Lantern Community Services

One of the values we hold closest at Lantern Community Services is meeting our tenants where they are — not where we assume they should be. That principle shaped a recent initiative from our Food & Nutrition Team: rather than designing programming from the top down, we asked tenants across our supportive housing sites to vote on the activities and engagement they actually want with our team. Food insecurity remains one of the most persistent challenges facing the individuals and families we serve. We know that addressing it takes more than access — it takes trust, consistency, and choice. By putting decision-making in tenants' hands, we're building programming that reflects real needs and supports lasting, healthy habits. This is what tenant-centered work looks like in practice: listening first, showing up consistently, and letting the people we serve help shape their own path forward.

Think back to your own first day of school. That mix of excitement and nerves is universal — and for our students, it can feel even bigger. This year, we're collecting handwritten notes of encouragement to tuck into backpacks so every student knows someone is rooting for them before they even walk through the door. We're already loving what we've received — check out a few of our favorites in the photos below! Drop your note of encouragement in the comments by Friday 8/14 and we'll turn it into something a student can hold onto. 💙 

Lantern Community Services was proud to participate in National Night Out in East Harlem on August 4th. It was a wonderful opportunity to engage directly with community members — sharing details about our forthcoming site, Timbale Terrace, and inviting neighbors to write well wishes for students in our residences as they begin the new school year. We also brought some fun to the block with sidewalk chalk and temporary tattoos for the youngest members of the community. Thank you to our host, NYPD's 25th Precinct, for organizing such a great event. We're grateful for the chance to be part of this flourishing community and look forward to continuing to build these connections. #NationalNightOut #TimbaleTerrace

Some well-deserved joy for one of our own! ⚾💙 At the recent City & State New York Top Workplaces celebration, Taiesha Z., our Senior Vice President of Shelter Services, won a raffle for tickets to a Mets vs. Marlins game at Citi Field — and from the sound of it, the night did not disappoint! From incredible seats near third base to a surprise meeting with Mets legend Darryl Strawberry, it was a night to remember. But what makes us happiest is simple: Taiesha works tirelessly every day to serve New Yorkers experiencing homelessness, and it was wonderful to see her get to just relax and enjoy an unforgettable evening. Thank you to City & State NY for naming us as a 2026 Top Workplace and having amazing prizes in your raffle! Moments like this remind us how much our team deserves to be celebrated — on and off the clock.

Lantern Community Services is proud to celebrate the success of our First Annual Summer STEM Event, hosted by Ebone` N. and Shameka D. in our Resident Learning Department, a new tradition designed to help our families have fun, stay engaged, and experience hands-on STEM learning. We want to recognize the vendor partners whose expertise made this inaugural event possible: New York City Fire Department, GMHC, Mom's Meals | A Purfoods Company, AHRC New York City, We Stay Nos Quedamos Inc, YMCA of the North, NYC Office of the Mayor, The Bronx Defenders each of whom brought unique programming that engaged our residents in meaningful, interactive ways. Thank you as well to site host Tamika Coates and Operations Coordinator Camryn Casey for their leadership in organizing this milestone event, and to every volunteer who contributed to its success. We look forward to making this an annual tradition for years to come.

What a night! 🎉 Members of our leadership team gathered to celebrate Lantern Community Services being named a Top Workplace by City & State NY – for the second time! This recognition means so much because it reflects something we care deeply about: building a workplace where our staff feel supported, valued, and inspired — because that's exactly what we ask them to bring to the New Yorkers we serve every day. From our program teams to our administrative staff, everyone plays a role in helping New Yorkers move forward from homelessness with stability and dignity. We couldn't be prouder to celebrate this moment. Thank you to City & State and for this honor, and thank you to our incredible team for making Lantern the workplace it is. 🩵

 Lantern Community Services has been selected as one of 40 Top Workplaces from City & State !! This City & State recognition celebrates workplaces across New York that lead with strong culture, leadership, and employee investment — and we're proud to be named among them. Lantern's supportive housing and shelter programs serve New Yorkers experiencing homelessness — individuals, families with children, and young adults aged out of foster care. Across 21 residences in four boroughs, we pair safe, affordable housing with wraparound supports spanning housing security, health, food and nutrition, education, and arts and culture. This recognition reflects three commitments that shape our workplace: Cultivating leadership. Many of our leaders started in direct service roles, bringing firsthand knowledge of our programs and the people we serve into how the organization makes decisions. Investing in employees. We support staff growth and development so the people delivering our services can keep building the skills that define our impact. Advancing pay equity. We've raised salaries and benefits across the organization, embedding equity into recruitment, retention, and career mobility. Strong leadership, a clear mission, and compassionate care — that's what allows our teams to do their best work, and what allows our residents to find long-term stability, well-being, and belonging. 

Building Stronger Communities Through Partnership At Lantern Community Services, wellness isn't just a program, it's a commitment to the people we serve. That commitment came to life at Prospero and Schafer Hall, where our Resident Learning Department and Housing Stability Department brought residents together for a day focused on holistic well-being: hands-on arts and crafts, access to essential community resources, and space to simply connect. The day also featured a fish fry supported by Property Management Arete and a smoothie station led by our in-house nutritionist, Chris, small details that made a big difference. None of this happens in isolation. We're proud to work alongside partners who share our commitment to community health and stability: Alliance for Positive Change, Harlem United, We the People Credit Union, ArchCare, Arete Management, Fountain House, Legal Services NYC, Workforce1, Healing Hands, Elsie Encarnacion, Boriken Neighborhood Health Center, and Corporate Wellness Group. Thank you for investing in our residents alongside us.

✂️ Skills, community, and creativity — all in one room. Last week, Lantern's Resident Learning team partnered with Black Girls Sew TM to host a hands-on sewing workshop at one of our supportive housing sites. Women and girls from our community came together to learn a practical life skill — and left with so much more: confidence, connection, and a new creative outlet. This is what resident-centered programming looks like. We meet people where they are and invest in where they're going. 🧵

This Fourth of July, we're thinking about what freedom really means. For many of the New Yorkers Lantern Community Services supports, freedom looks like a safe place to sleep, a door that locks, a community that shows up. It looks like stability — and the dignity that comes with it. We're grateful for the staff, partners, and supporters who make that possible every single day. Wishing everyone a meaningful holiday.