New Destiny’s Family Support Program: Finding Strength in Support
When Caesar made the brave decision to escape an abusive domestic relationship in 2020, a new challenge emerged - finding a safe and secure home for himself and his children. After facing the hardships of living in three different homeless shelters, a new opportunity opened for them in the form of an apartment in a New Destiny building.
Caesar, 43, and his resilient children - Tristan, 17; Brandon, 14; and Bella, 12 - now have their own apartment, offering them safety and security. Additionally, New Destiny’s trauma-informed Family Support Program provides a range of restorative services, including mental health counseling, therapeutic activities, financial coaching, and various classes and events.
As each member of Caesar's family diligently works towards their goals, their progress is undeniable. Caesar himself has recently enrolled in university, while the children are thriving and excelling academically.
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A Member of New Destiny Staff Completes the RELISH Program
We are immensely proud to share that Cherisse Buffonge, Program Director at The Corden and The Jennings, successfully completed the Readying Emerging Leaders in Supportive Housing (RELISH) Program on December 15th. Created by the Racial Equity in Supportive Housing Workgroup in partnership with Hunter College Silberman School of Social Work, RELISH prepares Black emerging leaders in the nonprofit homeless and housing sector for upward mobility. The program offers bi-weekly seminars and mentorship, providing scholars with the management, leadership, and networking skills they need to succeed.
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New Destiny’s New Supportive Housing Project is Awarded Competitive State Grant
We are thrilled to share that New Destiny is one of the six organizations selected this month to receive NYS Homeless Housing and Assistance Program (HHAP) funding. The $9.7 million we were awarded will enable us to convert an old mechanic shop on Webster Avenue to a brand new, energy-efficient 72-unit apartment complex, with 43 units designated for domestic violence survivors, all of whom will have access to on-site, trauma-informed services.
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As our Executive Director, Nicole Branca, said in the press release, “We're incredibly grateful to Governor Hochul, and all our government partners on the Homeless Housing and Assistance Corporation, for their continued support of New Destiny. Domestic violence is the leading cause of family homelessness in New York City, and the HHAP funding enables us to continue building this much-needed housing for survivors and their families.” | |
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Our Gratitude to Trinity Church Wall Street
Our deepest gratitude to Trinity Church Wall Street for selecting us as a grantee this year. Because of their unwavering support, we can continue making progress in our fight to meaningfully increase housing resources for survivors and their families. As Bea de la Torre, Trinity's Chief Philanthropy Officer, stated, "Together we find solutions to help alleviate challenges we are all facing.”
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Thanks to Trinity’s funding, New Destiny was able to seed a small but powerful advocacy department that has successfully fought to increase rental assistance levels for both city and state programs, to create one homeless shelter count that includes all five shelter systems in our city, and for the city to allocate, for the first time ever, Section 8 vouchers to survivors fleeing abuse. We also launched two speakers bureaus: Survivor Voices Project and Voces de Cambio, to elevate survivor’s experiences and help drive systemic change.
Read the press release.
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On December 11th, New Destiny testified before the New York City Council at Finance Committee oversight hearing on the Mayor’s November Financial Plan. Our Director of Policy and Communications, Gabriela Sandoval Requena, underscored New Destiny’s concerns over Mayor Adams’s proposed 15% budget cuts and hiring freeze at city agencies. The Mayor’s measures will not only further hinder survivors’ ability to secure safe housing, but also put their lives and the lives of their children in jeopardy. Gabriela called on the city to partner with the nonprofit sector and implementing budget neutral solutions that will improve timely access to affordable housing and not cost the city anything, such as:
- Allow families in ALL shelters, including survivors in HRA shelters, access to HPD homeless set aside units, as the Mayor promised on the 2022 Housing our Neighbors Blueprint.
- Reduce steps and streamline the process to fill vacant affordable housing units made available through Housing Connect to meaningfully reduce lease up timetables.
- Open-up city-funded supportive housing to domestic violence survivors and their children, who are not currently eligible for NYC 15/15 units
Read our testimony.
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You Can Make a Difference
Domestic violence is the #1 reason families are homeless in New York City and New Destiny is the only nonprofit in our city dedicated solely to permanent housing for survivors. Your support directly advances our mission to end the cycle of abuse and homelessness.
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To discuss planned giving or a big gift, please contact our Director of Development, Wren Longno at wlongno@newdestinyhousing.org or 646-634-7385. | |
Staff Holiday Celebration
Earlier this month, we hosted a festive luncheon for our amazing, hardworking staff. This was a joyful celebration of New Destiny’s accomplishments and an opportunity to bid proper farewell to our long-time Sr. Tax Credit Finance Manager, Janet Hutter, who is retiring after 16 years at New Destiny, and celebrate the conclusion of our 2-year Emergency Housing Voucher navigator contract and the amazing team who worked tirelessly to find housing for nearly 1,000 voucher recipients.
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New Destiny in the News
Our Executive Director, Nicole Branca, was quoted in PEOPLE Magazine about the Jonathan Majors domestic violence case and the prominence of counterclaims against survivors: "such claims are often part of an effort 'to deflect their abuses back onto their victims in an attempt to minimize their own crimes.'” Read the article here.
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Consuelo Rodriguez, a survivor and member of Voces de Cambio, New Destiny’s Speakers Bureau for Spanish-speakers, and Gabriela Sandoval Requena, our Director of Policy & Communications, were interviewed by Karmina Fonseca for Noticia NY. In the article, Consuelo shares her about her domestic violence experience and the critical role that New Destiny supportive housing has played in her and her children’s healing journey.
The original piece in Spanish is available here and a translated English version is available on our website.
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Join our team! Some of our newest job openings are:
To see the complete list of job opportunities, click here.
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