Spirit of the Capital Region: Social Distancing Edition

Hi, my name is Emily, I work for Martin Harding & Mazzotti and this is The Spirit of the Capital Region: Social Distancing Edition.

Today’s featured organization is Unity House in Troy, New York.

Unity House is a Rensselaer County-based human service agency that provides a wide range of services to meet the otherwise unmet needs of people in our communities who are hurting and struggling.

They assist those who are living in poverty, adults with mental illnesses, victims of domestic violence, and many more. Also working to achieve social justice in the communities they serve.

All of their usual programs are operational, although some aspects may have changed in the time of COVID-19.

Their food pantry is open by appointment to anyone who needs it. A number of people experiencing food insecurity are utilizing this service, and many of them are using it for the first time.

Unity House is still offering their Free Lunch Program Monday through Friday. Instead of coming inside, people can pick their lunches up from the parking lot of Unity House’s Troy NY building one at a time.

Importantly, their domestic violence services are still operational for all who need them. They include a confidential shelter, legal services, and safety planning to help people get to a safer location or be safer inside their homes when they cannot leave.

First responder daycare is available for infants, toddlers and preschoolers (aged 5 weeks to 5 years).

Additionally, their programs for adults with serious mental illnesses are running, assisting them with housing, apartments, medication management, and more.

If you are in need of any of these services, please call the Unity House main number, shown here.

Outside of their usual hours, you may also reach out to Director of Development Diane Cameron directly at this number for help.
Diane Cameron 274-2633 x 4133.

Unity House is in need of reusable cloth masks, gloves, scrubs, and gift cards of all kinds (like amazon, grocery stores, etc.) to better enable them to continue helping those who need it most. To donate any items, please call and they will arrange to pick up your donation. Unity House asks that you do not bring items to their location. Monetary donations are also helpful and appreciated, and can be made through the giving portal on their website.

Visit www.unityhouseny.org to learn more about their programs, get help, or to donate. Make sure to follow them on social media for updates on the best ways to help or receive help from a distance.

Thank you for listening, and stay well. My name is Emily and this is The Spirit of the Capital Region: Social Distancing Edition.