“I want to make [the residents] feel welcome by making them comfortable—being on top of things and making sure their unit is good,” said Hulberto “Bert” Martinez, Building Operations Manager at Island Family Residence. “I feel like that gives them a little push so they can keep moving forward in their
“I always wanted to help people—that’s what I knew my career would be,” said Tiffany Diaz, Case Manager at Allie’s Place Family Residence. Tiffany joined HFH two years ago after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Iona College. She was referred by a family friend who thought the organization
Every summer, Shawn Thorns, Director of Camp Wakonda, tells his counselors the story of one of his former campers, Brandon, who participated in HFH Summer Camps during Thorns's first year as a General Counselor in 2005. "He had behavioral issues," Thorns said of Brandon, then eight-years-old. "They wanted to send him home, but
With her more than 26 years of experience working at HFH, Payroll Manager Desiree Sanabria has had ample opportunity to note changes in everything from payroll management software to the location of HFH’s physical office space. “When we were moving from 50 to 36, I found what I used to call my “bible,”
The first session of HFH Summer Camps 2019 begins on June 28, but camper recruitment efforts are already underway for the summer, when hundreds of New York City kids will enjoy a free sleepaway camp experience. Paola Rodriguez, Camp Registrar for HFH Summer Camps, is responsible for coordinating the team of Camp Recruiters
Every year, Rob Germosen, driver at Williamsbridge Family Residence, looks forward to socializing and celebrating with fellow staff and Williamsbridge residents at their annual holiday party. “I was with the cotton candy machine,” he recalls of the previous year’s event. That kind of enthusiastic participation is characteristic of Germosen’s welcoming presence at Williamsbridge.
As a teenager, Celina Rodriguez, Director of Family Services at Prospect Family Residence, experienced living in a homeless shelter with her single mother and four siblings. Now, she channels that experience into coordinating comprehensive support for homeless families seeking to secure permanent housing and financial stability. “It helps me to communicate with people
When Vivian Vera, Senior Accountant in the Homes for the Homeless (HFH) Finance office, applied for college, her grandfather suggested that she study accounting. “My mom was the only one who supported us, so my grandfather was like a father in my life.” She took his advice, and the rest is history. Born
Javier Marin, a maintenance worker at Saratoga, has been working hard since the age of 14. His outstanding work ethic continues to attract notice at Homes for the Homeless (HFH). Marin has lived in Queens for 18 years. Born and raised in Colombia, he moved to the United States in his early 30s.
Dorothea Nixon, Director of Prospect Family Support Center, credits her success to a strong support system growing up. Now, she’s trying to build that same support system for others. Nixon was born into a family of 5 on Long Island. They bounced from town to town, experiencing intermittent bouts of homelessness, but one thing
