The Gramercy Park Block Association’s relationship with Nazareth Housing began with a question. Arlene Harrison contacted Council Member Rosie Mendez to ask where neighborhood donations could do the most good. The answer connected Gramercy’s residents with an organization working with families experiencing housing insecurity.
The November 2013 account describes two vans of donations sent to the Lower East Side. Alongside gifts from neighbors were 21 boxes of new children’s clothing samples arranged by the Block Association’s board member Harry Harrison through contacts in the clothing industry.
In January 2014, Nazareth Housing thanked the Block Association for clothing, furniture, baby items, toys, books and other supplies. The response also invited discussion of future projects. The Block Association extended the collection after neighbors asked to keep contributing.
A November 2014 letter returned to the relationship. It documented books, toys, children’s clothing and educational supplies collected through Neighbors Helping Neighbors, with Nazareth staff helping move those gifts to the families they served.
The letter described Nazareth’s work in homelessness prevention, emergency family shelter, supportive housing and urgent assistance. The Block Association’s contribution was not to run those services, but to support the people and organization doing that work.
Sources
Adapted from the Block Association’s published 2013 report and 2014 appeal.