Who We Help / Case Study

Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter

In April 2008, Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter (NCS) requested MAKE WAVES’ help to draw attention to the City’s Department of Homeless Services’ plan to terminate funding for NCS’ drop-in center, the Neighborhood Center for Homeless People (NCHP), located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. 

The Solution:

MAKE WAVES launched a targeted campaign to raise awareness of the potential close of NCHP.  Based on NCS’ excellent record of service and their statistics about the number of people served, MAKE WAVES crafted core messages about why NCHP should remain open.  We then used these messages to conduct targeted pitching to members of the media, help NCS conduct a letter writing campaign to the Commissioner of DHS, and place advertisements in local newspapers.  We also helped NCS prepare letters and statements for local clergy and other supporters to send to media outlets, such as CityLimits.org

The Results:

In just a short while, MAKE WAVES garnered a number of media hits for NCS.  Hits included:

An article in the New York Post (May 5, 2008)
An article in Newsday (May 5, 2008)
An interview on Air America (May 31, 2008)
An advertisement in Our Town newspaper (May 2008)
A letter to the editor in Our Town newspaper (May 2008)
An article in the New York Non Profit Press (pending)

As a result of NCS’ media coverage, the Upper East Side community has significantly increased its discussion about the impact of NCHP on the neighborhood.  The fate of the center, however, remains in question.  A decision from the City is expected in the next few weeks.