New ‘Single Stop’ Initiative To Provide Critical Social Service Assistance To New York City Veterans

November 13 -  Accessing social services – particularly for New York City veterans – just got a whole lot easier.

Thanks to an innovative new partnership between Robin Hood – New York’s largest poverty-fighting organization -- and non-profits Single Stop USA, The Mission Continues and The New York Public Library, veterans now have seven New York City “hubs” where they can get important information and assistance in the fight to understand and access critical social benefits. 

All seven offices – including one at the Mid-Manhattan Library on Fifth Avenue and 40th Street, the largest branch in The New York Public Library system – incorporate a peer-based service model, in which trained veterans screen fellow veterans for specific needs, and then either provide the services on-site, or refer them to pre-selected veteran service providers, such as Robin Hood-funded organizations and partner VA hospitals.

Services provided include assistance with housing, jobs, education, behavioral health services and so on. 

The seven sites – which also provide general social service help to all New Yorkers – are:

• LIFT - The Bronx, 2381 Belmont Avenue, Bronx, NY
• Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, 1406 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY
• Institute for Family Health, 1879 Madison Avenue, New York, NY
• Mid-Manhattan Library, 455 5th Avenue, New York, NY       
• Brooklyn Workforce1 Career Center, 9 Bond Street, 5th Floor, Brooklyn, NY
• Bronx Workforce1 Career Center, Fordham Place, 400 East Fordham Road (entrance on Webster), Bronx, NY  
• Queens Workforce1 CareerCenter, 168-25 Jamaica Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY

"The Library is honored to participate in this program, which offers key assistance and one-stop service to the men and women who have served and protected our nation in the Armed Forces, and to whom we owe so much," said NYPL President  Anthony W. Marx. "We are proud to work with Robin Hood, Single Stop USA and The Mission Continues to expand the already-broad spectrum of free community services that we offer the people of New York City."

The peer-based referral services are being provided by The Mission Continues, a non-profit that already serves nearly 2,000 vets nationally. In New York, the group has partnered with national non-profit Single Stop USA, which has 80-plus locations in New York City and provides one-stop social service assistance to low-income families and individuals. The seven hubs are all located at Single Stop USA sites, with Robin Hood funding the effort.

“Over the past year, Robin Hood donors have generously contributed more than $13 million to fund programs like Single Stop that connect veterans and their families to essential services throughout New York City,” said Eric Weingartner, managing director of Robin Hood.  “By partnering with groups such as The Mission Continues and the New York Public Library, we are making it easier for veterans to find and access critical support services that will ease their transition to civilian life.” Veterans can find a complete list of Robin Hood-funded programs that provide support services to veterans and their families at www.robinhood.org/vetresources.

"Our veterans have put their lives on the line for us.  We are honored to be able to give them something back." said Elisabeth Mason, CEO of Single Stop USA. "Using the most persuasive voices we can find  -- other veterans -- to reach out to fellow vets in need through our partnership with the Mission Continues,  the visionary support of Robin Hood, and Single Stop's unique "one-stop" model, we will connect veterans and their families to the critical resources they need here on the home front.  Integrating these services into the great New York Public Library System, we can reach and serve thousands of veterans and other individuals who otherwise would not receive this support."

"The Mission Continues is very excited to be partnering with Robin Hood Veterans Initiative, Single Stop USA, and the City of New York in challenging veterans to serve and lead in NYC,” said Aaron Scheinberg, Director of Strategy and Research at The Mission Continues. “These Fellows will be working with NYC veterans in all 5 boroughs and helping them connect to the resources of over 20 services in the city. The Mission Continues Fellows are truly an inspiration. They have come back from Iraq and Afghanistan and decided their mission is not complete.  They will take all the leadership skills they learned in the military, and apply it directly here in NYC in continued service to others. "

About The New York Public Library

The New York Public Library is a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 91 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library serves more than 18 million patrons who come through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library. Learn more at nypl.org/support 

About Robin Hood

Since 1988, Robin Hood has held steadfast to a single mission: fight poverty in New York City. We find, fund and create programs and schools that generate meaningful results for families in New York’s poorest neighborhoods. We work closely with more than 200 organizations to help them reach their full potential and perform rigorous assessments to ensure accountability. In addition, Robin Hood’s board of directors pays all administrative, fundraising and evaluation costs, so 100% of every donation goes directly to organizations helping New Yorkers in need.

About Single Stop USA

Single Stop USA is a national non-profit organization dedicated to helping low-income families and individuals build economic security. To this end, we offer a unique program that combines benefits screening and application assistance with tax preparation, legal assistance and financial counseling -- all at no cost and in one location at each of the sites we serve.

About The Mission Continues

The Mission Continues challenges veterans to serve and lead in communities across America. The organization was founded by former US Navy SEAL Eric Greitens in 2007 when he returned from his final deployment to Iraq, fueled by the deep belief that veterans are civic assets. The Mission Continues offers six-month community service fellowships to veterans, awarding over 450 fellowships to date.  The organization does not offer charity; rather, it challenges returning service members to utilize their tremendous skills and leadership to continue serving our country at home.  For more information, please visit http://www.missioncontinues.org