The Morris Heights community is unifying to strengthen the neighborhood and help spread awareness of all the resources available.
On Tuesday, May 19, the Services for the Underserved (SUS), a nonprofit organization that provides housing and support for persons with special needs, partnered with Community Board 5 to hold the Morris Heights Community Day.
“We are coming into this community to show we are here as a resource and the scope of services we have available for the community,” said Judith Jackson, chief-of-staff for SUS.
Residents had the opportunity to visit St. Francis of Assisi, located 1544 Shakespeare Avenue, to speak with representatives or pick up information packets from the Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, Department of Labor, Con Edison, Department of Parks & Recreation, Per Scholas, New York Police Department, the Fire Department of New York, the Public Library, American Cancer Society, Social Security Office, the Safe Child Program, and SUS.
SUS held pre-screening job interviews for available positions within their network and free health screenings for community members.
Visitors who were eligible could sign up for the Access to Home Program, a free service that modifies homes to better suit the needs of the physically disabled.
“It is important for the community to see that SUS is a positive thing that will service the community,” said Bernice Williams, chair of the human services committee of CB5. “They are about working within and helping the community and also persons with special needs.”
The collaboration between CB5 and SUS is the result of a project by SUS that will introduce a 48-unit apartment building to serve the mentally ill on Macombs Road.
“Over the past five years we have been working with the community to get to the point where we can work together through developing a trust and a relationship,” said Jackson. “This is a commitment we made very early on and one we intend to keep.”
