Spotlight On

Mission:
For more than 44 years, Strycker's Bay Neighborhood Council (SBNC) has assisted low-income residents of the Upper West Side of Manhattan and beyond with overcoming challenges related to affordable housing, economic self-sufficiency, youth development, and neighborhood stabilization. We go past initiating quick-fix solutions in times of emergency by addressing a range of associated issues. We help to combat homelessness through eviction prevention, build the capacity of low-income residents to improve their economic circumstances and provide a nurturing environment that engages children of all abilities in learning processes that develop the skills necessary to be successful in school and foster the desire to pursue higher education.

SBNC's services are linked by the unique relationship of our staff to our program participants, relationships that are long-lasting and often span several generations of the same family. SBNC opens the doors of opportunity for low-income families who are seeking to improve their living conditions and economic well-being.

Background:
At its inception, SBNC was established to insure that the community would remain ethnically, racially and economically diverse. In 1959, low-income residents were under threat of being displaced by the city’s urban renewal policies. Once that challenge was met, the organization continued to address the immediate needs of the community while sustaining a deep tradition of social activism under the leadership of director, Kelley Williams.

Today thanks in part to the efforts of SBNC, Manhattan’s Upper West Side remains a culturally and economically diverse neighborhood. Eighty-one percent of our clients are African American or Latino. SBNC is the only community-based organization that provides services on a walk-in basis and encompasses complete case management. We exist as the epicenter for community information, services and action to anyone who needs it, providing 3,500 direct services to more than 1,100 clients per year.

Many times, the staff at Strycker’s has extended its services to citizens of other parts of Manhattan or the outer boroughs. Because of our open office policy and accessible location, residents have nicknamed us La Communidad (The Community).

In 1977, SBNC created the United Tenants Association Mutual Housing Association for the purpose of vesting building ownership in a resident-controlled organization that would preserve the housing as a permanent resource for low-income residents. The tenants formed individual Housing Development Fund Corporations and seven buildings (65 units) were sold to the tenants in June, 2002.

Current Programs:
In addition to the aforementioned programs, in 1994, the Learning Action Center for Academic Success and Achievement (LACASA) was implemented in response to the need of providing young members of low-income families with the tools and resources they need to break the cycle of poverty and welfare dependency. LACASA operates an after-school and a summer day camp program.

In an effort to empower the area residents to address one of their most persistent issues, SBNC operates a food co-op that provides low-income residents with $35 worth of nutritious food in exchange for $18 (cash or food stamps). We service approximately fifty families per month.

Funding Needs:
Under the umbrella of LACASA, the Encore program focuses on dropout prevention, college and career counseling, tutoring, mentoring and support for at-risk, disadvantaged students ages 8-18.

We also wish to fund Literacy Links so that youngsters in LACASA can have the ability to access computers, the Internet, and educational software along with a special part of our website that allows them to share their newly acquired computer and educational literacy skills.

It is our plan to implement a Neighborhood Resource Center for family empowerment and self-help. The Center will be a user-friendly place for community residents to obtain information and guidance, to take part in workshops; utilize a community based resource library and to enroll in programs that provide crisis intervention services. We expect the center will be a model for community self-help and empowerment initiatives that promote both personal and family growth.

Every month, the "Spotlight On" highlights the activities of a different 501(c)3 nonprofit organization located in the tri-state region (NY, NJ, or CT). The selection of organizations for the "Spotlight On" is based on criteria such as programmatic interests, geographic focus, and size, to ensure the broadest possible representation of the region's nonprofit sector.

If you'd like to see your NPO in the "Spotlight," please use this submission form to send us a profile of your organization. Or e-mail a description of your organization, following the above format, to nyweb@foundationcenter.org, with "Spotlight Submission" in the subject line.