Skip to content
Westhab Stories

More Than a Job: Westhab helps Raymond Taylor find a career

It’s not an uncommon story to feel lost in your 20s—to be uncertain of how you fit into the world. But by your late-20s, society expects you to know where you’re headed. For 28-year-old Yonkers native Raymond Taylor, finding his career path has been a challenge. He attended college, but found […]

Read More
News, Press Releases, Westhab Stories

Westhab Partners with Cisco to Provide Free Wi-Fi at Dayspring Campus in Nodine Hill

Cisco has awarded Westhab a grant of $250,000 of in-kind technology and services to provide free Wi-Fi access at Westhab’s Dayspring Campus. This is the first step in Westhab’s larger vision to expand free Wi-Fi to the entire Nodine Hill community. Cisco has enacted similar partnerships in the past, notably with the City of Toronto, … Continued

Read More
Westhab Stories

The Roof Over My Head

I’ve always been an advocate for practicing gratitude, especially during the holidays and as we enter into a new year. In a year where we’ve seen extreme suffering and an exacerbation of the homelessness crisis in NYC, Westchester, and all over the country, I’m pushing myself further […]

Read More
News, Press Releases, Westhab Stories

Valerie C. Smith Honored with New York Life Foundation Love Takes Action Award

Earlier this Fall, Valerie C. Smith, Westhab’s Assistant Vice President for New York City Singles Housing Programs, was honored with a New York Life Foundation Love Takes Action Award. She was nominated for the award by Robert H. Petrocelli, Jr., an agent with New York Life’s Manhattan General Office, and the First Vice Chair of … Continued

Read More
Rich's Desk, Westhab Stories

Giving Thanks Under the Mask

Thanksgiving has always been my family’s favorite holiday. My parents usually host 20 or more family and friends for an incredible day of feasting, football, and fellowship. This year, our tradition will be broken for the first time in my life. It has been a tough year all around. My parents have only held my … Continued

Read More
Westhab Stories

The Long Way Home

Born in Yonkers 71 years ago, Mr. Jones doesn’t play the lottery. His number already came up once, so he doesn’t like the odds of that happening again. Unfortunately, the winning prize the one time he played was a trip to Vietnam. His time overseas was a nightmare, and he was welcomed back with indifference … Continued

Read More
Westhab Stories

It’s a Done Deal! Westhab Purchases 5 Hudson Street

Westhab is now the proud owner of 5 Hudson Street (the Windham) in downtown Yonkers, a site where we have been providing affordable housing and much-needed services to our neighbors since 1984. Congratulations are in order for 33-year-Westhab-veteran Ken Belfer, who spearheaded the acquisition, and who has been with us from (almost) the beginning. Not … Continued

Read More
Rich's Desk, Westhab Stories

Mixed. Peach. Black.

My wife is dancing playfully with our two girls—ages two and four. “Show me that Black girl magic,” she says, and the girls twirl and jump excitedly. This is a normal day in the life of the Nightingale household, even though the skin tone of the kids looks a lot like daddy’s. The importance of … Continued

Read More
Rich's Desk, Westhab Stories

Defining Essential in the New COVID-19 Reality

I hope that everyone reading this is well, taking proper precautions, and staying safe. Our world has changed dramatically in the last two weeks, and we’ve learned a lot very quickly. We’ve begun using terms like social distancing and self quarantining. We’ve had to examine what is really essential in our lives. Today, New York … Continued

Read More
Westhab Stories

Leading from the front—Valerie C. Smith

I sat down with Valerie C. Smith a few short days ago to find out how the COVID-19 pandemic was affecting the vulnerable people Westhab serves and how our front-line staff are rising to meet this unprecedented challenge. After several days working from home, the conversation feels like it was a lifetime ago. But Ms. … Continued

Read More