From our home to yours: June 2022

Bethany House Executive Director’s June 2022 Message

The Journey From Homelessness To Self-Actualization

Providing food, clothing and shelter to women and children experiencing homelessness is the foundation of the Bethany House mission. We have effectively provided emergency services and shelter to women, and women with children, for over 40 years. Meeting the basic needs of our Long Island neighbors in crisis is the most import service we provide. But it is not enough.

When the women we serve feel comfortable enough to share their life stories, we learn that many of them and their families have been cycling through bouts of homelessness repeatedly, and even from one generation to the next. At Bethany House, we are now fully focused on breaking this individual and inter-generational cycle.  We now provide services that empower women, support physical and emotional healing, and set our guests on a path to self-actualization. 

Many of the women who turn to Bethany House in their time of need have experienced devastating trauma that has led to family conflict, disruption and loss.  Some are at-risk of losing the custody of their children.  Others have already experienced the emotional tragedy and related trauma of having lost custody of their children. Still others have experienced intergenerational, partner and significant other conflict and, in some cases, violence. We are now providing in-house counseling and empowerment services made possible with the financial support of individuals, community and faith-based organizations, corporations and foundations.  These services have led to family healing, preservation, reunification and stabilization.  Once the women we serve feel that they and their children are safe, and experience a sense of belonging, they are ready to focus on self-improvement, education and financial stability. As they enter this phase of their healing journey, they need more support than Bethany House alone can provide.  This is where our service partners come into play.

Our service partners offer health and counseling services that empower the women we serve and provide them with hope.  Local colleges, universities and employment training programs set women on a path to job satisfaction and greater financial sufficiency.  Pro bono attorneys and financial advisors help our guests to resolve past entanglements. Our program volunteers and early childhood and local school partners provide the children of the women we serve with opportunities to experience the joy of learning and academic success. 

Finally, our extended family of staff, volunteers and partners supported through philanthropy have enabled Bethany House to provide aftercare services.  These aftercare services ensure that once on the path to stability the women and children served through Bethany House will never again have to endure the trauma of homelessness.

The expansion of the Bethany House mission has been made possible through the compassion and commitment of our board of directors, volunteers and staff, and with the generous support of our donors.  Together we are breaking the cycle of homelessness – two generations at a time.

Best,

Doug O’Dell 

Executive Director

Coming back after COVID-19

Aside from the obvious health concerns and difficulties that COVID-19 brought upon Bethany House, another unfortunate side affect from the pandemic was that the volunteer and extracurricular activities that make our homes so lively and enjoyable for our guests had to come to a halt.  Recently, however, with safety protocols in place and the pandemic in a better place, we are so excited and grateful to bring all of these activities back with a boom! 

A Women’s Empowerment Group has deeply engaged many of our guests, providing insightful activities for them to participate in.  Mindfulness Bingo, Would You Rather, Trivia Night, Vision Boards and Painting Birdhouses are all sessions that have been held for the women in our homes to facilitate a fun activity while providing therapeutic services to them.  

Reading partners, game night, financial literacy and movie night are other events that are underway at our houses.  Special thank you to all of our volunteers and interns who make these great events happen.  If you would like to volunteer with Bethany House, please visit https://bhny.org/contact-us

Moving Up Party

Volunteers from Unified Women’s Healthcare joined Bethany House in celebrating all of the academic success our guests have achieved over this past school year. Unified Women’s Healthcare generously donated a delicious meal, decorated our homes with balloons, and facilitated games with our guests. 

First Garden Tour Great Success

Our first annual Garden Tour was a wonderful success!  Thanks to all our supporters who strolled through the magnificent gardens of three homes and a community garden in Rockville Centre, as they were guided by the owners of the properties and volunteers.  This was followed by a delightful lunch at Chat Noir, where Maggie Gray of New Leaf, Inc. demonstrated how to create a container garden.  Her secret?  Include thrillers, spillers and fillers!  Special thanks, of course, go to our gracious garden hosts – Marty Bevilacqua, Nadine & Don Gelestino, and Karen & Wayne Lipton!  They were so kind to receive all the visitors to their homes in support of the women and children at Bethany House. Almost $2500 was raised to be used for ancillary services to our residents. Plans are underway for another Garden Tour next June in 2023. Anyone interested in having their gardens featured can send photos to: janemccabe@bhny.org

Please visit our website, www.bhny.org, to see more photos of this beautiful day.

Pride at Bethany House!

Bethany House says thank you to John Donlon for donating not just the food and decorations for our pride celebration but for also donating his time and voice to us. John was able to share his knowledge of the LGBTQ+ community as well as his own life stories with us. During the celebration we decorated the house in rainbow streamers and balloons with the help of our guests and kids, listened to music by LGBTQ+ artists and icons from a playlist that one of our guests prepared for us, and engaged in conversations about LGBTQ+ struggles, realities, and histories. After the celebration one of our guests said, “These are the kinds of conversations I want my daughter to be able to be a part of.”