Chadwick Residence opened its door to homeless women and children in the fall of 1986. It was named in honor of former patron and board member Axilda M. Chadwick who was a long-time advocate for women, the elderly, education and literacy.
The Chadwick Residence building, the former Our Lady of Lourdes Convent, was purchased by Christopher Community and is rented to an independent Board for a nominal fee. The Board in turn hired Christopher Community to act as managing agent for the Agency. The Residence is staffed by an Executive Director, Case Managers, Counselors, Clerical Staff, and Resident Advisors staff that work evenings and weekends.
Women are referred to Chadwick Residence from shelters, other agencies or individuals in the community. Upon entering the program a woman sets goals and begins to make plans for the future. Each woman is responsible for paying rent, cooking meals, participating in house activities, such as weekly meetings, chores and case-management counseling. A woman coming to Chadwick Residence must make a commitment to work toward her stated goals and to participate in programs appropriate to her goals, abilities and needs.
In-house programs offered to the women are directed towards learning, parenting skills, and independent living skills. The women are also expected to work on educational/vocational goals which may include improved literacy, job readiness skills, completing her GED or pursuing higher education.
SSince 1986 many women have successfully completed programs in Nursing and Child Care and others have received degrees from OCC, Lemoyne College and Syracuse University. Helping the women to reach their goals fulfills our mission to empower our women to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to secure their independence and self-sufficiency.
|
|
|
