Lutheran Social Services of New York

"I always wanted to be a superhero, but I chose the next best thing. A social worker."

Congratulations to Donovan Clemmons, Senior/High Risk Case Manager at our Bergen Street Residence!

He earned his Master of Social Work degree last week.

We recommended Donovan for the DMH one-year residency program at Hunter College. Thanks to our contract with DMH for our Bergen Street program, he was able to obtain a scholarship. Site Director Asma Aljahmi served as Donovan's field instructor and earned her Seminar in Field Instruction (SIFI) certification in the process.

Says Rachel Bleecker, LSSNY’s Executive Director for Residential Services, “They are both huge assets to LSSNY, to the social work field, and I simply couldn't be prouder!”

Read Donovan’s 2025 spotlight about his own personal superhero — his grandfather — and how, as a black male social worker, he’s particularly able to serve clients who had previously felt misunderstood and therefore disengaged.

https://lssny.org/social-work-superhero/

LSSNY provides trusted, community-rooted support that meets urgent needs and builds lasting change.

AMazing
LOving
STrong
Happy
SElfless
GRaceful
Stunning

What is the thread that unites these adjectives?

As you can see from the signage — mothers!

These are scenes from Our Sister’s Place, Lutheran Social Services of New York’s foster care residence for six expectant and young mothers and their babies. The women range in age from 17 to 21.

Our Sister’s Place provides professional therapeutic services, informal parenting guidance, a weekly cooking class, and financial literacy from a Fair Futures NYC coach. Each youth has a permanency goal. The first is to be reunited with a family member. The second is to acquire housing. When a program participant turns seventeen-and-a-half years old, they can apply for EPLA housing. Last year, two of the young women moved into their own apartments.

NYC Administration for Children's Services- ACS provides for entertainment excursions. Says Anita McCoy, Director of Our Sister’s Place, “Laughter is important for the trauma that we suppress. A lot of these young ladies come from trauma…and some is unthinkable. For some, it started when they were two or three years old. Some have been in other foster homes and lost sight of what love is.”

Rather than strive for what she calls “grandiose opportunities,” Anita’s approach is “very simple and very basic.” This can take the form of celebrating birthdays, and — in the case of Mother’s Day — celebrating motherhood.

Earlier this month, we held a Mother's Day brunch. “The day was filled with gratefulness and joy,” said Anita. “The youths enjoyed their time together with their children.”

We are grateful for LSSNY’s Dr. Diaon Clarke, LCSW-R, Director of Socio-Therapeutic Services, as well as her daughter. They raised money to provide gifts from Bath & Body Works. We supplemented this with Victoria's Secret gift certificates.

LSSNY provides trusted, community-rooted support that meets urgent needs and builds lasting change.

"To the world, you are a mother, but to your family, you are the world."—unknown author

On Mother’s Day, we recognized staff at our Non-Secure Detention Center.

Gift baskets included a plant, notepad, fluffy socks, mug and spoon, tea, and candle. A recipe for wellness and relaxation!

Our center provides residential care and case management for justice-involved youth.

At LSSNY, we provide trusted, community-rooted support that meets urgent needs and builds lasting change.

To all the mothers and mother figures — you are appreciated for all that you do.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Remember scrapbooks — the analog version of Pinterest where you curate and save your favorites?

Our Community House program participants created their own books, using stickers, scissors, and glue sticks. At this residence, along with providing case management services, we also provide interactive groups such as art therapy, cooking classes, gaming, and morning coffee.

Our residential program serves more than 500 individuals and consists of six residences in Brooklyn and the Bronx. We provide residential support, mental health and substance abuse counseling, job and vocational training, case management, peer support, and crisis intervention. Our shelter services assist approximately 1,500 additional individuals.

Green thumbs start young!

On Earth Day, children in our Early Life childhood education program did some planting.

The seed for our gardening initiative was planted years ago by a father in our program. He wanted his child's walk to school to include trees and pleasant scenery.

While we could not plant trees on New York City streets, we could create school gardens. We also wanted to find a way to help the families experiencing food insecurity due to COVID. We pursued and obtained a grant from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to provide an opportunity that would promote biodiversity, food security, quality nutrition, activity, and quality learning spaces through our school gardens.

With the additional support of Tierra Bruja, a self-described “landscape design firm that specializes in feeling the earth, not just seeing it,” we were able to design gardens geared deliberately and specifically to the needs of our children and communities.

The program is designed to help children in urban areas develop life skills. By caring for plants, they learn about responsibility. They also gain understanding as they learn about cause and effect, such as plant growth being thwarted by weeds and plants dying without water.

Growing fresh fruit and vegetables helps children expand their palates. Our teachers take this time to provide information about healthy eating. Children who participate in school gardens tend to have a better and healthier relationship with food thanks to increased fruit and vegetable consumption.

The gardens provide an ongoing platform for our teachers to create innovative learning experiences at each of our Early Life locations. Among the items being grown are tomatoes, squash, peppers, and lettuce.

Says Executive Director of Early Life Beatrice Hutcherson, MS. SpEd, “Each class is so proud of the progress!”

Our Early LIFE program provides early childhood education to over 500 students aged two to five in our childcare centers. We support a network of 98 home-based childcare providers, serving more than 900 children aged six weeks to three years.

Good attendance can elude any student, but it’s even more difficult for children who are experiencing home insecurity.

That’s why New York City Public Schools have Students in Temporary Housing (STH) community coordinator services. This role serves as a liaison to ensure that students in temporary housing get the support they need, including school selection and enrollment, transportation assistance, and referrals to city agency and community support.

At Lutheran Social Services of New York's Concord House residence, we held an event to recognize and celebrate students and families for strong attendance. We call these students our Attendance Superstars!

Laiza Blanco, M.Ed., STH Community Coordinator, told LSSNY, “Because of your partnership, we were able to create a positive and uplifting experience that reinforces the importance of attendance and community support. The impact of this event will continue to motivate our students moving forward.”

LSSNY serves more than 7,000 vulnerable New Yorkers, providing early childhood education, safe and affordable housing, hunger prevention, foster care, and immigration legal services.