Agency Spotlight: SCAN-Harbor

Projects With Care has been partnering with SCAN-Harbor for over 30 years. We began our partnership with SCAN-Harbor through our Stockings With Care program and strengthened our relationship to include them in our Project First Day program since its inception back in 2008.

SCAN-Harbor is the largest youth service provider in Harlem, East Harlem, and the South Bronx. Founded in 1977 as SCAN (Supportive Children’s Advocacy Network) New York, the organization merged in 2019 with Boys and Girls Harbor to become SCAN-Harbor. Today, SCAN-Harbor is comprised of 23 different program sites, which together annually serve over 7,600 children. These sites offer a wide variety of services to the community such as early childhood education, substance abuse treatment, violence prevention, performing arts, literacy programs, LGTBQ support, afterschool activities and events, employment skills training, and youth leadership. SCAN-Harbor has been led by its Executive Director, Lewis Zuchman since 1987.

At SCAN-Harbor, they deploy a service approach centered on empowerment, motivating children and their families to reach positive goals. A key example of this approach is evident in SCAN-Harbor’s connection with its employees. More than 70% of SCAN-Harbor’s 570 plus employees are community members who have either received services themselves or are parents of children currently receiving services. These hiring practices clearly show local residents that SCAN-Harbor not only believes in their innate abilities, but also depends on them to drive positive change for everyone.

A perfect illustration of this methodology is the current President of SCAN-Harbor’s Board, Jamel Oeser-Sweat. Growing up, Jamel’s youth was shaped by foster care, homelessness, and stays in emergency shelters. With no father in the picture and a mother who would later be hospitalized due to a chronic psychological illness, Jamel and his two brothers faced immense challenges from an early age. Things, however, started to turn around for Jamel when he was introduced to SCAN at the age of 10. There he and his family received counseling, comprehensive casework, and programs aimed at strengthening the family unit.

With some support, Jamel promptly began to show promise. He became a member of SCAN’s first Manhattan afterschool group and quickly took on the role of a peer mentor in SCAN’s PS121 partnership, which was the precursor to their Reach For The Stars upward bound program. Today, SCAN-Harbor’s Reach For The Stars program places 90% of its high school seniors into college. Jamel’s academic success continued on after college: he became a Westinghouse Science Scholarship finalist, received a certificate in recombinant DNA techniques from the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, earned a full scholarship to NYU, and then went on to St. John’s Law School. Jamel currently runs his own law firm here in New York City.

When reflecting on his life journey, Jamel shared, “Growing up, we were taught we had to get out of the neighborhood to succeed. When our Board entrusted me to lead, they sent a message to the city that growing leaders does not stop when the services we provide stop. We must also provide those that we serve the opportunity to sit in positions of leadership, and work to ensure that they become effective leaders.” This message reflects the true ethos of SCAN-Harbor. While traditional youth and family service providers often focus on addressing a client’s problems and end services once the issue is resolved, SCAN-Harbor views the typical service termination as a new beginning.

The recipients of our Stockings With Care and Project First Day programs are children whose families are associated with SCAN-Harbor’s Family Renewal Center. The Family Renewal Center is run by Donna Pearce, the Program Director, who has been working for the organization for 27 years. Located at the Family Renewal Center is SCAN-Harbor’s Family Treatment Rehabilitation program. The program, designed by ACS (Administration for Children’s Services), provides foster care prevention, substance abuse treatment, and mental health case management services to 128 families each year, making it the largest such program in all of New York City. The 128 families in the program represent approximately 450 children, and roughly half of the families reside within the shelter system. In the Family Treatment Rehabilitation program, Donna and her team focus on fostering long-term relationships with their clients to support and encourage the parents in becoming empowered decision-makers. To do this, they rely on their social service experience and expertise, which significantly strengthens SCAN-Harbor's ability to meet the unique needs of each family they serve.

Projects With Care is also active with SCAN-Harbor’s Reverend T. Wendell Foster Recreation Center. Situated in the largest community park in the South Bronx, the Reverend T. Wendell Foster Center offers youth recreation programs, tutoring, performing arts instruction, a food pantry, and hosts SCAN-Harbor’s Violence Prevention program, as well as the Bronx location for their Reach For The Stars program. The site features a wide range of impressive facilities, including a basketball gym, library, computer lab, dance studio, and recording studio. On a typical day, the basketball gym alone hosts over 100 kids eager to shoot around and play pick-up games. Designed to provide a safe space for local youth, the site is free for anyone to use, offering opportunities to gather, learn, exercise, and build skills in a supportive environment. The center is run by Program Director Lisa Jackson, who also oversees the Young Women’s Empowerment Group.

In the past year, Projects With Care has begun working alongside the Young Women’s Empowerment Group on several meaningful projects. In April 2024, the Projects With Care Club at Packer Collegiate came together with empathy and dedication to assemble 80 feminine hygiene kits, which were delivered to the Young Women’s Empowerment Group. Later in the year, the SCAN-Harbor group lent their support during our Project First Day drive by volunteering to help sort school supplies. Program Director Lisa Jackson emphasized the importance of learning to give back, and Projects With Care was incredibly appreciative of their efforts!

In 2024, Projects With Care and SCAN-Harbor further solidified their strong partnership through their respective fundraising events. In May, Projects With Care was proudly recognized as an “Honored Partner” at SCAN-Harbor’s Better Together Gala. Later, on October 21, children from SCAN-Harbor’s Performing Arts Academy graced the stage at Projects With Care’s Annual Fundraising Celebration, wowing guests with their remarkable talent. The performance was a highlight of the event and showcased the incredible abilities of all the children involved.

SCAN-Harbor’s Performing Arts Academy provides top-tier training and performance opportunities in theater, dance, vocal, and instrumental music. Along with rigorous instruction in various formats and styles, the academy also offers students the chance to refine their skills by performing in front of live audiences. Recently, youth from SCAN-Harbor’s Performing Arts Academy were invited to perform at Radio City Music Hall and others were featured in Alicia Keys’ music video for her song “Kaleidoscope.”

Projects With Care takes great pride in its partnership with SCAN-Harbor and the positive impact of all our collaborative efforts. As Projects With Care continues to grow and expand its impact, SCAN-Harbor will undoubtedly play a crucial role in delivering compassion, care, and dignity to those in the community that need it the most.

To learn more about SCAN-Harbor, you can visit their website at https://www.scan-harbor.org