Mary Jane Smith, one of the founders of Unity House, was honored by the Justice Studies Association at their annual conference in Albany on June 1st. In 1971 Unity House was founded by Regis Obijiski, Peter Calagahan and Mary Jane Smith. The trio were committed to the ideals of social justice and chose to live in a low-income neighborhood in urban Troy… more
That’s Kate Mullany in case you’ve been living under a rock. Kate Mullany, Troy’s most famous labor organizer, will be inducted into Labor’s International Hall of Fame on May 19th. To mark this special occasion Unity House staff will be turning up their collars, maybe even rolling up some cuffs! In addition, anyone wearing a collared… more
For one thing, it’s appropriately named. The Veterans Miracle Center in Albany is just that. A place where, miraculously, veterans can access needed items. They say it’s where heroes find hope. Staff from Unity House and the manager of ReStyle, Unity House’s store, visited the Veterans Miracle Center to learn more after meeting Barry Feinman, the… more
Have you heard of Breathing Lights, the community art installation that will illuminate vacant buildings? The project was in the news when it won funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies through its Public Art Challenge initiative. The funding will make it possible for artists to create this public installation art in Albany, Schenectady and Troy. The project… more
Unity House is working more with area groups and experts who work on issues facing our country’s veterans. In doing so, Unity House will launch a Veterans Welcome Initiative, Unity House can tailor existing services to meet the needs of veterans looking for support and access to services or referrals. To that end, Unity House is… more
Unity House’s Ambassadors, peer-to-peer mentors who perform outreach, will be marching in the Lansingburgh Memorial Day Parade. Wearing their signature Unity House green colors, the group will march with a Unity House banner and will walk in solidarity with veterans and their families from around the area. The Memorial Day parade will be on Monday, May… more
It seems those ribbons come in every color. Pink for breast cancer, red for HIV/AIDS, and more. You see one and you know it’s for something, but maybe you’re not sure what. It’s great to see campaigns that raise awareness of and support for the issues that affect us. There’s one cause that still carries quite… more
Where were you in 1991? You weren’t on your smart phone, there were no YouTube sensations, and very few people were talking about self-driving cars! A lot has changed in the last 25 years but, for Unity House, one thing has endured: our CEO, Chris Burke. Chris will mark 25 years on April 30th as the leader of Unity… more
Unity House’s daycare and preschool programs are operated out of three locations, two in Troy and one in Albany. Children at each location will enjoy a variety of activities for Earth Day. The program serves children ages 6 weeks to 5 years of age, offering daycare, preschool and Universal Pre-kindergarten in a partnership with the… more
Domestic Violence is a complex issue. One that requires community collaboration to address. But what about when there are cultural sensitivities or stigma attached to the topic of DV, as domestic violence is often called? At Unity House, the Domestic Violence Services program strives toward community collaboration at all levels while recognizing how violence presents in… more