University Community Social Services Inc
We are more than just meatloaf.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Computer Skills Building Program
With donated hardware and software our guests can build their computer skills through our network of wireless computers.
Social Services
Volunteers overseen by a professional social worker assist our guests with advice and referrals for their housing, healthcare, employment, legal and other social service needs. The Kitchen also partners with other local community groups to provide direct services to our guests, including food stamp registration, vision screening, cardiovascular screening and drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs.
Guest As Volunteer Experience: The GAVE Program
Guests are empowered to volunteer of their time at our Emergency Food Program popularly known as The Meatloaf Kitchen, assisting with food preparation, cooking, bussing tables, waiting tables, serving and clean up.
The Meatloaf Kitchen
University Community' Social Services' Emergency Food Program, now in its 28th year of operation.
The Meatloaf Pantry
Bimonthly food pantry supplying our guests with shopping bags brimming with fresh produce and pantry items to take away with them.
La Meatloaf Boutique
Emergency clothing distribution with personalized volunteer shoppers who assist the guests in finding their sizes and styles.
Drop In Center and Lending and Giveaway Library
A drop-in for guests open at 8 am every Saturday providing indoor shelter from the outside weather and a lending and giveaway library.
The Meatloaf Legal Clinic
Legal assistance provided by pro-bono lawyers
Kid's Corner
Promoting children's literacy
Where we work
Awards
Certificate of Excellence 2009
United Way
External reviews

Photos
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
University Community Social Services is aiming to alleviate the suffering of New York's neediest by providing nourishing meals, pantry items and a place of respite for our guests where they can obtain, social services, emergency clothing and computer user support with the goal of finding additional services, employment and housing.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
Hungry and homeless New Yorkers.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Paper surveys,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
Enacting changes to the meal distribution during the pandemic based on guests' feedback.
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,
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How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?
It creates a real sense of community which is an integral part of the name of our organization. We nurture and foster that as much as possible.
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback,
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
University Community Social Services Inc
Board of directorsas of 02/22/2022
Joseph Montano
No Affilation
Term: 2006 -
Catherine Woods
No Affiliation
Angela Kim
No Affiliation
Aklima Baksh
No Affiliation
Susan Shannon
No Affiliation
Michael Cunningham
No Affiliation
Steven Sakson
No Affiliation
Yulun Wang
No Affiliation
Joseph Montano
No Affiliation
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Not applicable -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
No data
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data