Long Island Coalition For The Homeless: A Network For People’s Needs
For many, charitable acts decrease when the holidays are over. But for the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless (LICH), January is when it’s just beginning.
Founded in 1985, the LICH has focused on building a network and what they call a “continuum of care” aimed at helping homeless people find permanent housing – each according to their unique needs. They are Long Island’s regional planning entity for solutions for the homeless.
“It’s a housing-focused outreach program,” Mike Giuffrida, associate director, told the Press. “But it is unique in the way that it was specifically structured, to combine peers with lived experience of homelessness, and clinical staff who are able to address health needs, and also get people connected to not just housing but all kinds of support they may need and not have access to while living on the streets.”
The organization is exactly what it sounds like – a coalition. According to Giuffrida, the purpose is not to be the sole entity helping the homeless on Long Island, but rather to provide a roadway for the homeless to be able to get what they need.
LICH works with town and county governments, as well as other nonprofit organizations, to do this. The continuum of care includes up to 18 organizations that can help the homeless.
“For people experiencing homelessness, we have to recognize that in most cases, one of the common themes for people that experience homelessness is that they’ve experienced significant levels of trauma, often throughout the entirety of their life, starting from childhood,” Giuffrida added. “We meet them where they’re at in terms of building a trust and a relationship with somebody to understand exactly what they’re looking for. We don’t prescribe what somebody needs. A lot of people in this field seem to have a belief that they know what people need, but that’s often disconnected from what they actually need.”
What LICH does that’s unique is to conduct the Long Island homeless census every January – this year, it will be taking place on Jan. 24. This gathers members of the coalition’s street outreach team to assess the approximate number of homeless individuals on the island. Vans, packed with supplies to assist homeless people on the spot, are driven by both staff and volunteers to take this census. According to Giuffrida, they check every town on Long Island, with a particular focus on areas where there may be more homeless people, such as around libraries or train stations.
“We’re collecting donations for the census to make sure that every team that’s going out has stuff to be able to provide and offer,” Giuffrida said.
He added that that the census identified 199 homeless people on Long Island last year, and they were able to find housing for 60 people. The count is always subject to change throughout the year, though, as are people’s living circumstances, so the LICH is always looking for more volunteers.
To donate or get involved, visit addressthehomeless.org.
For more stories about charity organizations on Long Island, click here.
