Events

T.O.U.C.H. Reaches Out to Men and Women in Supportive Housing

During the month of August, CHN began a new partnership with Metropolitan Community Service's T.O.U.C.H. program. The acronym stands for "Teaching Opportunity Unity by Connecting Hearts". The program was developed to assist persons in developing a productive and positive life transformation by implementing the concept of "Reach Out and TOUCH". We presented this program in particular to the 25 men who live at the Parsons Avenue Apartments, but tenants at several of our other sites were invited to fill in for those who chose not to participate. 

The program, which is held at the T.O.U.C.H. center in Whitehall, is divided into phases, which include actual work on site for a stipend, talk sessions in groups, and one-on-one sessions. At the end of the first four weeks, seventeen out of twenty-two participants were still active. Several had already been connected to part-time work for another agency.

Both the participants and CHN staff have enjoyed working with the TOUCH program. Some have already put in applications, while others are planning on future education. As one tenant stated: "This has been life-changing!"