Valerie C. Smith, Westhab”™s assistant vice president for New York City Singles Housing Programs, was honored with a New York Life Foundation Love Takes Action Award. She was nominated for the award by Robert H. Petrocelli Jr., an agent with New York Life”™s Manhattan general office, and the first vice chair of Westhab”™s Board of Directors.
Yonkers-based Westhab Inc., founded in 1981, is Westchester”™s largest provider of housing and services for the homeless and its largest nonprofit developer of affordable and supportive housing. It”™s also established in New York City where it currently operates 11 homeless shelters.
On Dec. 4, Smith, Westhab Chief Operating Officer Jim Coughlin, and Managing Partner of New York Life”™s Manhattan general office Dominick Kortkamp, were together for the check presentation.
The Love Takes Action Award program awards $50,000 to local nonprofit organizations, which are championed by New York Life agents and employees. Smith was one of 35 individuals from across the nation who was recognized for embodying Love Taking Action in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. She was able to direct the support grant from New York Life Foundation to Westhab to support its mission of developing high-quality affordable housing and delivering a broad range of services designed to help people and communities thrive.
At the height of the first wave of the pandemic, Smith and her team worked tirelessly to transfer hundreds of Westhab clients from homeless shelters into hotels to allow for social distancing. Despite the challenges, they also successfully opened two new shelters in New York City. underlying medical issues. Smith said, “Our clients depend on us”¦.We are committed to making sure that we provide services even during the most challenging of times.”
