C
The Magazine of Community Access
Romie Grant and the Power of Community Building With Purpose Talking Harm Reduction – A Core Value
SPRING/SUMMER 2021
WELCOME Dear Friends, I hope that you are doing well and taking care of yourselves and loved ones during these challenging times. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it much disruption, fear and uncertainty, social isolation, daily challenges for parents and children, as well as profound loss and grief for too many. We certainly hope that 2021 will bring us closer to better days. We have all been impacted in different ways, but one thing is clear: this pandemic is not color-blind. Black and Latinx New Yorkers have experienced the highest rates of COVID cases, hospitalizations, and mortality, as well as job loss and missed time in school. People who are marginalized, people without stable homes or incomes, and those living with chronic health conditions and other disabilities are more vulnerable to experiencing severe impact from this public health and economic crisis — and that is why Community Access’ work is more important now than ever before. While Community Access has always stood for human rights, the vital task of centering racial equity in our work – work that is largely necessary because of the effects of structural racism – has never been clearer. Present and historic racism undergirds much of the police brutality we are combating in the city’s mental health crisis response system, just as it runs through the housing and health care systems that negatively impact our participants. Community Access is committed to doing both the internal and external work to move a racial equity agenda forward and institutionalize anti-racism as a core value. This commitment includes the allocation of organizational resources to this effort and transparency as we move forward. White people, and particularly white leaders like myself, have much to learn and do to be more effective racial justice allies and actors. Grappling with the pandemic has, above all, affirmed what those of us who provide supportive housing have long known: housing is healthcare and necessary for individual well-being. One cannot self-isolate if one does not have a home.
As thousands of New Yorkers continue to experience the destabilizing effects of this public health and economic crisis, access to supportive and affordable housing is more important than ever before. Community Access remains dedicated to building more housing and – as you will read in the stories we share in this magazine – to providing education, social services, and many more supports that help people pursue their dreams and reclaim their lives. We can’t do this vital work without the support and partnership of people like you. I feel enormous gratitude for our generous funders and donors, and for the sustained and courageous efforts of the 350 staff at Community Access who show up every day to fulfill our mission — from keeping the lights on, to sourcing and distributing PPE and other supplies, to working on the frontlines in support of tenants and participants. Though this has been a challenging and at times heartbreaking year, it has only strengthened our resolve, and I am extremely proud of what our community has accomplished. Warmly,
Cal Hedigan
Chief Executive Officer
MILESTONES
ANY TIME THAT SOMEONE MOVES OUT OF THE SHELTER SYSTEM AND INTO PERMANENT HOUSING IS A VICTORY FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 makes such moves even more critical. That’s why it was a really big deal for us to open our newest supportive housing program on Bruckner Boulevard in the Bronx. At the height of NYC lockdown, we started moving individuals and families with children out of shelters and into homes of their own. We put a lot of care into making this a welcoming place for 215 households: tenant multi-purpose rooms, computer lab, exercise room and outdoor exercise equipment, raised planting beds, basketball court, commercial kitchen, and doubleheight lounges on upper floors are just some of the features. This is also the first time ever we’re providing social services for families with children coming out of shelters, with family and youth advocates helping to connect tenants with after-school programs and other youth-facing supports, family and education resources, and more.
COMMUNITY ACCESS’ FRONTLINE WORKERS ARE REAL HEROES — ADAPTING AND FINDING CREATIVE WAYS TO SUPPORT 3,500 TENANTS AND PARTICIPANTS THROUGH THIS PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS. Staff across the agency increased the frequency of check-ins with everyone, particularly those most vulnerable to severe impact from COVID-19, making sure that people have what they need — whether it be access to food programs and fresh produce, essential supplies such as masks, tools and supports to help people cope with isolation, assistance navigating telehealth supports, or connection to evolving city pandemic resources.
Our Changing Minds Young Filmmaker project has grown to include “Film Fridays” on YouTube (www.communityaccess. org/youtube) and Instagram (@ communityaccessinc). We’re proud to SHOWCASE THOUGHTPROVOKING, EXTRAORINDARY FILMS BY YOUNG PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH MESSAGES THAT REALLY RESONATE WITH WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD — AND WE’RE CONTINUING TO REACH NEW AND BIGGER AUDIENCES. One such film is The Colored Hospital by Terrence Daye. “By addressing the pain that a lot of Black Americans live with on a daily basis,” Terrance said, “I hope my film helps to bring some healing and some hope.”
Gardening and urban farming in full swing, thanks to community food coordinator Ana Morán Doctors Without Borders visits Community Access Community Residences to discuss best practices
Our social media call for support rallied caring neighbors across the U.S.
Cloth masks sewn and donated by Met Museum staff
TIME magazine’s “America Must Change” issue, features Community Access’ advocacy work
Community Access breaks ground on new River Avenue housing development Facilities manager Bob Shary delivers a sewing machine for staff and tenants making masks
New Bruckner tenant, Thaddeus, enjoying the backyard and some Namaste Our new 215-unit building on Bruckner Boulevard in the Bronx
In loving memory of Community Access tenants and participants who passed away from COVID-19 illness
Univision news interviews service coordinator Scarlet González
Bruckner tenant, Shirley, at home in a new apartment
Our Art Collective (@artcollectivenyc) makes headlines in the New York Times
800+ cell phones purchased for tenants and participants all over town
Our mobile teams delivering groceries and hygiene supplies to people living on the streets and in shelters
BUILDING
WITH PURPOSE Jorge Madruga and Eli Weiss met more than sixteen years ago. Together, they’ve developed some of New York City’s finest properties: commercial, residential, affordable. Above all, they want to leave neighborhoods better, stronger, and more vibrant than they found them. Now, for the first time, they are full partners in developing a new supportive housing building.
li Weiss, of Joy Construction, and Jorge Madruga, of Maddd Equities LLC, are talented developers, known for their work on Hudson Yards, Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital, and other magnificent projects. But what really sets them apart is their desire to make a difference. Joy and Maddd are key partners in a new Community Access building in development on River Avenue in the Bronx, which will provide 245 units of supportive and affordable housing for New Yorkers in need. “I want to be able to look back and know we helped a neighborhood,” Weiss says. “Providing supportive housing is the right thing to do — now more than ever.” Madruga, who left his native Cuba for the United States during the 1980 Mariel boatlift, echoes this sentiment. “I am humbled at the opportunity to provide housing for people in need,” he says, “and to collaborate with Community Access which will provide ongoing services and supports to River Avenue tenants.”
While both men have experience developing affordable housing, this partnership represents a new chapter: River Avenue will be the first building they co-develop that includes ongoing, on-site social services. “The best part of this whole experience has been getting to know Community Access, an organization with the experience, history, and know-how to provide these services,” Weiss says. “Community Access is the real deal: missionbased, professional, and effective.” Our building is one of a pair that Joy and Maddd Equities are developing in the neighborhood: a $300 million investment altogether, which will result in hundreds of construction jobs, 100,000 square-feet of newly developed commercial space, and 750 affordable apartments. “This is what happens when the private, public, and nonprofit sectors work together for the common good,” Weiss says. “We hope to do more projects with Community Access in the future.”
Romie Grant and the Power of Community By Billy Glidden
When Romie Grant started working at Community Access as a maintenance worker, he had no idea how his life was about to change. Twenty-three years later, he leads our IT department, is a much loved member of our community, and one of Community Access’ greatest ambassadors. His journey – including some unexpected healing – is a testament to the power of community.
When new employees start at Community Access, Romie Grant is one of the first people they meet. During orientation, he shares the ins and outs of the agency’s IT setup, and if someone needs help, he says, he’ll be there: just put in a service ticket. He ends on a personal note. “You’re joining an organization where everyone’s like family,” he says. “That’s why I’ve been here so long.” As I spent time with Romie learning about his journey from 1997 to now, I understood that I was in the presence of someone with an uncommon ability to make people feel valued. He was, after all, taking the time to connect with me. I also understood that Romie’s heart and commitment to justice have made Community Access a better place. I asked him: How did this all happen?
* It started with a phone call. Age twentyfour and living in a Bronx apartment with his girlfriend and three young kids, Romie needed a job. His girlfriend’s brother, Lenny, had an idea. “Lenny had a cleaning business called ‘Benjamin Floors & More,’” Romie says, “and he offered me work as a cleaner.” Lenny lived in Community Access housing, and Benjamin Floors & More was a participant-operated business that Community Access was incubating. It provided cleaning services for the agency, and gave Romie his first job.
“I first remember seeing Romie around the main office,” says Karen Rosenthal, Community Access’ director of training. “He was always talking to everybody. And really listening. He’s always had a vision of this place as a community, not just a job.” When Benjamin Floors & More’s contract ended, Romie joined the Community Access staff in its operations department. A few years later, he was offered a job on the IT help desk. When I asked Romie what he knew about computers back then, he laughed. The short answer: Hardly anything. “I learned as I went,” he said. Romie with his dad, Jerome Wilson
With his wife, Crystal, and son, Kenji
It might seem unusual to ask someone with zero tech experience to work as an IT administrator. But from its inception Community Access has aspired to be a different kind of agency, one that takes creative risks and places its bet on human potential. Even though Romie lacked formal training, he had shown himself to be a hard worker with a willingness to learn and a gift for putting people at ease. (As anyone who’s had computer troubles knows: this kind of reassurance goes a long way.)
our network of support.” And over the last year, as the COVID-19 pandemic spread and life as we knew it was so altered, Romie has been there to lift colleagues’ spirits and keep our tech infrastructure afloat – prepping teams to use Zoom and AnyMeeting and helping to troubleshoot the issues that have come with working in unfamiliar ways. Romie is a moral force in another way, too. In the winter of 2014, when a grand jury declined to indict the officer involved in the death of Eric Garner, Romie helped give voice to the pain felt by so many of his colleagues. “People at Community Access were talking about these things individually,” he says, “but I wanted to make sure we responded collectively.” More recently, as the killing of George Floyd sparked outrage and protests around the country, Romie organized an agency-wide community forum over Zoom, giving people the space to share their grief and anger, and their plans for taking action. In
Soon Romie realized that he had found his professional home. He learned a lot about computers. He took on more responsibility. At times, he was the only IT employee, going above and beyond to keep things running smoothly – thinking ahead, strategizing, looking after his colleagues’ needs. He shone in so many other ways, too: speaking at fundraising events, working as the deejay at Community Access gatherings, and building meaningful relationships with colleagues, tenants, and program participants. “Romie is someone we can all depend on for true caring, understanding, and support,” says Community Access’ director of housing Jerry Jennings, who has worked with Romie for almost 20 years. “He really sees each and every one of us, and the effect it has on others – that indescribable genuineness – is immeasurable.” Jerry is right. During times of hardship, many people turn to Romie for comfort and inspiration. “At times when we’ve struggled with particular losses,” says Cal Hedigan, CEO, “as much loved members of our community have passed away, Romie can be counted on to strengthen
At Community Access’ Good Neighbor Gala
doing so, Romie helped create space for a much needed conversation about racial justice, and helped others to share their experiences. “Romie is invested in everybody,” Rosenthal says. “When you’re having a bad day, he notices. He’s the heart of Community Access.” Even so, Romie is quick to give credit elsewhere. He created a second family here. “Community Access is a place where you get a second chance,” he says, “where if you want to figure something out, this is the place to be.”
*
There was something Romie wanted to figure out: his relationship with his father. It’s a story he’s shared many times over the years: how Community Access supported him in restoring his relationship with his father. He shares it because it speaks to his vision of Community Access as a place where you can bring your whole self through the door, struggles and all, and find support.
“Tears fell. He looked around, and saw that everyone else was standing, too.”
“My dad wasn’t too involved in my life growing up,” he says. Romie’s father, Jerome Wilson, had gotten caught up in a life that didn’t have much space for children. For years he struggled with mental health concerns and substance use. Romie has some good memories of his father from childhood – watching him blast Barry White records while banging on pots and pans is a favorite – but those memories, he says, “are few and far between.” But there are new memories now, and they mean everything to Romie. One day, when his father showed up at Romie’s apartment, seeking money, Romie told him he had another idea. He told him about Community Access’ Howie the Harp job training program, for people with experience in the mental health system. Everything his dad had been through – incarceration, mental health struggles, addiction – could become useful, to himself and others. To Romie’s amazement, his father decided to go for it. That day, the father and son started walking toward a better future together. October 26, 2006 was a day Romie will never forget: the day his father graduated from the Howie the Harp Peer Specialist program. When he heard his father’s name called, Romie stood and applauded. Tears fell. He looked around and saw that everyone else was standing, too. “That standing ovation was the loudest roar my father ever received in his life,” he says.
Within the next few years, Jerome Wilson was diagnosed with cancer. He died on Christmas Eve, 2013. But not before he fulfilled one final promise: he made it to Romie’s wedding, held in the summer of 2013.
* “My Community Access family has helped paint a picture that will be forever framed in my heart,” Romie says. “Whether we are providing services or receiving them, we’re all one family tackling the stigma of mental health and making this world equal for all.” Romie’s own family continues to grow. He and his wife Crystal welcomed a son, Kenji, in 2017. The same goes for his Community Access family. When new employees start they are joining an organization that bears Romie’s indelible imprint, and he is there at orientation to welcome them. How did this all happen? It happened because of the person Romie is. A door opened, and he stepped through, and he brought the gift of his whole self to his work and our community. We’re all better for it.
“My Community Access family has helped paint a picture that will be forever framed in my heart. Whether we are providing services or receiving them, we are all one family tackling the stigma of mental health and making this world equal for all.”
TALKING HARM REDUCTION Emphasizing respect for human autonomy, harm reduction is an ethical approach to service provision and a public health alternative to the criminal justice system.
H
Harm reduction is central to how Community Access does it’s work, and one of our core values. But what does it really amount to in practice — and why is it such a big deal? Meet a group of tenants, participants, and staff to find out…
Q: So what is harm reduction? Jack: It’s about sharing life experiences more openly
and honestly, in a way that makes safer choices easier to make. It’s working with people, instead of pushing them away.
Lauren: Right. It’s also an understanding that everyone is different. Abstinence-based programs, for example, don’t work for everybody.
Bruce: It makes me think of prohibition, which had so many unintended consequences. People are gonna do what they’re gonna do, so try to support them in a way that keeps them alive and healthy — and with a roof over their head.
Q: Is harm reduction something that a lot of people know about? Cal: Maybe within behavioral health, people who were
very abstinence-only are opening their minds a little bit to harm reduction. In the wider world, though, it can still be like you’re speaking a different language.
Melissa: The concept was originally created for people that use drugs, by people who use drugs. But people practice harm reduction every day without even realizing it.
Ana: Exactly. It’s often something we do naturally without putting a label on it.
Melissa: Like when you get in a car
and put a seatbelt on. You’re reducing the harm that you would face in the event of a crash.
Q: How does Community Access incorporate harm reduction in its work? Cal: We ask: How can we approach
things with a perspective of curiosity and without judgment? Rather than being five steps ahead of people, wanting or expecting behavior change.
Top row, l to r: Shamika Brooks (participant); Mario Moore, Jack Horowitz (tenants); Ana Morán (community food coordinator); Cal Hedigan (CEO); Bruce Dillon (tenant). Bottom row, l to r: Melissa Toonkel (harm reduction specialist); Jaileen Rivera (senior service coordinator); Lauren Stander (resource consultant).
Shamika: I’ve been in other mental health programs where it felt like no one ever believed in me, no one paid any attention to me. They were really cookie-cutter — and that can be traumatizing.
Shamika: That safe environment and that kind of trust
builds confidence — like a new world of possibilities starts to open up.
Q: We’re talking about building a harm reduction Ana: We try to engage people so they can get to where they culture, then? want to be, based on their own interests.
Mario: It works for me. I’m a social person, and I feel like
Melissa: Totally. Harm reduction goes beyond the scope of mental health and substance use. It can be a way of life.
good things happen when we all get to know each other.
Q: Why is harm reduction a good thing? Jaileen: It builds trust and community, because it’s more accepting. It’s meeting people where they’re at.
Ana: Everyone’s on their own journey. Maybe they’ve
experienced trauma. Just saying to someone, “Stop, this is harmful for you,” can be very dangerous. I try to think more about asking questions, and taking the time to form real connections — so people have more ways to get what they need and deserve.
Jack: That makes me think of work I used to do in the 80s,
“How can we approach things with a perspective of curiosity and without judgment?”
in a shelter for homeless women. If we had harm reduction, a lot of lives would have been better. Back then, it was just like, “Oh, you’re a crack addict,” and you were pushed away.
Ana: It’s about open conversations — and being a place
Bruce: Still now, high rates of incarceration are associated
reduction can be. Everything from cultural competency, to a Hearing Voices group, to safe sex events. We all have our own thing that we bring to the table.
with substance use.
Jaileen: Here, we try to build relationships. That means
empathy, acknowledging the pain caused by racism, respect. It’s more personal.
Mario: I see that as a tenant. It creates an environment where if you have issues you can go to your service coordinator, and they will hear you out.
Jack: Same here. In my building, I feel very comfortable speaking to Jaileen and Melissa.
“People practice harm reduction every day without even realizing it.”
where that can happen.
Jaileen: We really take advantage of how broad harm
Lauren: That’s something that Community Access does
really well; our focus on activities and groups as a way of engaging people.
Jaileen: And part of that is staff looking out for each other. This job is hard sometimes, and you need to be okay in order to be okay for everyone else.
Melissa: When I came to my Community Access job
interview, I didn’t have to pretend. I was able to be the person that I am. I can’t think of any other agency on the planet that’s like, “Okay, you might have done that thing, but let’s see what you’re made of.”
“The “war on drugs” in this country is used to justify violence against Black people, and leads to mass incarceration.”
BLUEPRINT
MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES CAN MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO PURSUE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES — AND THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 HAS ONLY MADE IT HARDER.
MYUNG WHAT IS BLUEPRINT HELPING YOU TO DO? I’m working on getting a Masters in Social Work. WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS? I lived in Seoul, in South Korea, until I was 21. Now I’d like to support the Korean community, which often has a stigma around mental health.
OUR PIONEERING BLUEPRINT SUPPORTED EDUCATION PROGRAM COLLABORATES WITH PARTICIPANTS AS THEY BUILD SKILLS AND NAVIGATE OBSTACLES IN THE PURSUIT OF EDUCATION GOALS. OVER THE LAST YEAR, CHECK-INS AND MEETINGS BETWEEN BLUEPRINT STAFF AND PARTICIPANTS HAVE INCREASED TO KEEP PACE WITH THE NEW DEMANDS OF CAMPUS AND PROGRAM CLOSURES, AND REMOTE LEARNING. WE’VE HELPED STUDENTS TO NAVIGATE NEW ROUTINES AND IDENTIFY STRATEGIES AND RESOURCES THAT MAKE ONLINE STUDY FEASIBLE — WE CONTINUE TO HOST DAILY MORNING STUDY SESSIONS VIA ZOOM, AND OFFER SPECIALIZED GROUPS TO ADDRESS LEARNING CHALLENGES. HERE ARE SOME BLUEPRINT PARTICIPANTS TO TELL US MORE…
WHAT MAKES BLUEPRINT SPECIAL? Their door is always open — even when that can’t be in-person.
DIANA
STEPHEN WHAT IS BLUEPRINT HELPING YOU TO DO? They’re really big on coping skills for school and helping me structure how I do things — sometimes I get overwhelmed and beat up on myself. WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS? I’m getting an Associate Degree in Business Administration, and I’d like to become a financial advisor. I’ve had my behind kicked by life enough… now I want to know everything I can about my own finances, and help other people too. WHAT MAKES BLUEPRINT SPECIAL? Fortunately, my degree was already fully online but, still, dealing with coronavirus has been such a big adjustment for everyone. Encouragement from Blueprint has helped me to stay positive.
KARYN
WHAT IS BLUEPRINT HELPING YOU TO DO? Two years ago, my head was cloudy with medication and I just couldn’t think straight. I got sick, laid off, and was reliving a traumatic experience. Blueprint helped me to work on a wellness plan and, now that I’m back at school, they help me to keep on track with my studies. WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS? Finishing my Master of Science degree: Disability Studies for higher education. I was teaching before, and I’d like to teach again. WHAT MAKES BLUEPRINT SPECIAL? Oh man, it’s so special! During my second semester I tested positive for COVID-19 — it was a really rough time, and I was having trouble breathing. Blueprint gave me confidence and helped me to complete my class. I feel like I’m connected, and that’s invaluable.
WHAT IS BLUEPRINT HELPING YOU TO DO? On the technical side: routines, schedules, notetaking, follow-ups, and follow-throughs. More than this, though, Blueprint is helping me to take care of my mental health. I’ve struggled with feeling isolated, but now I’m reconnecting with myself and others — my peers. WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS? Two things: Spanish as a second language, and getting a commercial driver’s license. WHAT MAKES BLUEPRINT SPECIAL? Some of the simplest of things are no longer as simple. But Blueprint helps to make things easier. They help me to problem-solve, figure things out.
JASON WHAT IS BLUEPRINT HELPING YOU TO DO? Accessing financial aid, transferring credits, working with the disability office. Getting into college, basically, and dealing with all the things that come with that. WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS? I hope to get into Columbia University’s doctoral program, and then be a college history professor. WHAT MAKES BLUEPRINT SPECIAL? Now that I’m over 50, and in a bad economy, I’m worried about age discrimination. But Blueprint is helping me to get an actual career — not just a minimum wage job, which is hard to live on.
PHYLL WHAT IS BLUEPRINT HELPING YOU TO DO? Getting my high school diploma. Because of a traumatic brain injury, I can’t learn math in the conventional way, but turning math problems into stories does work. WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS? Peer work — helping others — is so important to me. Ultimately, I’d like to take classes at Howie the Harp and become a certified peer specialist. WHAT MAKES BLUEPRINT SPECIAL? I’ve suffered through a lot of abuse in my life, and I’ve been diagnosed with PTSD. I’m so grateful to everyone at Blueprint for being so kind, caring, and compassionate — especially now given that me and technology don’t always get along.
Welcome to Bruckner Blvd. In the height of lockdown in NYC, Community Access completed construction of our newest supportive housing building and started moving individuals and families with children out of the shelter system.
HOME TO 215 HOUSEHOLDS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Stephen H. Chase, President; Dan Wurtzel, Vice President; Ramesh Shah, Treasurer; Mary Massimo, Ph.D., Secretary Mary D’Souza, Martha Dabagian, Theodore Francavilla, Laura Gould, LCSW, Dr. Cynthia B. Green, Diane Louard-Michel, Barbara Malatesta, Adil Nathani, Catherine Patsos, Bradley Soto, Jose Vazquez, Stategic Advisors: Anastasia Vournas, David Kuperberg Trustees: John Turturro, Chair, Jeremy Greenberg, Sally Haver, Mark Reed, David Segura, Andrew Smith, Ariel Stillman, Rana and Matthew Strazza
www.communityaccess.org Community Access Senior Management: Cal Hedigan, Chief Executive Officer • Michelle Des Roches, Chief Program Officer • Christopher Lacovara, Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel • John Williams, Chief Development and Communications Officer • Morenike Williams, Chief People Officer C Magazine Credits: Editor: Jon Curtis, Director of Communications • Copy Editor: Billy Glidden, Senior Communications Associate Design: JJKO Design • Featured Photography: Sean Sime and Carlos Alayo • Blueprint Illustrations: Animesh Giri