FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GODDARD RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY
CENTER APPOINTS DIRECTOR OF
NEWLY FORMED MANHATTAN OUTREACH CONSORTIUM
Goddard Riverside Community Center, the lead agency
of the Manhattan Outreach Consortium, a partnership
of seven neighborhood-based organizations, announces
the appointment of Kristen Edwards as the Consortium’s
Director. The Manhattan Outreach Consortium, part
of the City’s new NYC Street to Home program,
will focus on moving chronically homeless individuals
off the streets and into permanent housing as quickly
as possible. Each member organization is assigned
to neighborhoods they know well, where they have long
histories of addressing community issues. The Consortium
includes Goddard Riverside Community Center (lead
agency), Center for Urban Community Services (lead
support agency), Common Ground Community, John Heuss
House, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, The Bridge,
Inc. and Urban Pathways. The Consortium collectively
represents over 150 years of successful experience
serving homeless people, including chronically homeless
individuals.
Ms. Edwards brings to the Consortium her experience
as a program manager and a demonstrated passion for
and commitment to fighting poverty and homelessness.
As Director, she will oversee and administer the Consortium
and provide quality assurance and fiscal oversight
on behalf of lead agency and contract holder, Goddard
Riverside, and the other member organizations. While
each member will be responsible for their own Manhattan
neighborhoods, Ms. Edwards will supervise the coordination
of service delivery among the partners to eliminate
duplication of services and facilitate the Consortium’s
internal sharing of information and continuity of
care. She will lead the Consortium in its efforts
to attain its primary performance objective of placing
chronically homeless individuals in Manhattan into
permanent housing with access to social, medical,
mental health and substance abuse services.
“I am so pleased for the opportunity to be
a part of the Manhattan Outreach Consortium and look
forward to working with the member organizations to
effectively reduce the number of people living on
Manhattan streets,” said Ms. Edwards. “This
position brings me towards my personal and professional
goal to end poverty and homelessness on a large scale
through quality services and collaborative efforts.”
“We are thrilled to bring Kristen Edwards
on board as Director of the Manhattan Outreach Consortium.
Her commitment to affecting positive, system-wide
social change has been well exhibited by her past
accomplishments, and we look forward to utilizing
her skills and experience in this new model for homeless
outreach, support and prevention in New York City,”
added Stephan Russo, Executive Director of Goddard
Riverside Community Center.
Prior to her appointment to the Manhattan Outreach
Consortium, Ms. Edwards served as Program Manager
of the Outreach Coordination Center (OCC) at Project
H.O.M.E., a Philadelphia-based, nationally recognized,
nonprofit organization working to end homelessness
and poverty through housing, services, community development
and political advocacy. At Project H.O.M.E. since
2002, she served in a number of capacities before
rising to OCC Program Manager. Her responsibilities
included overseeing the daily operations of a program
that coordinates street outreach to homeless people
throughout the City of Philadelphia. To do so, Ms.
Edwards worked with city officials and private service
providers to coordinate effective programs and advocate
for system improvements. Ms. Edwards’ background
also includes considerable experience as a case manager
for people affected by welfare reform and for people
who have developmental disabilities and mental illness.
Her many additional achievements include the creation
and management of a wintertime overnight drop-in center
for chronic street homeless individuals, speaking
engagements, organization memberships and appointment
to the Board of Directors of the nonprofit My Place
Germantown. Ms. Edwards holds a BA in Sociology from
LaSalle University and an MSS (with a Policy and Advocacy
focus) from Bryn Mawr College School of Social Work
and Social Research.
The Manhattan Outreach Consortium is a coalition
of seven neighborhood-based homeless services organizations
working together to reduce the number of people living
on Manhattan streets by helping them obtain housing
and reintegrate into their communities. Through a
new $4.5 million contract with the NYC Department
of Homeless Services (DHS), the Consortium is the
single point of accountability in the borough responsible
for all outreach and housing placement services. The
Manhattan Outreach Consortium includes Goddard Riverside
Community Center (lead agency), Center for Urban Community
Services (lead support agency), Common Ground Community,
John Heuss House, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, The
Bridge, Inc. and Urban Pathways
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