The story
As the COVID-19 pandemic swept through New York City, the Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Service (LSA), a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening and empowering vulnerable families in East Harlem by meeting their basic needs for food, health care, education and a safe home, was working tirelessly to serve people amid uncertainty.
After community-based staff went door to door offering resources – ranging from health information to emergency funds – East Harlem went from having one of the highest infection rates in Manhattan to aligning with the citywide average. These changes added up to many lives saved.
Today, LSA uses these same relationship-based strategies to respond to the routine health disparities that impact families. Its food bank serves as a main introduction to LSA for members of the community who may not be familiar with the nonprofit.
“A family may come in to get food because they’re struggling,” said Jonah Gensler, CEO of LSA. “We’re going to serve them fresh food from our region, but that’s just the beginning of their journey. They may come in, and we realize they also qualify for SNAP benefits so they can shop in supermarkets.”
This helps lay the foundation of trust between the East Harlem community and LSA. “When you engage people in true relationships, you get to know them. And whether it’s that visit or their third or fifth visit, we’ll be there for them when they need us.”
Community impact
Originally an Italian immigrant community, but always an impoverished one, East Harlem today is primarily Latino and African American with a large population of immigrants. Small mom-and-pop stores line the streets, and hunger isn’t a stranger to these families.
“When the sisters came to New York City 135 years ago, they were nurses and social workers, and they went into people’s apartments,” Gensler said. “They saw the conditions brought on by poverty and exasperated by neglect of society, and the sisters knew they needed to meet families where they were at.”
Their holistic approach has transformed lives throughout the community.
“Of our staff, 90% are people of color and people who came from the experiences of the people we’re serving,” Gensler said. “Some of them came in looking for help for their families, and then as they gained experience, they became volunteers, and then they became employees.”
Due to its dedication to bettering the East Harlem community, LSA was named an Insperity® Community Hero and awarded a $5,000 donation.
“I think of our heroism to be about listening and lifting up the stories around us, about mutuality and respect for the people that we serve,” Gensler said. “That to me is to be a community hero – it’s to be a listener and a partner.”
And as an organization that places such a high value on relationships, LSA relies on its partnership with Insperity to help its employees feel valued. “We need a partner who can help us focus on keeping our staff running effectively so that we can focus effectively on our core mission. Knowing that our staff is in good hands with Insperity and that all the good things you need to be a healthy organization administratively are in place, it just allows us to focus where we should be focused.”
“When you engage people in true relationships, you get to know them. And whether it’s that visit or their third or fifth visit, we’ll be there for them when they need us.”