball recreationally, and is always trying to learn a new language. Dylan shared that he can speak some degree of Arabic, Italian, Spanish, French, German, and Swedish.
For twenty years, early in her life Marisol lived in a building on St. Ann’s Boulevard when the building was a part of the New York City Housing Authority. Years later, Marisol finds that her story has come full circle, as the Assistant Department Director for Access to Benefits and Homelessness Prevention Programs at BronxWorks, the organization now providing transformative services in that same building on St. Ann’s.
Marisol was born in Puerto Rico, came with her family to the Bronx when she was four years old, and has been living in the Bronx ever since. She attended the Theodore Roosevelt High School, earned her Associate’s Degree from the Bronx Community College, her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Lehman College, and her Master’s in Public Administration from the Metropolitan College of New York.
As I started working at BronxWorks, I saw the huge need for walk-in services and assistance. I saw seniors who had difficulty completing paperwork or re-certifications to stay in their own apartments. It inspired me to continue on in this field.”
Marisol started working at BronxWorks in 1998 as a Family Childcare Specialist. Her job at that time was to enroll family childcare providers into a program to ensure that they were adequately resourced, trained, and had the necessary licenses and support to provide high-quality childcare to their communities. Shortly after joining the program, Marisol was promoted to Program Coordinator to build a cohesive network of family childcare providers. She would conduct home visits to the childcare providers, approve their home childcare setup, ensure they had the proper resources, and help make referrals to members of the network.
After two years, Marisol was promoted to Program Director of the Avenue St. John and Townsend Walk-in Offices, and a few years after that, she was again promoted to the Assistant Department Director overseeing all four of the walk-in and referral offices at the time. Since then, Marisol has helped oversee the growth of the department for over twenty years.
As BronxWorks has grown and added so many different programs, the department has grown with it. Because BronxWorks is so broad and offers so many services, we are able to make a lot of referrals within the agency, and getting people assistance quickly and efficiently.”
Outside of work, Marisol loves to spend time with her family and watch movies with her husband and her daughter. She and her eight sisters and five brothers love to get together at the park and spend holidays together as a family.
For twenty years, early in her life Marisol lived in a building on St. Ann’s Boulevard when the building was a part of the New York City Housing Authority. Years later, Marisol finds that her story has come full circle, as the Assistant Department Director for Access to Benefits and Homelessness Prevention Programs at BronxWorks, the organization now providing transformative services in that same building on St. Ann’s.
Marisol was born in Puerto Rico, came with her family to the Bronx when she was four years old, and has been living in the Bronx ever since. She attended the Theodore Roosevelt High School, earned her Associate’s Degree from the Bronx Community College, her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Lehman College, and her Master’s in Public Administration from the Metropolitan College of New York.
As I started working at BronxWorks, I saw the huge need for walk-in services and assistance. I saw seniors who had difficulty completing paperwork or re-certifications to stay in their own apartments. It inspired me to continue on in this field.”
Marisol started working at BronxWorks in 1998 as a Family Childcare Specialist. Her job at that time was to enroll family childcare providers into a program to ensure that they were adequately resourced, trained, and had the necessary licenses and support to provide high-quality childcare to their communities. Shortly after joining the program, Marisol was promoted to Program Coordinator to build a cohesive network of family childcare providers. She would conduct home visits to the childcare providers, approve their home childcare setup, ensure they had the proper resources, and help make referrals to members of the network.
After two years, Marisol was promoted to Program Director of the Avenue St. John and Townsend Walk-in Offices, and a few years after that, she was again promoted to the Assistant Department Director overseeing all four of the walk-in and referral offices at the time. Since then, Marisol has helped oversee the growth of the department for over twenty years.
As BronxWorks has grown and added so many different programs, the department has grown with it. Because BronxWorks is so broad and offers so many services, we are able to make a lot of referrals within the agency, and getting people assistance quickly and efficiently.”
Outside of work, Marisol loves to spend time with her family and watch movies with her husband and her daughter. She and her eight sisters and five brothers love to get together at the park and spend holidays together as a family.
If you’ve ever joined a meeting with Gianna just a few minutes early, you’ll soon find that you know a thing or two about Gianna’s life that you didn’t know before. Over time, the more minutes you get to spend talking with Gianna, the more you’ll come to know about who she is, about her family, and about her commitment to her hometown, The Bronx. Gianna is that type of person you hear so much about, but you rarely encounter in genuine form – the type of person who wears their heart on their sleeve. In her line of work as Director of Advancement and Communications, that is a quality of the utmost significance. With everything that Gianna shares comes a generous dose of sincerity and friendship.
Gianna was born and raised in the West Farms/Morris Park section of the Bronx. She lived in the Bronx until her early 30s. Gianna remembers growing up in a neighborhood that was incredibly diverse with families from different backgrounds and cultures.
I remember it was the quintessential Bronx, tightknit neighborhood where everybody knew everybody.”
After graduating high school, Gianna attended St. John’s University, graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications. She worked for many years in sales, marketing and advertising, before making a career change to Development. When the opportunity came in 2015, she joined BronxWorks as the Director of Communications and Advancement. Leading a team of fundraisers and communications professionals, Gianna oversees all of the public relations, marketing, and promotional operations for the entire organization. Every year, she organizes annual fundraisers, including a formal gala, the #TeamBronxWorks NYC Marathon runners, Giving Tuesday, Year End Appeal, and so much more.
I see the other departments as internal clients. We support their work, we amplify their work, we help get the message out about the incredible need and the incredible accomplishments.”
In all things, Gianna is singularly focused on advancing the impact of BronxWorks programs. “I wanted the mission-driven work,” she says, “In the department, Ken Small and his team support the public funding side and we support the individual, corporation, and communications side.”
Outside of work, Gianna is all about her family. She is a mother of two, a 14-year-old daughter who has a passion for performance art, and an 11-year-old son, who has a significant following on his YouTube channel. Whenever she has time, Gianna loves to camp with her family, work on home improvement projects, and thrift.
If you’ve ever joined a meeting with Gianna just a few minutes early, you’ll soon find that you know a thing or two about Gianna’s life that you didn’t know before. Over time, the more minutes you get to spend talking with Gianna, the more you’ll come to know about who she is, about her family, and about her commitment to her hometown, The Bronx. Gianna is that type of person you hear so much about, but you rarely encounter in genuine form – the type of person who wears their heart on their sleeve. In her line of work as Director of Advancement and Communications, that is a quality of the utmost significance. With everything that Gianna shares comes a generous dose of sincerity and friendship.
Gianna was born and raised in the West Farms/Morris Park section of the Bronx. She lived in the Bronx until her early 30s. Gianna remembers growing up in a neighborhood that was incredibly diverse with families from different backgrounds and cultures.
I remember it was the quintessential Bronx, tightknit neighborhood where everybody knew everybody.”
After graduating high school, Gianna attended St. John’s University, graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications. She worked for many years in sales, marketing and advertising, before making a career change to Development. When the opportunity came in 2015, she joined BronxWorks as the Director of Communications and Advancement. Leading a team of fundraisers and communications professionals, Gianna oversees all of the public relations, marketing, and promotional operations for the entire organization. Every year, she organizes annual fundraisers, including a formal gala, the #TeamBronxWorks NYC Marathon runners, Giving Tuesday, Year End Appeal, and so much more.
I see the other departments as internal clients. We support their work, we amplify their work, we help get the message out about the incredible need and the incredible accomplishments.”
In all things, Gianna is singularly focused on advancing the impact of BronxWorks programs. “I wanted the mission-driven work,” she says, “In the department, Ken Small and his team support the public funding side and we support the individual, corporation, and communications side.”
Outside of work, Gianna is all about her family. She is a mother of two, a 14-year-old daughter who has a passion for performance art, and an 11-year-old son, who has a significant following on his YouTube channel. Whenever she has time, Gianna loves to camp with her family, work on home improvement projects, and thrift.
Every year, the Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) takes place at the end of January to estimate the number of unsheltered individuals in New York City. For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, HOPE 2023 invited volunteers to once again help canvass areas across the city for individuals who are experiencing street homelessness.
Prior to the pandemic, HOPE volunteers were essential to completing the surveying of area maps throughout each of boroughs during the night of the count. To protect volunteers and limit the spread of COVID-19, the past two previous HOPE Counts were coordinated exclusively by borough homeless outreach providers. In our case, BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) was solely responsible for surveying all the area maps for the Bronx during those HOPE Counts, conducting the counts over three nights in 2022 and two nights 2021 to accommodate for the reduced number of counters.
Planning for this year’s HOPE Count started in October 2022. BronxWorks and other homeless service providers across the city met with the New York City Department of Social Services Office of Research and Policy Innovation to coordinate the city-wide survey. For the first time, the 2023 HOPE Count utilized a hybrid model of both traditional volunteers and homeless outreach teams. In previous HOPE Counts before the pandemic, the Bronx had five sites hosting HOPE volunteers while BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team helped support the volunteer operations. This year, the City re-opened two volunteer sites in the Bronx at Hostos Community College and Lehman College. Volunteers from these two sites covered surveys for many of the area maps in the South and Northwest Bronx, while BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team and staff volunteers covered surveys for the remaining 130 area maps throughout the Bronx.
Juan Rivera, Assistant Department Director of Adult Homeless Services, helped oversee the operation in the Bronx. He was joined by Homeless Outreach Team members, including Issa Asiedo, Homeless Outreach Team Outreach Coordinator, and Allyce Morrissey, Homeless Outreach Team Assistant Program Director. As always, staff from different BronxWorks departments and programs volunteered to join members of the Homeless Outreach Team. A total of 46 BronxWorks staff formed 22 teams utilizing 15 agency vehicles to canvas the 130 Bronx area maps. With the hybrid model of volunteers and homeless outreach teams, this year’s HOPE Count was once again completed in one night, from 11pm until 3am, allowing our teams to capture a more accurate representation of the homeless population on the street at a given time.
Juan is a veteran of the HOPE Count since 2008. Issa has gone on over 15 HOPE Counts, and Allyce is already on her third. Many other BronxWorks volunteers have notched multiple HOPE Counts in their careers, but others, like Aaron Cipollina, our Digital and Content Manager, joined for the first time. We spoke with the four of them to explain why the HOPE Count is so important.
Juan: The goal is to hopefully capture the work we are doing. We plan for the HOPE Count to be on one of the coldest nights of the year so we can get a sense of who is out on the street and who is not. It’s also important from the public perspective for the community to get involved and volunteer. It gives people one night of understanding what people are going through on the street.
Issa: I always look at it as a reflection of the work we are doing and the resources that we have over the years. It’s important for us to go out and see for ourselves how the situation has changed compared to previous years and to personally reflect on this work.
Allyce: The results of the HOPE Count help the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to allocate funding to services, so it is important for us to be as thorough and accurate as possible. It’s also important for the conversations we have between volunteers and people on the street, conversations that help us see why some people don’t want to go into shelters.
Aaron: I wanted to capture images of the people who are working and volunteering on that night. It’s a part that a lot of people don’t get to see, that Homeless Outreach really is working at all hours. And for me, working in Development and not in direct services, it was a rewarding experience to join people like Issa who have been doing this for so long and getting their perspective.
Now with the HOPE Count complete, the raw data from the night will be used to extrapolate official results that are expected later in April or May.
Every year, the Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) takes place at the end of January to estimate the number of unsheltered individuals in New York City. For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, HOPE 2023 invited volunteers to once again help canvass areas across the city for individuals who are experiencing street homelessness.
Prior to the pandemic, HOPE volunteers were essential to completing the surveying of area maps throughout each of boroughs during the night of the count. To protect volunteers and limit the spread of COVID-19, the past two previous HOPE Counts were coordinated exclusively by borough homeless outreach providers. In our case, BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) was solely responsible for surveying all the area maps for the Bronx during those HOPE Counts, conducting the counts over three nights in 2022 and two nights 2021 to accommodate for the reduced number of counters.
Planning for this year’s HOPE Count started in October 2022. BronxWorks and other homeless service providers across the city met with the New York City Department of Social Services Office of Research and Policy Innovation to coordinate the city-wide survey. For the first time, the 2023 HOPE Count utilized a hybrid model of both traditional volunteers and homeless outreach teams. In previous HOPE Counts before the pandemic, the Bronx had five sites hosting HOPE volunteers while BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team helped support the volunteer operations. This year, the City re-opened two volunteer sites in the Bronx at Hostos Community College and Lehman College. Volunteers from these two sites covered surveys for many of the area maps in the South and Northwest Bronx, while BronxWorks Homeless Outreach Team and staff volunteers covered surveys for the remaining 130 area maps throughout the Bronx.
Juan Rivera, Assistant Department Director of Adult Homeless Services, helped oversee the operation in the Bronx. He was joined by Homeless Outreach Team members, including Issa Asiedo, Homeless Outreach Team Outreach Coordinator, and Allyce Morrissey, Homeless Outreach Team Assistant Program Director. As always, staff from different BronxWorks departments and programs volunteered to join members of the Homeless Outreach Team. A total of 46 BronxWorks staff formed 22 teams utilizing 15 agency vehicles to canvas the 130 Bronx area maps. With the hybrid model of volunteers and homeless outreach teams, this year’s HOPE Count was once again completed in one night, from 11pm until 3am, allowing our teams to capture a more accurate representation of the homeless population on the street at a given time.
Juan is a veteran of the HOPE Count since 2008. Issa has gone on over 15 HOPE Counts, and Allyce is already on her third. Many other BronxWorks volunteers have notched multiple HOPE Counts in their careers, but others, like Aaron Cipollina, our Digital and Content Manager, joined for the first time. We spoke with the four of them to explain why the HOPE Count is so important.
Juan: The goal is to hopefully capture the work we are doing. We plan for the HOPE Count to be on one of the coldest nights of the year so we can get a sense of who is out on the street and who is not. It’s also important from the public perspective for the community to get involved and volunteer. It gives people one night of understanding what people are going through on the street.
Issa: I always look at it as a reflection of the work we are doing and the resources that we have over the years. It’s important for us to go out and see for ourselves how the situation has changed compared to previous years and to personally reflect on this work.
Allyce: The results of the HOPE Count help the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to allocate funding to services, so it is important for us to be as thorough and accurate as possible. It’s also important for the conversations we have between volunteers and people on the street, conversations that help us see why some people don’t want to go into shelters.
Aaron: I wanted to capture images of the people who are working and volunteering on that night. It’s a part that a lot of people don’t get to see, that Homeless Outreach really is working at all hours. And for me, working in Development and not in direct services, it was a rewarding experience to join people like Issa who have been doing this for so long and getting their perspective.
Now with the HOPE Count complete, the raw data from the night will be used to extrapolate official results that are expected later in April or May.
