BronxWorks helps individuals and families improve their economic and social well-being. From toddlers to seniors, they feed, shelter, teach, and support the neighbors to build a stronger community.
As their mission, BronxWorks helps individuals and families improve their economic and social well-being. From toddlers to seniors, they feed, shelter, teach, and support their neighbors to build a stronger community.
BronxWorks first opened its doors in 1972. It was created under the name Citizens Advice Bureau and came to be popularly known by its initials CAB.
Over the years, they have grown tremendously, providing services to address the needs of all age groups from infants to senior citizens, as well as selected special needs populations. These include immigrants, homeless individuals and families, people impacted by HIV/AIDS, and adults making the transition from welfare to work. They now operate 28 offices throughout the borough. Their programs help 37,500 people a year.
In 2009, they changed their name to BronxWorks. Their original name no longer fit them because they do not just help citizens and they do a lot more than give advice. So even though Citizens Advice Bureau had great historical value, they decided to choose a new name that better represents what they are and what they do. BronxWorks is a more accurate reflection of their purpose, their commitment to the borough, and their positive feelings about the Bronx
Citizens Advice Bureau in the Bronx was founded in 1972 based on a model of service from Great Britain, which has a network of 1,000 walk-in information and referral offices. The British CABs are well known to residents as the place to go for free guidance when they are facing financial, legal, or personal problems. Although they shared a name with them, they were not affiliated with the overseas organizations.
Initially sponsored by the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies and later by the Community Council of Greater New York, CAB became an independent organization in 1985. In their early years, their goal was to establish a network of information and assistance centers throughout New York City. Although they made some progress and eventually five walk-in offices, they were not able to secure the funding to become a citywide organization.
With the profound social change the Bronx was undergoing in the 1980s, CAB started to play an important role in the lives of the people in the West Bronx. They helped people facing severe housing and income issues, homelessness, and later AIDS. They were asked to provide services in housing developments as the Bronx was being rebuilt in the late 1980s and early ’90s. This was also the time period when the city contracted out services such as senior centers and homeless services that had previously been run by city workers. Being one of the relatively few well-managed agencies in the area, they were asked to sponsor many of these programs.
They became a settlement house in 1993 by joining United Neighborhood Houses and sponsoring children’s and youth programs. In 1995, they merged with the Girls Club of Greater New York, which gave them the Community Center building located at 1130 Grand Concourse and an expanded Board of directors. With the passage of the Welfare Reform Act of 1995, they shifted their focus from welfare advocacy to workforce development, building programs to help low-income individuals adjust to welfare reform. With the changing demographics of the Bronx during the ’90s, they also developed a range of services and programs for new immigrants.
The first decade of the 21st century saw an expansion of programs in many of these areas, especially homeless and workforce development services and children’s programs. In 2009, they changed their name to BronxWorks to have a name that better represents what they are and what they do. BronxWorks is a more accurate reflection of their purpose, their commitment to the borough, and their positive feelings about the Bronx.
