Adventist Community Services Center Report

“…Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:40 

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The Northeastern Conference Adventist Community Services (NECACS) Center was established on April 9, 1972. Over the past 41 years, the Center has provided humanitarian aid and numerous trainings for members of the community of Corona and its surrounding communities.  

Since 2013, under the leadership of Dr. Keicha Gosling Villafana, the mission of the Center is to serve the less fortunate and the hurting using Christ’s Method. Our goals are to broaden our scope of community services, build collaborative partnerships, and create healthier families and communities.

Here are the objectives that were projected for 2021 - 2024:

1. To provide food, clothing, household items, and disaster items to those in need in Corona and our surrounding communities.
2. To model Christ’s love to our clients and volunteers through ministries of compassion.
3. Build a healthier community through nutritional counseling, health screenings, and education.
4. To recruit 10 additional volunteers to assist with truck deliveries.
5. To register all food programs (food pantries and soup kitchens) in the Northeastern Conference territory.
6. To conduct yearly site inspections and enhance the standards of all food programs.
7. To seek an additional $50,000 for our volunteers Management.
8. To repair the roof, plumbing system in the basement, and entire flooring on the first floor of the Center.

Accomplishments

To God be the glory, we were able to achieve these goals:

• Recruited over 100 volunteers with physical disabilities to assist with the daily activities of the Center yearly
• Provided healthy & nutritious food for 200,000 people, doubling the number of people served during this period
• For the first time, the grants awarded to our food program passed the one-million-dollar mark
• Obtained new partnerships with Toys for Tots and Robinhood Foundation
• Through our Clothing Closet, we dispensed almost 10,000 items, which included emergency supplies, feminine products, and clothing
• Conducted three Back-to-School events, one Mother’s Day Fruit Basket Giveaway, ten Thanksgiving Turkey/Food Giveaways, and three Toy Christmas Giveaways.  In total, we dispensed 7,744 items: 4,370 school supplies, 270 coats, 246 fruit baskets, 1,870 toys, & 988 turkeys
• Register all food programs & conduct site inspections of 25 food programs within the Conference

Below are the highlights of the Center’s food pantry program, grants awarded, and registered food programs within the Conference.

Statistical Data for the Food Program

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Grants Awarded for Food Program

Over the past four years, we received a total of $1,111,356.00 in grants towards our food program. Thanks to our partners for their generous contributions: DSS Community Food Connection (CFC) - $525,592.00, Food Bank for New York City - $406,882.00, New York City Mayor’s Office - $12,000, Robinhood Foundation - $20,000.00, United Way (Worldwide)- $72,982.00, and United Way of New York City - $73,900.00.  

Registered Food Programs Within the Conference

During this quadrennium, we took on the new responsibility of registering and conducting yearly site inspections of all food pantries (FP) and soup kitchens (SK) in the Northeastern Conference.  Here is a list of all registered food programs (67 food pantries and nine soup kitchens):  

Challenges

Although we made many strides, we experienced some notable challenges.  Many times, we were faced with building repairs, such as the boiler, roof, leaky pipes, and hazardous floors, which made our work environment very uncomfortable and dangerous.  In 2021, we partially repaired our roof.  Thankfully, we were able to secure the services of Robert St. Bernard to rectify the plumbing issue with our sewage line and FitzRite Boiler Services to maintain our boiler.  However, we are still waiting for approval to renovate our flooring.  

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and influx of asylum-seekers arriving in New York City since 2022 have placed a significant strain on our food program and other essential items.  As a result, it was very difficult for us to keep up with the manpower to assist with truck deliveries and the demand for healthy and nutritious foods.  By the grace of God, in 2022, we gradually recruited eight new Spanish volunteers to assist us with deliveries and translation.  We were also blessed with funding from the NYC Department of Health & United Way of NYC Nourish programs to provide more than 15% of fresh produce for our clients bi-weekly.  Lastly, we received a limited amount of in-kind donations of other essential items, such as school supplies, coats, and toys for our clients and ACS Leaders due to the state of the economy. Consequently, we are seeking new partnerships.  

Strategic Goals

1. To communicate frequently and effectively the mission, plans, and goals of the NECACS Center with the NEC Administrators, ACS director, and volunteers through email, monthly reports, and/or quarterly reports.
2. To serve as a resource center in these areas: unemployment, immigration, health education, and counseling.  
3. To acquire a paid full-time operation manager or program director to aid in operating more efficiently.
4. To continue conducting yearly or bi-yearly site inspections of all food programs within the Conference.
5. To work with all ACS leaders to enhance their food programs and equip them with tools to better serve their communities.  

Gratitude

Here at the NECACS Center, we are extremely grateful for the unwavering support of our dedicated team and their commitment to the mission.  Pastor Litchfield Howard has been a great asset to our team in managing the volunteers. Ruby Peterkin and Garfield Seivright, our volunteers, continually go above and beyond to ensure the activities at our center run smoothly.  Natalie St. Bernard, thanks for always being available to edit our reports.  We also depend heavily on our weekly volunteers from Queens Center for Progress, volunteers from the community and Adventist churches, and the NEC/GNYC Medical Cadets.  Thank you all for your invaluable service.  

Finally, thanks to the generosity of individual donors, corporations, not-for-profit charity companies, and government financial supporters, the mission goes forward. We would not be able to press ahead without you. Thank you.

ACS Center Report Submitted by
Dr. Keicha Gosling Villafana

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