Written by: Mike Senecal
Edited by: Lillian Guevara-Castro
Reviewed by: Adam West
In a Nutshell: Nonprofit social services agencies funded through public/private partnerships are part of the American fabric. Their willingness to embrace change determines whether they outlive their original purpose or fade into irrelevance. HANAC stands as an example of the former. Founded in the 1970s as a social organization for Greek Americans in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens, New York, HANAC now reaches thousands of youth, adults, families, and seniors annually across the five boroughs and beyond. HANAC meets people where they are, with the support they need.
In a world of change, the dream to leap the barriers of one’s home country and start a new life in the U.S. remains a constant. In the 1960s and ’70s, Greece was a nation of political oppression and economic instability, leading many to join an already burgeoning Greek American community of tens of thousands in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens, New York.
Assimilation has always been the goal of Greeks coming to America. After a military dictatorship assumed power in Greece in 1967, migration to Astoria began to outstrip the ability of the community to accommodate it. Community leaders, including the well-connected reporter George Douris, began to recognize the substantial unmet needs of many new arrivals.
Chief among them were English-language instruction and a center to provide seniors with a sense of community similar to that which they left back home. The well-connected Douris worked with the City of New York to establish ongoing funding for HANAC (originally the Hellenic American Neighborhood Action Committee) in 1972.
HANAC became a certified English-language instruction provider and founded its first senior center in Queens to provide dynamic programming for seniors in the community.
Fortunately, the story doesn’t end there as it does for many organizations with direct ties to public funding. As time passed, Astoria transformed from one of the largest Greek population centers outside Greece into a multicultural community welcoming Latin Americans, Middle Easterners, South Asians, and Eastern Europeans, among others, including many facing acute financial hardship.
Instead of sticking to the same path, HANAC embraced those changes and has expanded to serve 30,000 New York residents annually — from school age to senior status — while owning and managing a portfolio of 650 senior affordable housing units throughout Queens. Executive Director Stacy Bliagos said HANAC attributes its success to keeping an ear to the ground.
“We hear our community members when they tell us what they need,” Bliagos said. “We focus not on the demographics of our population but on how we can make our services better.”
Programs and Services for All Ages
The key takeaway regarding the modern version of HANAC is that it’s for everyone. It has programs for people of all ages and from all walks of life.
For Queens’ seniors, HANAC now operates four centers offering lunch, educational programs, transportation, and parties and get-togethers. Bliagos said for all the practical assistance HANAC senior centers provide, they also remain essential social lifelines to combat the epidemic of loneliness among older Americans.
“They want to talk about their grandkids and chat about the weather with people their age,” Bliagos said.
For seniors, HANAC also operates a fleet of transportation vans, provides case assistance and referrals related to public services, and finds other ways to engage their senior populations.
Adults, families, and children receive specialized attention through various services, including free English language and high-school equivalency classes. Offered at a HANAC senior residence and a public school in Astoria, language instruction has been a bread-and-butter HANAC service for decades.
HANAC provides child and family preventive services and assistance and support for domestic violence survivors and crime victims. It offers employment training through a partnership with the Consortium for Worker Education, a New York-based workforce development nonprofit. It works with the New York State Office of Victim Services to reimburse crime victims for their losses.
It can help immigrants understand their rights and responsibilities, assist with access to a state-funded home weatherization program, and help community members choose healthcare benefits most appropriate for them.
Youth in two Astoria public schools receive access to after-school programming, including homework help, life skills courses, and career counseling, with some of this programming focusing specifically on English language learners.
Students in two elementary schools receive COMPASS programming to encourage them to explore their interests and creativity. Cornerstone programming engages adults and youth who reside in New York City Housing Authority developments. The SONYC Middle School Program helps children discover their passions.
HANAC also sponsors the Summer Youth Employment Program, the largest summer employment initiative for New York City youth between 14 and 24.
“Our after-school programs provide a sense of structure and a safe place to be under the watchful eyes of professionals,” Bliagos said.
Affordable Housing Helps Those on Fixed Incomes
Branching out beyond its Greek origins was a natural next step for HANAC because there was never a plan to serve only Greeks.
“It wasn’t just the Hellenic community that needed help,” Bliagos said.
Meanwhile, its helping hands went in different directions as Astoria diversified and community needs changed. HANAC’s founders long realized New York’s older adults needed more affordable housing — places where they could age in the communities they helped build.
HANAC opened its first senior residence, the Archbishop Iakovos Senior Residence, in 1993 as an affordable housing facility providing 99 units to low-income seniors. The George T. Douris Tower offers on-site management and extensive community facilities. The HANAC Corona Senior Residence carries several energy-efficiency certifications.
HANAC has partnered on senior housing with the Presbyterian Church of Astoria and Asian Americans for Equality, a social justice advocacy nonprofit.
“We branched into older-adult affordable housing so when individuals retire to live on a fixed income, they can have a place to call home — and not feel they’re about to get evicted or have their rent go from $900 to $3,000,” Bliagos said.
The problem of housing insecurity has only gotten worse. Bliagos said HANAC addresses it holistically not only through access to senior housing but also by working with individuals to prevent financial hardships from spiraling into unmanageable debt.
As she and her colleagues observe more New Yorkers of the baby boomer generation enter retirement on fixed incomes, she said this “grey tsunami” of inadequately prepared retirees means there’s more need for financial protection than ever.
Take something as simple as air conditioning — sorely needed in New York City apartments. Gifting an air conditioner to a needy senior may seem altruistic until one considers the burden of the additional utility bill. A crisis may ensue if no one’s there to manage the change or compensate for the extra need.
“It can become a tidal wave of utility, food, and medical bills,” Bliagos said. “We’re coming together as a community to help older adults address an entire sphere of potential problems and issues.”
Serving the Needs of the Most Vulnerable
Bliagos said HANAC’s capacity for change has been its chief strength throughout its more than 50 years of existence. Its logo maintains images of the Greek and American flags to preserve the cultural connection, and Greek culture still suffuses Astoria in many ways. But the organization helps everyone.
Maintaining the ability to offer that level of inclusiveness has meant continual self-review and audience monitoring to ensure a match between services and recipients. Needs change as cultures interact in new ways. Bliagos said the goal of maintaining and extending service quality and effectiveness motivates the team to develop creative responses to new problems.
“It’s about making our services better, enhancing the experiences of each participant, and providing additional services to complement what we’re already offering,” Bliagos said.
Moving beyond Astoria into the five boroughs (and perhaps beyond) is a common-sense outgrowth of that strategy because need doesn’t respect boundaries.
HANAC operates a workforce development program in Harlem and recently opened a housing facility in the Bronx.
Within about two years of our conversation, Bliagos said HANAC plans to have a development in neighboring Westchester County up and running.
Bliagos brings much passion to her role from her years of working in public service and social welfare roles. She remembers the struggle for connection among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. She calls on readers to recognize the shame and fear that may prevent older family members and friends from reaching out for help.
HANAC has funding conduits on the local, state, and federal levels and partners extensively with corporate sponsors. It also accepts personal donations. Every little bit helps as it stretches beyond the boundaries of its origins to reach and impact more New Yorkers.
“Whether it’s trying to get SNAP benefits, health care, or rental subsidies, we know there are so many people out there struggling in private,” Bliagos said. “When a person receives our support, it’s like a whole new world for them.”
