Dear Friend,

On September 24th, we will gather with over 300 of our allies and supporters, including settlement house staff, leaders from private industry, elected officials, and so many more, including -- I hope -- you.

At our New Yorkers Who Make A Difference benefit and celebration, we recognize people who inspire us and value the settlement house movement and its work. This year, UNH is proudly honoring our Board Member Matthew Chun and our long-time corporate partner, Deep Tech, Inc. We will also recognize the settlement house recipients of our Trailblazer and Civic Advocacy awards and our champions in the New York State Senate and Assembly whose dedicated work led to an increase in funding for the Settlement House Program.

I am so grateful to all our supporters and partners and excited for the work ahead. As you read the stories below, please know that your support makes UNH’s work possible.  Click here to buy tickets.

Thank you,

Susan Stamler

Chalkbeat explored New York City’s Summer Rising Program featuring interviews with several settlement house workers and asked the question: if the program has so many sign ups, why is attendance so low? UNH shared insights with the Chalkbeat reporter ensuring that the story reflected the experiences of settlement house communities

UNH Executive Director Susan Stamler was quoted in Gothamist’s coverage of the debate over changing the language found in the ballot proposal for the Equal Rights Amendment. UNH supports this ballot measure and is concerned that the ballot language as written is too confusing for voters. With the language now settled, UNH will use our voice to help educate voters in the coming months. 

Tara Klein, UNH’s Deputy Director of Policy & Advocacy, is featured in this City Limits article examining the impact of the New York City fiscal year 2025 budget on older New Yorkers.

Lena Cohen, Senior Manager of Civic Engagement at UNH, was quoted in THE CITY’s coverage of the lapse in funding for ESOL classes for adults, which leaves many with nowhere to go to continue their English language education.

UNH was proud to host our international settlement house colleague, Jessica Ihejetoh, who visited our offices last month as a representative of Oxford House in the United Kingdom. Jessica came as part of her Churchill Fellowship to learn more about UNH’s work and the settlement house movement in New York State. Thanks to her visit we learned about the great work done at Oxford House, where they will be celebrating their 140 year anniversary. The settlement house movement is an international movement with houses all across the globe!

This fall, settlement houses will again have an important opportunity to apply for direct contracts with the federal government’s Office of Head Start. With direct funding from the federal government, settlement houses are paid promptly and have greater autonomy over their program design. Because this type of contracting is beneficial for our members and their communities, UNH hosted a training to prepare settlement houses for a competitive application process. Speakers from UNH and settlement houses with direct Head Start contracts shared helpful tips and information to give their peers a leg up. Head Start programs support low-income families and young children up to age five, and these grants are awarded for five years.

It is difficult to connect with state and city government if you don’t understand the formal rules and informal practices, making it impossible to plan effective lobbying and advocacy campaigns. This summer, shining a light on less transparent aspects of local and state government, UNH hosted a training for settlement house workers that detailed the city and state government landscape, how the budget process works and how to influence it, and who’s who in government. The training included modules on the importance of engaging with communities on policy issues and nonpartisan Get Out the Vote. Attendees responded positively to the session, with one remarking, “When in doubt, call UNH.”

In addition to our core programs, UNH offers customized trainings for settlement house staff on a wide variety of issues including policy and advocacy.

Last month, UNH released a new video showcasing our Intergenerational Community Centers Initiative. You can see it here, and be sure to check out videos that describe the projects UNH has helped develop at BronxWorks, Queens Community House, and Sunnyside Community Services linked at the bottom of the page!