BETHANY HOUSE OF NASSAU COUNTY CORPORATION

Haven is the Molloy College/Bethany House Coalition for the Homeless. Founded in 1994, Haven sponsored an all day college-wide series of workshops on homelessness entitled "Living on the Edge: Hungry and Homeless on Long Island" in Spring of 1995. In October of 1996, Haven orchestrated a highly successful event called BOXTOWN at which over eighty students "spent a night out" in a cardboard box in solidarity with the homeless. This event was not only a consciousness - raising effort but also a fund raising activity, and netted over $9,000 to assist with Bethany House's newest program Rest Stop.

BOXTOWN II was held in October of 1997 with over 150 students, faculty and staff members participating to raise over $ 15,000. BOXTOWN continued the tradition annually through 2002. In 2003, Bethany House added a new program, BOXTOWN Comes to Bethany, wherein participants spend an evening at one of Bethany's residences to understand firsthand the struggles of the homeless families we serve.

For forty years, Bethany House has been evolving as a program that moves homeless women, and women with children, in Nassau County from uncertainty to permanent housing. Over the past year, we have advanced our mission beyond the provision of shelter in an emergency to a level that aims to interrupt and break the cycle of homelessness, two generations at a time. To address identified needs, we are building out our programs and services through a Three Step Approach to take homeless families through transition to stability, matching Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Step I of Safe Ground is the continued provision of emergency shelter and case management. Step II is Transitional Services - enhanced employment training opportunities, developmental support for children, and housing outside the shelter system, to allow for more time to achieve sustainable career growth and employment opportunities. Step III is moving to permanent housing with supports in place to ensure stability.