Before she was one of the founders of Unity House, she was a teacher. In 1958 Mary Jane Smith, then a sister in the order of St. Joseph named Sister Samuel Joseph, was teacher to the 8th grade class at St. Columbus in Schenectady. Mary Jane Smith left teaching in 1971 and she joined Regis Obijiski and Peter… more
Thanks to the amazing work of NYSUT and First Book, area children will receive books free of charge that are theirs to keep. Having access to books is key to building literacy and academic success. That’s why the staff at Unity House’s Unity Sunshine Daycare and Preschool were delighted to be among the recipients of… more
Bethany Community Meals, on the second floor of The Front Door at 2431 Sixth Ave, is the home of a community art piece made together with the help of a local ceramicist. The art piece is a mosaic, in the shape of a tear. The art is a community-based art piece meant to convey the… more
Is your service group or office looking for a team volunteer experience? Unity House’s Bethany Community Meals program serves breakfast and lunch seven days a week. On some days, our dining room can see as many as 200 men, women and children coming in for a meal. The food is important, of course, for families facing… more
What is childhood apraxia of speech? Simply put, it’s when the words won’t come. It’s a motor speech disorder where kids can have problems saying sounds, syllables, and words. This is not because of muscle weakness or paralysis. The brain has problems planning to move the body parts (e.g., lips, jaw, tongue) needed for speech.) May… more
Staff from Unity House’s Domestic Violence Services Program and Congressman Chris Gibson spent the morning at East Greenbush High School to talk about the important issue of Teen Dating Violence. In two assemblies, addressing ninth graders and later 12 graders, Congressman Gibson opened the assemblies by welcoming the students and emphasizing the importance of good… more
Bethany, Unity House’s community meals program which serves breakfast and lunch daily, will host a six part series, Cooking Matters as part of the Capital Region Eat Smart New York. A collaboration between Cornell Universtiy Cooperative Extension, the NYS Office of Temporary Disability and Assistance and USDA SNAP, the 6 part series is a fun… more
Take Back the Night, marches at night aimed to focus attention on the issue of sexual violence, is happening in the Capital Region. For more information on an event near you, go to www.takebackthenight.org Locally, the Family and Friends of Liza Ellen Warner and The Niki L. Hart Memorial Children’s Fund will host a walk… more
Interesting- and short!- piece on the costs of fleeing domestic violence. We often champion victims who try to leave abusive situations with little understanding of what it costs them, financially and otherwise. This piece, which highlights a study on the economic costs of leaving an abusive situation, helps foster greater understanding and helpful things employers, among… more
There’s a lot of debate- and even some legislation- on what items should be eligible for food stamp purchases. Here’s an interesting take on that question: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/04/07/the-double-standard-of-making-poor-people-prove-theyre-worthy-of-government-benefits/
