Brooklyn, NY Two days before Thanksgiving, homeless services nonprofit The Doe Fund joined forces with community partners in East Flatbush to provide a dinner and giveaway to tenants of its Crystal Tower residence. The 123-unit building — part of the Doe Fund’s over 970,000 s/f portfolio of permanent affordable and supportive housing — first opened in 2020.
Each resident received essentials kits, including hygienic products and winter clothing, generously donated by students of KIPP AMP Elementary School through its Lending Lions program. In addition, Selin Olmsted Studio donated hundreds of designer sunglasses and optical glasses to the tenants. Kula for Karma, a nonprofit that provides mindfulness-based mental health care for marginalized populations, also led a guided meditation for residents.
“The Doe Fund has always been committed to empowering NYC’s most vulnerable. For decades, we’ve accomplished that by providing transitional work experience, workforce development, supportive services, and housing,” said Jennifer Mitchell, president and CEO of The Doe Fund. “Now, The Doe Fund is addressing the social determinants of health for the populations we serve as well: physical environment, community and belonging, mental health and wellness. Events like these are just one small part of our enduring focus on holistic solutions to addiction, poverty, homelessness and recidivism.”
“Kula for Karma was honored to take part in meeting holiday needs for residents of Crystal Tower. A lot like the essential hygiene kits and winter clothes donated, mindfulness practices for mental health are critical for the formerly homeless who often live with trauma, anxiety and depression,” said Jenni Crumpton Ross, Kula’s President and CEO.
“Thanks to The Doe Fund, our team had the honor and joy of joining the community at Crystal Tower,” said Selin Olmsted of Selin Olmsted Studio. “When designing a new eyewear collection, we do multiple rounds of prototyping and sampling with our craftsmen and manufacturers. We end up having hundreds of frames in the studio crafted in premium acetate, metals, and sun lenses. I was overjoyed at the opportunity of giving them new homes — and I can’t think of anyone more deserving than the incredible group of people I met at Crystal Tower.”
Every apartment in Crystal Tower is affordable, and only residents with an area median income of less than 60% can apply. 74 units are set aside specifically for formerly homeless tenants, who receive on-site case management and supportive services through The Doe Fund. The residence features private offices, onsite laundry, a multipurpose community room, a bike room, landscaped outdoor recreational space, and 24/7 security.
The event also marked the beginning of The Doe Fund’s #DoeTogether campaign, which provides people with opportunities to get involved making a difference against homelessness throughout the holidays. Those events included on Thanksgiving day, which were provided thanks to generous funding from Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. also Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday, continuing through December and culminating in The Doe Fund’s annual Mama Doe Memorial on Christmas morning at St. Agnes Church.