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120 East 32nd Street New York, NY 10016 212-883-0680
GCN/Mainchance News
Happy New Year! Last year ended on a busy note. We celebrated the holiday season,
multiple organizations provided services to GCN, we hosted a fundraising event, and we had a
successful community network fair all while continuing to welcome volunteers and
interns. Please check out all of these happenings in this newsletter. All the best for 2017!
Recent Events and Activities
2016 Holiday Season at GCN
Organizations that provided
services to GCN
Events at GCN
Volunteers
Underground Arts/ Upcoming
Events
Agency News
Message from Brady Crain
Executive Director
Grand Central Neighborhood Page 2
Grand Central Neighborhood Board of Directors 2016-2017
Dr. William Kornblum Chairman, City University of New York Mr. Alfred Cerullo, III President, Grand Central Partnership Dr. Jamila Codrington Ms. Didi Goldenhar Ms. Crystal Jordan, JD, MPH Program Director, Brooklyn Plaza Medical Mr. Robert Machleder, Esq. Dr. Rosa Yolanda Pineda Mr. John Ragusa Bank New York Mellon Mr. Bruce Sterman Dr. Terry Williams Vice Chair, The New School for Social Research Mr. Richard Wilpon Sterling Equities, Inc.
Page 3 Grand Central Neighborhood
The Mainchance Drop in Center moved to 120 East 32nd Street in May 2005.
The building’s name comes from the phrase “having an eye for the main chance” which describes someone who is always looking to improve their
situation. We named the center “Mainchance” after the idiomatic expression because it gives clients their best chance at a new future– one full of
opportunity and hope.
About Us
Grand Central Neighborhood is a non profit organization committed to providing immediate relief to New York City’s homeless
population. Through our Mainchance Drop in Center we offer basic necessities such as food, clothing, showers, chairs for daytime respite and in partnership with the Emergency Shelter Network,
beds for evening respite.
We also have a wide range of social services including case management , group workshops, medical and psychological
services, treatment referrals and housing assistance. Our Soup Kitchen serves 3 meals daily, 7 days a week and is open to the
public.
In order to help people use our center as a bridge to a more secure life, we have designed a delivery of service program to meet our
clients at their various levels of need- tailoring our services to fit the specific situations of each individual in a welcoming and safe
environment. We recognize that, for some, simply coming in from the streets is a significant step.
Building
Amenities
Wifi Daytime Respite Chairs and Evening Respite Beds in collaboration with churches and synagogues Donations Showers Meals
Grand Central Neighborhood Page 4
Signature events throughout the year
Hall of Fame Ceremonies: A celebration for the clients that
graduated from the program at GCN. The graduates also speak to the current clients.
Network Fairs: Outside social service agencies including
Catholic Charities and Housing Works come in to GCN. This gives the clients an opportunity to network.
Art Shows: Arts programming initiative that grants opportunities for self expression and creative development. Live Shows: Music, story telling, poetry readings, script & play
readings.
Grand Central Neighborhood Page 5
Mainchance by the Numbers
Open 365 Days a year, 24 hours Serves close to 70,000 meals annually Hosts over 50+ public events, performances, and activities annually 120 movable chairs and 20 tables provided for clients and visitors
Respite Bed Providers
Grand Central Neighborhood collaborates directly with the Emergency Shelter Network through churches, synagogues, and other places of worship to provide nightly respite beds to clients who are currently
receiving case management services and concrete housing placement services. We currently collaborate with the sites below in New York City
servicing both males and females:
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church Congregation Ansche Chesed The Fifteenth Street Monthly Meeting of The Religious Society of Friends The Community Church of New York Church of the Holy Family Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church/St. James Episcopal Church Church of St. Paul the Apostle St. Mary’s Church Trinity Presbyterian Church Stephen Wise Free Synagogue Church of the Heavenly Rest The Brotherhood Synagogue Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Church of St. Ignatius Loyola
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You Can Transform A Life What your dollars buy…. $25 contributes toward clients bare necessities: socks, undergarments, tees, pants. $50 contributes toward professional attire for job and housing interviews. $100 provides bedding, sheets, blankets, and pillows for clients moving into new housing. $500 helps shorten a clients stay at mainchance by contributing to 1st month rent and security deposit.
Item donations: We also accept donations of food, clothing, personal items, and in-kind donations. For details contact: [email protected] (212)883-0680 ext. 308
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Thanksgiving at GCN
GCN staff member Nate and volunteers GCN Staff
Grand Central Neighborhood Page 8
Christmas at GCN
The layout for the Client Christmas party
Marjorie & Friends. Marjorie is our resident musician during the holiday
season!
Page 9 Grand Central Neighborhood
NYU College of Dentistry students visited GCN and offered dental services to the clients
The following organizations provided services to GCN
Grand Central Neighborhood Page 10
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
On December 1st
, 2016 the staff at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP held a cocktail party in support of GCN. Both financial and in-kind donations were provided. A representative from GCN was on hand to present an overview of the agency and its mission as well as to answer questions.
GCN was given a very warm reception and we are looking forward to working together in 2017.
California Pizza Kitchen, located not too far from GCN, teamed up with our organization for a
fundraising event!
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Marble Collegiate Church donated Christmas brunch to our soup kitchen. They also donated hats, scarves,
gloves, and movie tickets!
Lutheran Medical Services
Clients deal with a wide range of health issues resulting from or exacerbated by life on the street. Because of this GCN has
a partnership with Lutheran Medical Program. This partnership ensures that treatment and care is readily
available in a safe environment at the Mainchance Drop-in Center. They provide tuberculosis testing, general medical
treatment, referrals, etc.
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Hall of Fame Ceremony
In Fall 2016 we held our signature Hall of Fame Ceremony where we recognize clients who have recently moved into housing.
These individuals were presented with certificates and gift bags. A reception with light refreshments was held after the
ceremony.
Events at GCN
Grand Central Neighborhood Page 13
Tamisha, our housing coordinator, standing against the “I’m Outta Here” wall. Clients who graduated from the program write
thank you notes on this wall.
Page 14 Grand Central Neighborhood
Community Network Fair October 21st 2016
Our Network Fairs are a collaborative effort between GCN and partnering organizations
to make available existing and future resources to meet the needs of homeless individuals in New York City. We opened our doors to the community along with our
clients. We had a very good turnout and provided information and services to all.
Special thanks to our participating agencies for this Network Fair:
ACE New York Greenwich House
Holy Apostle Housing Works Jericho Project Project Renewal
Realization Center
Page 15 Grand Central Neighborhood
Testimonials
Thanks for being here in my times of need, a door open. I can’t tell you
how much I appreciate receiving your help. –Karen C.
I want to thank everyone for what they did for me. I would not have made it without the help of everyone from Mainchance. - W. Daley
Peace and love to everyone here. Thanks for saving my life.– Darryl W.
Thank you Mainchance for being patient with me and helping me with
this process.-Gabriel R.
Thank you for being there when a lot of others weren't Mainchance. May Mainchance continue to provide a main chance.– Christa A.
Grand Central Neighborhood Page 16
Our Volunteers
Volunteers from Lombard Risk
Xavier High School volunteers Brandon, Jason, and John
Kitchen Supervisor Kevin and kitchen cook Charles
with volunteer Virginia
Thanksgiving volunteers
AHRC
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Volunteers and Donors
Our collaborative relationships are the cornerstone of our agency. We also continue to expand partnerships with local businesses and have regular volunteers from a number of corporations and other non-profits. We could not continue the work we do
without the help of our many volunteers. Donations are very important to GCN . To become a donor please go to our website, see link
below or if you would like to make an in-kind donation please contact :
Tiffany Livingstone at [email protected] or 212.883.0680 x 308
You can also check out our Wish List at amazon.com under GCN/Mainchance and make a donation.
Volunteer Corner
Edie Britton
Virginia Crespo Lorri-Ann Cummings
Patricia Higgins Lucy Hwang Don Jacinto
Michele Perazzo Devyani Puri
Emma Minden John Ragusa Meg Winkler
Project Rousseau AHRC NYU
Christian Cultural Center The Bank of Montreal St. John’s University
Baruch College Nice Actimize
Linedata Yeshiva University
United Way UBM
BMO Capital Markets Duane Reade
American Express Conde Nast
Starwood Hotels Shake Shack
Global Brands Group Residence Inn World Trade Center
Trusteforte ZocDoc
Wood Mackenzie TIAA
Bank NY Mellon
BMO Capital Markets Corcoran Cares Virginia Crespo Joanne Csete
Direct Archdiocesan Direct Philoptochos
Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Grand Central Partnership
GSG Financial LLC Don Jacinto
Marble Collegiate Church Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
LLP Rock Paper Scissors
The Malkin Fund The Roth Foundation
The Venable Foundation The Windhover Foundation
Financial Donors
Please visit our website
www.grandcentralneighborhood.org
&
Become a Fan of GCN on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/gcnssc
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Our Resource Room serves as the meeting and performance space for
this initiative.
Underground Arts
Underground Arts is a multipronged cultural and arts programming initiative. Inspired by the energetic spirit that can be enlivened through the
production and experiencing of art, this initiative is intended to provide GCN’s clients and supporters with some of the most
inspiring free arts programming in Midtown Manhattan.
Events in the Resource Room
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Art Exhibition 2016
*Upcoming Events*
Art Show: February 10th-February 24th, 2017 Reception: February 10th, 2017 6PM-9PM
Closing: February 24th, 2017 6PM-9PM Gallery hours: Tuesday’s & Thursday’s 7PM-9PM
Hall of Fame Ceremony: Friday February 24th, 2017 1PM-3PM
Community Network Fair: Friday March 24th, 2017 2PM-3:30PM
Look forward to a Pro Bono Legal Clinic by Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP!
Grand Central Neighborhood Page 20
Interns
Jeryl Johnson: ICD
Ian Sexton: NYU Silver School of Social Work
Crissy Cunningham: NYU Silver School of Social Work
Isaiah Cifuentes: YAIP Program
Below is our list of interns in the Social Services Department. We welcome them and hope they
will gain valuable experience!
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Grand Central Neighborhood
Agency News
Lynne Trichter Retires
For six years Lynne Trichter was the executive assistant for GCN .She recently retired in December 2016. Lynne started out in social services, so working at GCN was like coming
full circle for her. She found her job interesting and enjoyed working with the different departments. Lynne also loved interacting with the volunteers. She was glad to be able to
cultivate relationships with such a diverse group of people. It was especially gratifying for her to see the Hall of Fame
ceremonies and see the clients graduate from the program. She will miss the staff and the staff will miss her.
Enjoy your retirement Lynne!
Lynne holding her celebratory bottle on her last day with the staff!
Grand Central Neighborhood Page 22
CBS News Report
On December 9th
, 2016 Marcia Kramer from CBS News did a news segment on drop-in
centers and featured GCN/Mainchance as an example of how we provide much needed services to the homeless in a safe and
welcoming environment. Please view the YouTube link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhg-3lMih58
New Executive Assistant
Tiffany Livingstone replaced Lynne Trichter as Executive Assistant. Tiffany comes to GCN from Lincoln Center for the
Performing Arts where she worked for close to ten years. She holds a Masters Degree in Urban Studies and is excited
to become part of the GCN team.
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Grand Central Neighborhood
Staff Training
GCN staff were recertified in the administering of the nasal spray Narcan (Naloxone) to reverse an overdose and the procedure to call 911 and wait
with the individual until EMS arrives.
GCN staff Jamel, Anthony, and Mark in their brand new GCN jackets!
120 East 32nd Street New York, NY 10016 212-883-0680
We are “Mainchance”