Category Archives: Uncategorized

Catholic Charities Housing Counselor Receives HUD Certification

Karen Wheeler 2021

Catholic Charities Housing Counselor has successfully completed the certification examination administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Effective June 22, 2021, Karen Wheeler is a Certified HUD Housing Counselor ensuring that Catholic Charities can continue providing housing counseling to those in Chemung, Schuyler, Tompkins, and Tioga Counties.

Counselors must demonstrate competency in each of the following areas of housing counseling: (1) financial management; (2) property maintenance; (3) responsibilities of homeownership and tenancy; (4) fair housing laws and requirements; (5) housing affordability; and (6) avoidance of, and responses to, rental and mortgage delinquency and avoidance of eviction and mortgage default.

HUD-certified counselors also help to protect consumers from fraudulent operators who prey upon those experiencing mortgage difficulties. Even legitimate for-profit housing counselors can charge consumers hundreds of dollars for services that are provided free or at low-cost by HUD-approved counselors.

Independent research shows that consumers working with a HUD housing counseling agency, such as Catholic Charities, have better credit, more savings, and fewer foreclosures than similar non-counseled consumers.

Anyone in need of housing counseling may call Catholic Charities at 607-734-9784 and ask to speak with Karen.

HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. More information about HUD and its programs is available on at www.hud.gov.

Catholic Charities Temporarily Suspends Overnight Stays at Shelter Location

Shelter w new roof 2019

Effective immediately, Catholic Charities of Chemung/Schuyler is temporarily suspending overnight stays at its College Ave Homeless Shelter due to staffing shortages. They will continue their collaborative effort with Chemung County to ensure shelter is provided through local motels.

Providing shelter for those experiencing homelessness continues to be a priority for Catholic Charities. Nancy Koons, Executive Director, stated, “As entities across the country are dealing with staffing shortages, we at Catholic Charities are also unfortunately short-staffed. Many of our incredible staff have been working an extraordinary amount of additional hours, stepping up to fill in scheduling gaps. However, we have to be good stewards of our valuable staffing resources and realize this cannot be a long-term solution. We are doing our due diligence to hire qualified staff and train them for these critical roles.”

Anyone in need of shelter may call Catholic Charities’ Samaritan Center at 607-734-4898 or come to the Samaritan Center at 380 S Main Street in Elmira between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm, Monday – Friday. For emergency shelter needs after-hours, they may still go to 605 College Avenue in Elmira or call 607-732-5954.

If you are interested in employment at Catholic Charities, please click here for a list of employment opportunities.

Motel-friendly foods such as single-serve soup/cereal, fruit cups, granola bars, and breakfast sandwiches are needed. Personal care items are also greatly appreciated. Donations may be dropped off at the Samaritan Center during regular business hours. You may click “Give Help” to see a wish list of needed items.

Catholic Charities’ Annual Board Meeting Elects New Members

Board Members 2021 new for web

Following their Annual Meeting, Catholic Charities of Chemung/Schuyler is pleased to announce its Board of Directors for 2021.

“As our Board of Directors plans for the future of Catholic Charities, I am pleased to welcome these men and women to our governance team. I look forward to what they will bring to the table as we work toward a just and poverty-free community,” said Greg Stewart, Chair of the Board.

Elected for their first term are:
Carol Brady, Coordinator for the Notre Dame Athletic Association;
Aimee Churchill, Attorney;
George Maloney, Retired Owner of Pal’s Sports Center;
Jeffrey Schmidt, Patent Attorney at Corning Incorporated;
Gordon Schuehler, CPA at Mengel Metzger Barr & Co. LLP and
Doris Smith, Registered Nurse, and Owner of Sarah’s Majestic Gifts, LLC.

Additionally, the officers of the 2021 Board are:
Gregory Stewart, Chair and Owner of Stewart Agency, Inc. and
Stewart Advisory Services;
Ron Allison, Vice-Chair and retired from Chemung Canal Trust Company;
Bruce Boughton, Treasurer and Branch Manager for Chemung Canal
Trust Company;
Jeffry Sobkowski, Secretary and retired from Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield.

The following members were elected to continue their terms on the Board:
Kurt Bartenstein, Regional Business Development Manager, Empower Federal
Credit Union;
Rev. Dr. Betsey Crimmins, Retired, First Presbyterian Church;
Jeff Richards, Retired, Elmira Star-Gazette;
James Siconolfi, Retired, Elmira College;
Dawn Siglin, Mortgage Sales Manager, Elmira Savings Bank;
Clare van den Blink, Chief Information Officer, The Hilliard Corporation; and Mary Vosburgh, Vice President of Nursing, Arnot Health.

Nancy Koons, Executive Director of Catholic Charities stated, “The mission and the work of Catholic Charities in the communities of Chemung and Schuyler Counties continues, uninterrupted, throughout the pandemic; likewise, the wisdom, leadership and support of the Board has been unwavering. We are thrilled to welcome our new Board Members on this ongoing journey of working to reduce poverty, promote wellness and self-sufficiency, and advocate for those in need.”

Virtual First Time Homebuyer Workshop – February 16, 18, 22

Catholic Charities’ Housing Counseling Department will host a First Time Homebuyer Workshop online. Registration is necessary for the Zoom Workshop to be held on February 16, 18, and 22.

Catholic Charities Conducts Point-In-Time Study

PIT Study 2016 1 768×422

Catholic Charities of Chemung and Schuyler will be conducting interviews with the public to measure homelessness in our community. The interviews will be focused on where individuals slept during one specific “point-in-time,” Thursday, January 28, 2021.
This Point-In-Time Study (PIT) will be conducted in a five-county region and is part of US Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) funding and in partnership with CARES, Inc.

A Point-In-Time Study is a coordinated effort within a specific region to count the number of people experiencing homelessness during a specific one-day point in time. HUD requests this information to better understand and address homelessness at a national level. Because of this PIT Study, federal funds could be used to address homeless issues specifically within our region. Therefore, Catholic Charities’ funding is directly tied to the completion of this study.

Ashley Kerrick, Schuyler Director states, “In these unprecedented times that COVID-19 has created, it has become increasingly more important to draw attention to the funding needs of our communities to ensure service availability for our most vulnerable neighbors.”

Catholic Charities’ Staff will be conducting interviews utilizing the help of community organizations and local food pantries. If you think you know where individuals are staying who might be homeless, please call 607-425-1043 and leave a message with the location.

In 2020, there were 706 individuals who experienced homelessness and received services in Chemung and Schuyler Counties (42 of those individuals were under 18 years old).

For community members interested in helping, Catholic Charities is specifically in need of grocery gift cards. Donations may be mailed in or brought to Catholic Charities’ Samaritan Center (380 S Main St, Elmira, NY), Monday-Friday from 8:30am—4:30pm or The Schuyler Outreach Food Pantry (112 10th St, Watkins Glen, NY) Tuesday & Friday: 9am—2pm, Thursday: Noon—4pm.

City of Elmira Department of Community Development to obtain public input on Neighborhood Housing

The City of Elmira’s Department of Community Development is in the process of developing a grant application to address housing displacement and homelessness. The Department is seeking input from neighborhood residents who are have faced or are dealing with housing challenges.

In partnership with Catholic Charities of Chemung and Schuyler; Chemung County Department of Social Services, the Economic Opportunity Program, Inc; and Legal Assistance of Western New York, community input will be solicited on housing challenges within the City of Elmira. The target audience is persons who have personally faced housing challenges.

A community needs survey can be accessed by going to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QH3W5W5 and completing it online or contacting the Department of Community Development at 737-5691 for a hard copy of the survey. Survey responses will be collected from September 11, 2020, to September 28, 2020.