NEW YORK — Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York (Union), an international leader in theological education with a deep commitment to social justice, in partnership with the Coalition for the Homeless (Coalition), the nation’s oldest advocacy and direct service organization helping homeless men, women and children, are pleased to announce the launch of the Homelessness Impact Fellowship Program, an innovative program focused on developing the next generation of leaders to address homelessness.
The Homelessness Impact Fellowship Program will use a combination of study, reflection and community engagement to provide students an opportunity to develop and apply social impact skills in the context of New York City’s historic homelessness crisis. Fellowship awardees receive a fully-funded, exceptional educational and practical experience – including fieldwork with the Coalition for the Homeless – as well as a stipend.
“Union has a long history of partnering with organizations to address important social justice issues. We look forward to working with Coalition for the Homeless to focus on the issue of homelessness in our city and help enable the next generation of leaders to create change in this important area,” said Rev. Dr. Serene Jones, President of Union.
“The Coalition for the Homeless remains steadfast in its belief that the tragedy of mass homelessness, which has been dehumanizing our city for four decades now, can and must be brought to an end. We are very excited about this opportunity to work with Union in the Homelessness Impact Fellowship Program, which will allow graduate students to bring their energy, commitment and compassion to this critical fight,” said David Giffen, Executive Director, Coalition for the Homeless.
The inaugural cohort of Homelessness Impact Fellows will be made up of students from Union and other institutions who are passionate about addressing homelessness. Union students will receive priority and alumni/ae of Union Theological Seminary are also eligible for the program. The program will begin this fall and the application deadline is September 17. Study will be completed during the fall 2018 semester and placements with Coalition for the Homeless will commence in New York City in the spring of 2019. Interested individuals can visit https://utsnyc.edu/homelessness for more information and to apply.
About Union Theological Seminary
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York is a seminary and graduate school of religion, grounded in the Christian tradition and embracing of multiple religious traditions. Union prepares students for committed lives of service to both faith communities and the broader world. Our unique educational programs develop practices of mind and body that encourage compassionate wisdom and foster academic excellence and a commitment to social justice. Union believes that a new interreligious spiritualty of radical openness and love is the world’s best hope for peace, justice, and planetary flourishing.
About Coalition for the Homeless
The Coalition for the Homeless is the nation’s oldest advocacy and direct service organization helping homeless men, women and children. We believe that affordable housing, sufficient food and the chance to work for a living wage are fundamental rights in a civilized society. Since our inception in 1981, the Coalition has worked through litigation, public education and direct services to ensure that these goals are realized, and in that time we have given more than one million homeless New Yorkers a way off the streets. The Coalition uniquely serves as the independent monitor of the City’s homeless shelter system. Our frontline programs, serving roughly 3,500 homeless and at-risk people a day, include the largest nightly mobile soup kitchen in the country and the nation’s first summer sleepaway camp designed specifically for homeless kids.
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