A LEGACY OF HOPE FOR NEW YORKERS IN NEED

SINCE 1843, NEW YORKERS HAVE LOOKED TO THE COMMUNITY SERVICE SOCIETY TO LEAD THE CITY TO A BETTER FUTURE.

The United Charities Building at 105 East 22nd Street, constructed 1892.

CSS: A TIMELINE OF OPPORTUNITY

1843: Founding of first of two CSS predecessor agencies, the Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor (AICP) 1852: Established first public bathhouses in New York State, Peoples Bathing and Washing Establishment on Mott Street 1855: Erected first model tenement in New York City, Working Mens Home on Elizabeth Street 1862: Launched drive that led to first pure milk legislation 1863: Organized Society for the Ruptured and Crippled, now the Hospital for Special Surgery 1882: Charity Organization Society (COS), CSS predecessor agency, founded by Josephine Shaw Lowell 1893: Opened Wayfarers Lodge, first New York City shelter for homeless men, on West 28th Street

1897: Established Hartley House, providing social service programs for the poor; became independent in 1903 1898: Organized summer course in social work, which later became the Columbia University School of Social Work 1901: Sponsored drafting of the citys Tenement Housing Law, requiring indoor running water 1909: Through educational demonstrations, helped to establish the Board of Healths child health stations 1913: Designed prototype for the free school-lunch program, which ultimately became a nationwide program 1918: Established Mulberry Health Center on Lower East Side 1919: Established preventive dental program in lower Manhattan schools for all children in first five grades

1930: Work with the aged laid the groundwork for passage of New York State Old Age Assistance Act, a forerunner of Social Security 1939: AICP and COS merged to form the Community Service Society of New York 1955: Helped develop a city multiple dwelling code regulating safe and healthy living conditions 1966: Launched nations largest senior volunteer program, RSVP, now with more than 5,000 volunteers; model for programs nationwide and in 36 countries 1971: CSS changed its emphasis from individual and family social work to working directly with disadvantaged communities 1983: Developed model for permanent supportive housing for homeless and low-income residents of Washington Heights and West Harlem, Broadway Housing Communities

1984: Developed nonpartisan voter registration model; registered more than 250,000 new voters 1984: Developed New York Home Care Associates, now Cooperative Home Care Associates, the first workerowned home health care cooperative in the nation, employing low-income community residents 1986: David R. Jones becomes first black American to lead CSS 1989: Legal challenge ended Board of Elections discriminatory purge of voter lists that had removed over 300,000 low-income voters 1990: Launched a redistricting project that increased black, Latino, and Asian representation in the New York City Council 1993: Research led to founding of Primary Care Development Corp., providing financial assistance to health care centers in poor neighborhoods

photo: Mary McGrail

1996: Launched Experience Corps, an intergenerational literacy program for young students at risk of failure in poor performing schools 1998: Managed Care Consumer Assistance Program established under CSS auspices, nations largest health care ombuds program 2001: Provided $5 million in financial assistance to nearly 3,000 New Yorkers in the service sector who lost jobs and family members as a result of the World Trade Center disaster 2002: Inaugurated The Unheard Third, annual survey of New Yorkers, only regular survey of low-income opinion in the U.S. 2004: CSS report on citys black and Latino male joblessness spurred funding of job training programs for chronically unemployed, establishment of Construction Opportunities Commission, and high school for construction trades

2005: Launched the New York Reentry Roundtable, a monthly forum for reentry advocates, representing more than 50 stakeholder organizations, focusing on legislative reform to address obstacles faced by the formerly incarcerated 2009: CSS report on New Yorks underperforming General Educational Development (GED) testing system led to pilot program in New York Citys Department of Educations District 79 schools to modernize the GED test 2009: CSS report revealing the widespread lack of paid sick days among lowincome workers becomes the foundation for a campaign to pass a law requiring paid sick days in New York City 2011: Community Health Advocates (CHA), formerly Managed Care Consumer Assistance Program, named New Yorks Statewide Consumer Assistance Programoperating a network of 24 community-based organizations throughout the state to help people access health coverage and care

The Community Service Society of New York (CSS) is an informed, independent, and unwavering voice for positive action on behalf of the citys more than 3 million low-income New Yorkers. CSS draws on a 165-year history of excellence in addressing the root causes of economic disparity through research, advocacy, and innovative program models that strengthen and benefit all New Yorkers.
105 East 22nd Street, New York, NY 10010 212.254.8900 www.cssny.org

How Can You Help? CSS needs the support of individuals and funding organizations to continue to provide our many services and advocate for the elimination of poverty in New York City.
David R. Jones, Esq.
President and Chief Executive Officer

Steven L. Krause
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

photo: Dan Bigelow