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BRC is among New York Citys leading nonprofit organizations providing caring and effective services and housing to vulnerable New Yorkers, serving more than 10,000 individuals each year. BRC operates 30 programs and services throughout New York City, ranging from outreach to the unsheltered homeless to transitional housing and shelter, permanent housing, substance abuse treatment, mental and physical health services, workforce development and senior services.
Founded in 1971, BRC is commemorating its 50th Anniversary by continuing to serve more than 3,000 of New York City's most vulnerable each day. BRC is on the frontlines of poverty and public health, providing life-saving services to New Yorkers experiencing homelessness, from outreach to the unsheltered, to temporary shelter, permanent housing, substance abuse treatment, and physical and mental health care provision.
By joining TeamBRC and running in the 2021 TCS NYC Marathon, or by supporting a TeamBRC member, you make it possible for BRC to fulfill it's mission to help New Yorkers reclaim and transform their lives, restore hope and dignity, and provide opportunities for health and self-sufficiency.
Your efforts will support programs like:
BRCs team of professional, compassionate outreach workers provide services to NYC's unsheltered 24/7/365, offering a hand up instead of a hand out. BRC effectively assists the unsheltered to come in from the streets and find shelter on terms our clients can accept.
Transitional Housing & Shelter
Every night at BRC, over 2,000 homeless men and women receive warm and caring respite as they work to secure more permanent housing. We have 14 transitional housing programs with a goal to provide shelter and the resources needed to overcome challenges and find permanent housing. Each of these programs has a primary focus such as mental illness, addiction, or employment but takes a holistic approach to meeting the totality of a clients needs. Clients come in from a life in the subway and on the streets, and are greeted with food, showers, and a safe and comfortable place to sleep. For some clients, it is the first time they have slept in a bed for years.
BRC is home for many clients. Over 550 households call BRC their permanent home: single adults and families with children, most previously homeless but some also needing an affordable home to avoid homelessness. They have leases and pay rents they can afford; and if a crisis occurs, we understand, and we help.
More than a third of BRC's clients have a history of drug or alcohol addiction, and BRC offers detox, rehab, and harm reduction services that help thousands find and sustain sobriety. BRC's two addiction treatment programs, licensed by NY State and located at our West 25th Street location, meet the recovery needs of over 2,600 men and women each year.
Numerous programs along BRC's continuum help individuals with mental health needs - including the seriously and persistently mentally ill (SPMI) - find the tools and motivation to live healthy and meaningful lives. Nearly half of the homeless men and women BRC serves have a chronic mental health challenge to manage as well. To help meet their needs, we provide comprehensive mental health support and treatment throughout our programs, with a special focus on serving clients who are severely and persistently mentally ill (SPMI), many of whom have co-occurring substance abuse problems.
BRC Horizons Workforce Development program helps residents of BRCs shelters overcome obstacles to employment so they can be effective job seekers and valued employees, enabling them to find and maintain lasting self-sufficiency and stability through employment.
BRC offers special services and housing, building community among our older clients. Throughout the week, the BRC Senior Center provides residents with meals of culturally preferred cuisine, to ensure their nutritional health. BRC also offers culturally appropriate activities such a Tai Chi and English language classes.
As the population of clients that we serve grows to include more children and families, BRC is expanding programming to meet their needs.
For the past decade, BRC has been working to serve the small population of children and families living in its affordable housing developments. Today, BRC is expanding its transitional housing program to specifically serve children and families with plans to open two new shelters in Queens in the coming years.
By 2025, BRC aims to serve more than 500 families and 1,000 children annually, and to pioneer effective approaches to breaking the generational cycle of homelessness.
To learn more about BRC Programs, go to www.brc.org