Helping families in New York City

Photo: © Good Shepherd Services

Good Shepherd Services (GSS) provides services to children, youth and families in New York City. Today, GSS manages over 80 programmes that provide support to more than 30,500 people a year. Its programmes help keep more families united, support young people to graduate from high school and college, and enable people from all backgrounds to accomplish their goals.

GSS runs networks of community-based educational support, justice diversion and family counselling programmes in Brooklyn and the Bronx. These provide: family foster care; residential programmes for youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems; supportive housing for homeless young adults; and numerous after school programmes and community centres.

Leading the work of GSS as executive director for the last 38 years is Sr Paulette LoMonaco, who is planning to eventually retire. Determined to secure the long-term sustainability of the organisation, Sr Paulette is working to double its current resources to guarantee the continuation of its direct services and programmes when she steps down.

“I recognise that eventually I will need to move on from my current role, although what I would really like to do is ultimately to continue to give advice and help with the fundraising aspects of GSS.”

– Sr Paulette, executive director of Good Shepherd Services.

And she is aiming high – if she achieves her fundraising target, GSS will be able to reach an additional 10,000 people a year over the next five years.

Oak is proud to announce a USD 10 million grant which will help Sr Paulette achieve her goal. The grant will contribute to the organisation’s endowment to secure greater long- term stability and it will support the daily operations of the Prince Joshua Avitto Community Center in East New York, in one of the city’s most under-resourced neighbourhoods. This grant falls under Oak Foundation’s Special Interest Programme which cover a wide range of fields, including health, humanitarian relief, education and the arts. Find out more here.

Watch the video in which Sr Paulette Lomonaco, the Executive Director of Good Sheperd Services is presenting the organisation and its work:

You can also find out more about the Good Shepherd’s Services programming at the P.J. Avitto Community Center on Prince Joshua Avitto Way, where children in East New York have the opportunity to receive free violin lessons on Saturdays.

• Watch the video
• Read the article

Source: Oak Foundation Annual Report 2018