University Settlement Society of New York

Earlier this month, 14 volunteers from Oxeon joined us to support The Creative Center at University Settlement! 🎨 The volunteer group assembled 100 art kits for The Creative Center @ University Settlement, our innovative arts-in-health program. Each kit includes materials to make a yarn keychain, a calming sensory activity for patients undergoing hospital treatment; our hope is to give people going through the challenges of cancer or chronic illness an opportunity to create without pressure. And each volunteer added a handwritten note to each kit for a personal touch. Oxeon’s work in healthcare executive staffing made this partnership especially meaningful – huge thank you to Oxeon for your support! #NYCisUS

Housing is only the first step – survivors of domestic violence need support that helps them heal and rebuild. That’s why we partnered with New Destiny Housing Corporation on the Emergency Housing Voucher Aftercare Program, connecting survivors of domestic violence to regular follow-ups from an Aftercare Coordinator after moving into permanent housing. During those check-ins, survivors were asked if they wanted mental health support for themselves or their children. When they said yes, they were referred directly to our clinicians at the Consultation Center, who provided free, ongoing therapy with options for virtual or in-person sessions. Over the course of the partnership, we delivered over 2,600 therapy sessions, with 98% of them conducted virtually. Most clients received care for about seven months, and 84% said they trusted their therapist and would recommend the service to someone else. Participants reported they were better able to deal with daily problems, handle crises, take care of their needs, handle unexpected obstacles, and identify red flags in their relationships. And for families with a child in therapy, caregivers told us they saw real improvements in their children’s mental health and coping skills. “We are proud to have to partnered with New Destiny Housing in this important, effective study,” said Melissa Aase, CEO of University Settlement. “We know that for many survivors of intimate partner and domestic violence, finding safe housing is vital, but is often just the first step toward recovery. This report demonstrates that by joining efforts to create a streamlined and supportive referral process connecting survivors to University Settlement’s comprehensive continuum of mental health care supports, we created space for people to heal.” We’re grateful to New Destiny Housing for this collaboration and to the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust for making this work possible. Read the full report at https://lnkd.in/eTpMfQ6Z #NYCisUS

That’s a wrap on this year’s SOMOS, Inc. (fka Somos el Futuro, Inc.) conference in Puerto Rico! Our team had the chance to connect with State Senator Brian Kavanagh, State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, City Councilmember Crystal Hudson, and Assemblymember Grace Lee (among other elected officials representing our communities) during a weekend full of meaningful conversations and collaboration. We also caught up with Tareake Dorill Ramos, Nora Oz, and Jonathan Gardenhire from the Dorill Initiative, who are uplifting young artists to lead with creativity through performance and civic engagement. Our team was grateful to spend the weekend hearing from our peer community-based organizations doing important work across the city, and for the opportunity to hear remarks from Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani! Those of us who traveled for SOMOS are back home feeling recharged and ready to keep the work moving! #NYCisUS

Our movement is building a better world, neighborhood by neighborhood! Did you know that The International Federation of Settlements and Neighborhood Centers (IFS) counts more than 11,000 community-based organizations around the globe as members? Members of our team (and our friends at United Neighborhood Houses, pictured) are in the UK this week celebrating the 100th anniversary of IFS at [Locality]’s annual convention - that’s our CEO Melissa with Tony Armstrong, the CEO of Locality. Melissa is also the President of the Board of IFS, and gave introductory remarks at one of the plenary sessions: “In this moment of polycrisis, I know that so many of us are wondering: how do we endure? How will our belief in the value of every person endure this era of corrosion? We are each holding so much. Everyone here, is here because you care. We bear the weight of the world on our shoulders. I want to thank each of you for being here, and for the work you do every day. And I want to remind you that we are the answers to the moment we are in. We are the firefighters and the healers and the weavers; we have roles to play in lowering the temperature, and building up community power, and we will be crucial in the work of rebuilding, as well. And, we have each other’s backs… We are doing community development for today, and advocacy for tomorrow, weaving both together to build generational impact. This is what has made us unique for our entire history, and continues to be our hallmark, wherever we are in the world.” #NYCisUS #PowerOfCommunity #Locality25 #IFS100

Our team is in Puerto Rico for the annual SOMOS, Inc. (fka Somos el Futuro, Inc.) conference! 🌎 Our very own Laura McGinley (Chief External Relations Officer), Jen Vallone (Associate Executive Director, Adults, Arts, and Advocacy), and Barbara DiGangi (Director, Community Wellness Initiatives) are in San Juan to talk with community leaders and elected officials about pressing issues for our communities. Every year, SOMOS is an important opportunity for our team to connect with leaders citywide. This year’s conversations have centered on how we can better meet the basic needs of our most vulnerable neighbors. We’ve also discussed ways to protect and support immigrant communities at the city and state levels. The conference kicked off yesterday morning, and our team has already connected with Comptroller Brad Lander, Assemblymember Phara Souffrant-Forrest, and City Councilmember Shahana Hanif. We also spoke with Wayne Ho (President/CEO, Chinese-American Planning Council), Elsa Pereira, and Clovis Thorn. We love to see so many dedicated leaders, both in and out of government, all in one place. More SOMOS updates to come – stay tuned! #NYCisUS

There’s so much of value in the world, and in the human experience, that is impossible to quantify. This is clear from every interaction we have with our neighbors: Who could possibly put a dollar figure on a smile, a history we can laugh about together, the spark in our eyes when we come to a shared realization. Of course, measurement and data are crucial for building programs that make a difference, for collectively understanding how we’re performing and then finding ways to improve. But in our hyper-rational, increasingly inhumane era, it’s rare to hear leaders observe that human connection can create unquantifiable and yet deeply necessary value. In that context, MacKenzie Scott’s recent Yield Giving essay on this topic feels revelatory. She writes: "The potential of peaceful, non-transactional contribution has long been underestimated, often on the basis that it is not financially self-sustaining, or that some of its benefits are hard to track. But what if these imagined liabilities are actually assets? What if these so-called weaknesses foster the strengths upon which the thriving (or even survival) of our civilization depends? What if the fact that some of our organizations are vulnerable can itself be a powerful engine for our generosity? What if acts of service that we can feel but can’t always measure expand our capacity for connection and trust?" Indeed. What if? We encourage you to read the whole thing at https://lnkd.in/eaj4X7XS

New York City’s nonprofit sector is more than charity. It’s an essential part of the city’s infrastructure and economy. Collectively, nonprofits generate $78 billion annually and employ nearly one in five New Yorkers. At University Settlement, we serve more than 40,000 New Yorkers each year across Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn through early childhood education, mental health support, housing assistance, adult English classes, creative programs, and more. We’re proud to be part of #TheHeartofNY, a campaign from our partners at Trinity Church NYC that shines a light on the scale and importance of nonprofit work and calls for fair, reliable support so this work can continue. If you value a thriving, resilient New York, we encourage you to learn more and share this campaign: to learn more, visit theheartofnewyork.org #TheHeartofNY #NYCisUS

We’re proud to share what happens when hospitals harness the healing power of the arts! 🎨 On Wednesday, we celebrated the opening of “Inside the Hospital Artist-in-Residence Program: Creative Care in Action,” a new exhibition featuring artwork from The Creative Center at University Settlement’s hospital artist-in-residence program across six public hospitals. The residencies were part of a collaboration with NYC Health + Hospitals’s Arts in Medicine team, created to support staff through accessible, hands-on artmaking. For more than 25 years, The Creative Center has trained artists to work in healthcare settings, using the arts to enhance quality of life and reduce isolation. This program extended that work to hospital staff, recognizing that caregivers need care, too. Across the program, more than 6,300 hospital workers participated, and 40 interdisciplinary teams created beautiful pieces that now brighten patient areas, staff lounges, and hallways. We’re deeply grateful to the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund for funding the residency program and exhibition – and to everyone who joined us in celebration! #NYCisUS

Our team joined advocates, policymakers, and neighbors at the 2025 State of NYC Women Conference, hosted by Women Creating Change! Last week, Barbara DiGangi (Director of Community Wellness Initiatives), Melissa Martinez (Business Manager, Families Thriving), Emma Kossoy (Grants Officer, Development), Kyungsoo Kang (Grants Contract Administrator, Development), and Melissa Aase (Chief Executive Officer) joined hundreds of city leaders focused on advancing gender equity across sectors. Together, they heard from leading advocates for maternal health, economic justice, and political participation. The event was a great chance to learn from some of the women who are reshaping systems that have long failed too many New Yorkers. The conference emphasized how community-based solutions, especially those led by women of color, are often underfunded despite being the most effective. Speakers like Sideya Sherman (NYC Chief Equity Officer and Commissioner) and Liuba Grechen Shirley (Founder/CEO, Vote Mama Foundation) highlighted the power of local leadership and the urgency of sustained investment. Our staff reflected on what this means for the families we serve every day, and how we can push for better policies and deeper support. We’re committed to putting these lessons into action across our programs. #NYCisUS

Our internship program is back in action! 🎓 Every year, University Settlement welcomes more than two dozen interns from all the NYC graduate schools of social work to work and learn alongside our teams. In September, we got the whole cohort together for training and community-building in September. Our newEarly Head Start interns were asked to create a billboard illustrating the goals and impacts of their program – and they came up with this amazing sign! Interns bring meaningful insights and fresh energy into our programs; their ideas often shift how we think about community engagement and program delivery. Working with interns also often gives our staff the chance to pause, reflect, and revisit the “why” behind our work. Everyone involved walks away having learned something valuable. Thank you to our interns for the knowledge, perspective, and care you bring to our communities! #NYCisUS