Sheltering Arms, one of the cities largest and well known non-profits, will be closing according to news reports. The non-profit was one of main employers of case managers and case aids in the city.
Sheltering Arms was one of the many non-profits that were contracted by the city of NYC to deal with homeless, youth homeless, drug addiction and a host of other social service problems.
According to new reports, the troubled non-profit’s time has come due to a collection of problems. What started as a program many years ago is comming to a close.
The cities budget for welfare and non-profits runs into the hundreds of millions on a routine year, with recent years have billion dollar expenditures.
With the tax base fleeing the city, and corporate work leaving the city for remote locations, more and more non-profits and welfare institutions will be feeling the crunch.
What Sort of Work Was Found Through Sheltering Arms
The majority of the jobs posted online and staffed through large city staffing agencies were case management type roles and child care roles.
The pay was low, and the work oftentimes unpleasant: work in shelters often is at the bottom of the social service ladder- dangerous, low pay, and bad hours.
There were also some unfortunate events involving Sheltering Arms.
Other incidents included caregivers who allegedly assaulted disabled youth.
Group Homes and Shelters are routinely the place of violence. And so it was no surprise that the news reported events at Sheltering Arms facilities like this.
And many communities have felt the sting that comes from having poorly run facilities in their environment. Similar cases such as the escape and scandal at a Queens Sheltering Arms unit.
The news comes as a surprise in the social service world as many case aids, direct care workers, and formerly homeless who are new jobseekers were shocked to see that Sheltering Arms will no longer be hiring them.
Sheltering Arms was one of the main employers for recently graduated G.E.D and back to work sectors in the city. Many homeless and drug addicted individuals benefited their programs.
Like other city funded programs and projects such as The Doe Fund, Project Renewal, Jericho, and other projects and programs, people without college degrees, or who went to online schools could find work.
Many in the NYC charter school system, having not achieved the grades to enter into college could build a resume working at one of the cites welfare based non-profits. Youth Care Aids and Case Aids would learn life skills and help watch other adults who were cared for by the city.
Sheltering Arms was a major employer for people who lacked professional skills. Indiviaudls who came from poor academic enviroments, and did not have ptofessioanl experiecne were able to hone their skills in department ranging from Human Resourses to Social Welfare units and then transtiion into major institutons such as City Hospitals.
With one less program out there, it lessens the government paid jobs that are available in the city.
Nothing New For Sheltering Arms Closure
The writing has been on the wall for some time for Sheltering Arms. The non-profit, which is known in welfare circles as a prominent employer of the underemployed class as well as a aid to them, has been for some time a topic of talk in welfare management circles.
Recent article have suggested that the time was fast approaching when Sheltering Arms would have to turn off the lights.
The good news for the homeless and youth of NYC is that there are many other non-profits to fill the void.
Billions in funding is being appropriated every year for Non-Profits. However, a keen eye from watchdogs is needed.
With the news of last year involving BRC and ICL, more public attention is going to be given to non-profits.
Homeless and immigrants who come to NYC for help are not served with waste—so it is disheartening to see stories such as the recent scandal involving ICL in the news.
With many people questioning how the gap will be filled now that one of the more infamous non-profits has folded, some are turning to private landlords and other non-profits.
Many landlords who are building real estate projects in the city have become excited by Mayor Adams incentives to turn residential buildings into daycare centers - provding tax incentives for landlords to house city paid for daycare centers.
Advocates are pleased with the cities increased efforts to improve services for the non-working members of the city. Many adults who are out of work have a hard time finding child support for their childern.
While the city subsides childcare and pays for all childern whose parents are on a benefits program, there is still the issue with finding the locations.
Many facilites are run out of government ownded buildings, or in private homes of pelple living in government housing (NYCHA or other supportive housing networks). However, this is still not enough.
Non-profits like Sheltering Arms and other organizations such as Praxis are meant to be a stop gap. Even though the support at these organizations is not well recieved and there is often poor management, its a net plus.
For non-working adults, it is tough to find daycare. So, private landlords are now incentivived to build day cars. Not only will the city pay daycare workers to watch childern, but real estate developers will now start to build daycare facilites into all of their buildings to benefit from attractive tax incentives.
This is the mayots latest attempt to salvage the city. After serious blunders, such as Mayor Adams comments on Work From Home employees and calling for an end to remote work, the mayor seems to have taken a more holistic approach to revitalizing the city.
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