NYCT AR2009_final.pdf - The New York Community Trust

family. It’s dangerous and the kids are
growing up with no chance to become
human beings. The frustration, the stress,
and the violence in the families are a big
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problem. There is no future for them, and
so they come here to apply for food
stamps or find housing.” Jose Javier
Bosque is the executive director of the
Southside Community Mission and this
is how he describes what’s going on in
south Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Trust program officers had met with staff
at the Mental Health Association (MHA)
and told them about the eight safety-net
agencies we had funded; the Association
proposed a program to help them. So
Javier was relieved when MHA, with a
grant from The Trust, offered to train him
also having meetings very frequently now
as staff so we can nip problems in the
bud, and make sure we are making time
for communication.”
“From Crisis to Collaboration”
Over the last year, The Trust has brought
together the eight safety-net agencies and
four nonprofit management consulting
firms to learn from each other’s
experiences. They have done more than
that. They now know each other and are
working cooperatively, referring clients,
offering services, and sharing expertise.
and his staff to recognize symptoms of
mental distress and how to deal with
them. “I have never gone to a workshop
that was so well prepared. We learned how
we could cope better with our clients, to
keep them calm. We also learned to
understand our own frustration, because
we are also affected by what’s going on. It’s
not easy, but I feel privileged to be in this
position. The MHA program taught me
how to try a different approach and deal
with someone in a different way. We are
Chaumtoli Huq, litigation director of
Manhattan Legal Services, puts it neatly:
“We’ve gone from crisis to collaboration.”
New York still has a long way to go but,
like Appreciative Inquiry practitioners,
The Trust celebrates our grantees
accomplishments, and we are grateful that
we can support their work. With the
generosity of our donors, a dedicated
board, and expert staff, we will continue
to fund nonprofits that make a difference.