Foundation awards $50,000 to Rehousing in Supportive Environments, a Westchester County program providing safe housing, counseling and employment services to domestic violence survivors and their families.
The program is a collaboration among Caring for the Hungry and Homeless of Peekskill, Lifting Up Westchester and My Sisters’ Place.
Contact: Sharon Rubinstein, 914-314-6696, Sharon@rubisparkscommunications.com
Leonard Sparks, 845-300-7785, leonard@rubisparkscommunications.com
April 9, 2020
Caring for the Hungry and Homeless of Peekskill and two partner organizations have received a $50,000 grant to support two dozen domestic violence survivors and their families who are receiving housing and counseling and employment services through the innovative Westchester County-based program Rehousing in Supportive Environments (RISE).
This grant was made possible, in part, by the Westchester Community Foundation, a division of The New York Community Foundation. It will help CHHOP and its collaborators, Lifting Up Westchester and My Sisters’ Place, support domestic violence survivors seeking to rebuild their lives and gain financial independence.
The award comes as some states are reporting significant increases domestic in violence calls due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We are grateful to Westchester Community Foundation for its support of this vital program,” said Cynthia Knox, CEO for CHHOP. “The housing, counseling and supports services RISE provides are a bridge for traumatized adults and children moving from surviving to thriving.”
Launched with a $594,021 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, RISE provides 16 “rapid rehousing” apartment units and 8 transitional housing units for survivors and their families as a key step in helping them gain freedom from abusive spouses and partners.
In addition to getting housing, case management and help developing independent living plans through CHHOP, participants in RISE receive counseling and legal services through My Sisters’ Place and assistance with education and employment through Lifting Up Westchester.
“In so many cases, people living in abusive relationships are afraid to leave because they fear the result would be homelessness and joblessness. Through RISE, we give them and their children a better option – a chance at a new life,” said Karen Cheeks-Lomax, CEO for My Sisters’ Place
“Our goal is not just to help survivors with safe housing and emotional support, but to ensure they get the necessary skills and training they need to achieve financial independence for themselves and their children,” said Anahaita Kotval, CEO for Lifting Up Westchester.
About
Caring for the Hungry and Homeless of Peekskill (CHHOP) works to alleviate hunger and homelessness in Peekskill and its surroundings by providing temporary housing, long-term housing, advocacy and clinical and support services to veterans, domestic violence survivors and chronically homeless men and women. CHHOP also provides healthy and nutritious food through Fred’s Pantry. Visit us chhop.org
Lifting Up Westchester aims to restore hope to Westchester County's men, women and children in need by providing them with food, shelter and support and lifting them to greater self-sufficiency with dignity and respect.
My Sisters’ Place (MSP) strives to end domestic violence and human trafficking through comprehensive services, advocacy, and community education. MSP works to create a world in which every individual has the basic human right to be free from gender-based violence and to engage in relationships that embrace the principles of respect, equality, and safety.
Westchester Community Foundation’s mission is to connect generous people to the causes they care about and invest in transformative ideas and organizations to improve lives and strengthen our community. WCF is a division of The New York Community Trust, one of the largest community foundations in the country, with assets of approximately $2.6 billion.