No one should be without a home.
Westchester County is on a mission to prevent the county’s most vulnerable families and individuals from homelessness. “The economy has picked up in Westchester in terms of how expensive it is to live here, and most people’s incomes haven’t matched that. It’s a blessing to know opportunities exist to be in a home,” says Leonard G. Townes, Commissioner of Westchester Department of Social Services (DSS). “We are doing all we can to keep our homeless numbers low,” he says. To ensure that, Westchester County has helped over 200 individuals and families in the county find leases for permanent homes through the Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program, made available through the American Rescue Plan Act.
“The program came out at a time when there was a challenge to our national economy. It wasn’t just a simple one- or two- year program. The benefit of the voucher is for nine years so it secures them in housing for an extremely long time which is uncommon. That makes it special,” says Towne. “We’ve had a decline in homelessness over the years, but our numbers are starting to go back up little by little.”
Westchester leads all New York State counties in using the Federal plan to prevent homelessness. “We are more than proud about that level of success. It’s always been a challenge to house people throughout Westchester County. These opportunities don’t come around too often where we get support in housing our individuals,” says Townes. “Westchester County is a very wealthy county and it’s challenging for lower earning people to find housing here. Our goal is to identify housing available, help people find housing close to where they work, and also provide them with the supports to make it possible.”
The program has specific criteria to identify those most at risk of homelessness and in need of safe, stable homes, such as individuals and families who are homeless, at-risk of homelessness, fleeing, or attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking, or were recently homeless or have a high risk of housing instability.
According to Westchester County Executive George Latimer, the county had serious concerns about the impact of Covid and the most vulnerable being able to stay in their homes when Covid arose. “By staying ahead of the curve and using all available resources to keep people from homelessness, we’re not only preventing human tragedy for those individuals and families, but we’re reducing the social and economic costs of homelessness for everyone in Westchester,” he says. “In the end, government programs are only as good as our ability to execute on them.”
The county’s success rate is attributed to diligent advanced planning by the County’s Department of Social Services and the County’s partner in the program, WESTHAB, a nonprofit agency that develops affordable and supportive housing, operates homeless shelters, and provides youth programs and employment services. “WESTHAB has done a tremendous job in helping us along with the program. When the state made us aware of EVH, it was all hands-on deck. We pulled together as a community organization and government organization to really make this a success. We want to serve the population with whatever funding and programming is released,” says Craig Wong, WESTHAB Program Administrator in Homeless Services. The County’s proactive response to processing applications places Westchester in a position to help even more people as additional federal application slots become available.
“Westchester County is really looking at making sure that affordable housing is being built throughout the state and we’re trying our best to look at all land and space opportunities to create additional housing,” says Townes. “Our team and their level of commitment and the partnerships we have are meeting the needs of the people we serve and that makes me proud. People are really helping the communities of Westchester County, but we have to zone in on more community support in developing housing.”
The work goes beyond providing homes to retaining their housing. Wong explains DSS has developed a thorough follow-up care program. “A lot of these folks have never had their own place before so there is a feeling of elation, but they also have that apprehension of how they will be able to keep their home,” he says. “We have a really cohesive team of DSS workers in place who can help them manage, whether it’s budgeting or accessing services or community organizations to help them succeed. We also have a Continuum of Care Board whose goal is to end homelessness as well as hundreds of people and dozens of agencies who have the mindset and the heart to help.”
Offering stability to families and individuals is important especially around the holidays. “Everyone wants to be home for the holidays, so it’s a great time to have this initiative come into play,” says Townes. “The holiday season is always a time when people tend to think a little bit more about other people and how they’re doing. To know that we are helping people establish a home and have their own private dwelling and that opportunities exist for people to move their lives forward is a blessing. If you can get in your first home now and celebrate the holidays, there’s nothing like that feeling.”
Linda Zhang was a determined young woman with a passion to save the world. She lived the statement – “be that one person” – knowing the power of one’s voice and actions to enact environmental change. Through her zero waste lifestyle, her influential writing, and insightful YouTube videos on sustainability, Linda inspired others to join her in protecting and preserving the planet for future generations. 
To strengthen the connection between Linda’s talent in writing and commitment to the environment, the first inaugural Linda J. Zhang Award for Writing Achievement was presented this summer to Horace Greeley High School senior Erica Dunne. “Linda was very creative, and we encouraged and supported her writing,” said her parents, noting Linda was a gifted writer, an honor student at the Hoff Barthelson music school, and was the recipient of numerous honors and regional and national awards for her writing, including a Scholastic gold medal in poetry in 2018 and a Claudia Ann Seaman Award for Fiction in 2019. 
If you ever found yourself lost in the wilderness, would you know what to do? The natural environment is a complex place and it takes knowledge, confidence, and first-hand experience to survive.
Overall the classes encourage participants to expand their world. “I try my best to get people to go outside of their comfort zone, to get dirty, hands-on, to ask lots of questions and be involved in the process,” he said. “I try to create the feeling of community, which I think is one the most essential parts of life.”
The group welcomes any age at any skill level. All that’s required is an interest in some form of needlework, such as knitting, quilting, crocheting, and weaving. The Knitting Circle began six years ago when a Westchester County resident posted a thread on Ravelry, a popular social media site for crafters, seeking fellow knitters interested in forming a group near Pleasantville. What began as a handful of women meeting at a local coffee shop now averages 60 members, ranging in ages from 20 to over 45. They meet every Wednesday at the Pleasantville Library in Pleasantville and every Monday and Thursday at the North Castle Public Library in Armonk. Suzanne credits Linda Hellisum, a charter member, for keeping the group flourishing. “She spent many Wednesday afternoons knitting by herself at the Black Cow in Pleasantville. It took several months for people to make the commitment to the group, but once that happened, we quickly outgrew the coffee shop. We went from meeting twice per month to weekly meetings, and have been meeting three times per week for the past two years,” explains Suzanne. 
Art brings people together, and The Knitting Circle is a gathering where members feel comfortable being themselves while sharing ideas and exploring new techniques. “We keep the conversation light and pleasant. Knitting in a group allows us to work on our own knitting and offer inspiration for each other. We teach each other what we know,” she says. “For a beginner, this is a terrific way to build skills and get inspiration in a more personal and intimate way than watching YouTube videos or reading craft blogs. For the person teaching the skill, it’s empowering to see someone benefit from sharing the skills that you have to offer.” 
“When you sit around the table and see what others are turning out it’s easy to tackle a skill you don’t have experience with. If you get stuck there are people to help. People who did that last week and it came out great. Or, you can teach someone who just decided to learn to try a simple cable or more complex stitch and watch the sense of accomplishment when they create something they thought was way beyond their ability,” she says.
Field trips to local events in the Hudson Valley are an added bonus. The group recently attended the Sheep & Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, New York and six knitters are planning a trip to the Shetland Islands. During the summer, Suzanne organized six Yarn Crawls to over 25 local yarn shops in CT, NJ, and the Hudson Valley. “They’re meant to be fun and educational,” she says. Additionally, some of the members contribute their knitted projects to charitable organizations such as Project Linus. 
Felicia mentions the popular trends are embellished yarns in addition to hand-dyed and speckled yarns used for ponchos, ruanas, shawls, and cowl head scarves. She notes knitters are moving away from basic scarves and blankets. “They’re working with various stitches on shawls, ponchos, and loose-fitting sweaters in luxurious fibers,” says Felicia. “If they’re knitting a blanket, it’s not ordinary. They’re working in multi-colors, stripes or working with exaggerated super chunky yarn.” 
Knitting offers immeasurable benefits to its paticipants. “It’s an affordable hobby that builds self-esteem. Improved health, social inclusion, networking, and friendship are just some of the reasons we get together as often as we do,” says Suzanne. “I really value the friendships I’ve made because of these knitting groups.”