Hamilton-Madison House is a 501(c)(3), non-profit settlement house dedicated to improving the quality of life of its community, primarily that of the Two Bridges/Chinatown area of the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City, United States. The neighborhood is a federally designated poverty area, with a constantly changing mixture of ethnic groups, which historically lacked adequate community services and programs. An average income of a family living in the area is $17,000. Further, more than 25% of the seniors live on less than $15,000 a year, of which 40% goes toward housing. Over the past 127 years, Hamilton-Madison House has offered social services, educational and healthcare programs that meet the changing community needs. Initially, the organization supported mostly Irish, Italian and Jewish immigrant communities but as immigration demographics have changed, so too have the demographics for the community that Hamilton-Madison House supports. From 1965, and after a change in federal immigration policies, the community's predominant immigrants became Chinese New Yorkers. The organization's staff has grown to include a staff of 300 who collectively speak 15 languages, including 6 Chinese dialects. Further, Hamilton-Madison House’s long-standing programs have been adapted to meet the cultural norms of this expanding population.

History Between 1880 and 1923, during the height of the exodus from the Old World, Jewish immigrants from all over Europe moved into crowded tenements on Manhattan's Lower East Side. Most were refugees who fled from pogroms, degrading poverty or the suppression of human rights.

Later, African Americans and then Irish immigrants settled in the shadows of the two mighty bridges spanning the East River. They found work on the wharves loading and unloading bags of sugar, tea, coffee and spices that came from countries like the ones they left behind.

In 1898, two young East European idealists founded the Madison House of the Downtown Ethical society to fight some of the serious problems of the day. These youths were disciples of Dr. Felix Adler, founder of the Society for Ethical Culture. (1876) Several influential women of the time were active in Madison House, including Bella Moses—the mother of Robert Moses—who served as trustee for Madison House.

The slums had rapidly become lethal chambers of disease. Tuberculosis, pneumonia, typhoid, and diphtheria spread rampantly among the immigrants claiming one entire block after another. One such block, an Italian and Sicilian enclave, was Hamilton Street.

In response to the epidemic, Lillian Wald of the Henry Street Settlement established a small "outpost" on Hamilton Street in 1902. Originally designed to serve public health needs of newly arrived Italian immigrants, Hamilton House soon began serving the youths of the community through a variety of programs.

The Lower East Side of New York, home to these humanitarian organizations, underwent a metamorphosis. As waves of immigrants shifted from European to Asian and Hispanic both Hamilton House and Madison House went through many changes in order to meet the needs of the community. A landmark change for both settlement houses occurred in 1954 when they combined to become Hamilton-Madison House.

Programs

ESL Hamilton-Madison House's ESL Program (English as a Second Language) offers free morning classes, from beginner to advanced levels. The Program also offers trips, presentations, and guest speakers.

The Women Talk Program provides a culturally sensitive environment, in which women are taught to communicate effectively in English and are assisted with the transition to living and working outside of the Two Bridges/Chinatown community.

Behavioral Health Currently serving more than 5,000 clients a year, Hamilton-Madison House's Behavioral Health Services has language-specific clinics that take into account a client's ethnicity and native language. In 2002, the Korean Clinic and the Southeast Asian Clinic expanded to meet the growing needs of the community. Clinicians are now available for residents who speak Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian.

Child Care Centers Hamilton-Madison House Child Care Centers are a collaboration of Head Start and Day Care Programs. Childcare is provided at eight sites; each year over 280 children, ages 2–5, are served as well as 50 children, ages 6–12 in school age day care.

Chinatown Resource Center

The Chinatown Resource Center (CRC) is a focal point of Hamilton-Madison's effort to meet the psychological, economic and social needs of area residents, workers and businesses who were affected by September 11th. The center works to empower the community and to promote its recovery through a holistic approach by providing behavioral health services, consultation, education, workshops, and advocacy.

Senior Services During 2006–2007 over 6,500 seniors, who live in the Two Bridges/Chinatown community and throughout New York City, attended Hamilton-Madison House's four senior service locations.

Supported Housing The goal of Hamilton-Madison House's Supported Housing is to provide permanent housing for people who are seriously and persistently mentally ill to live independently. Supported Housing provides 43 beds to Asian American mentally ill patients—15 fully furnished apartments at a single site and 9 fully furnished apartments at scattered sites. The admission criteria are 18 years of age and older with documented history of mental disability and psychiatric treatment. The services for tenants are bi-lingual and bi-cultural case management, social, cultural, and recreational programs.

Two Bridges Tower Community Program Hamilton-Madison House is contracted to provide social services to tenants of 82 Rutgers Slip, a model housing program. The goal of this program is to improve the quality of life for 200 families living in the building. People come from a wide variety of social and economic conditions and the residents of 60 apartments are families that had been homeless. The house provides After School and Summer Camp to children ages 5–12. A number of evening activities are available to adults and teens. People are encouraged to develop links to various agencies in the community.

Youth Development Programs

Children ages 5–12 After School Program operates 2:30–6:00 p.m. for 38 weeks between September and June, paralleling the school calendar. This program provides school pick up, supervised and mandatory homework completion, individual and group tutoring, arts and crafts, computer literacy, yoga, life skills, and a nutritious meal. Summer Day Camp is a seven-week program that provides activities for the children to learn teamwork and sportsmanship as well as develop increased communication skills and empathy. The Saturday Program consists of Sports, Chinese classes, violin classes, and one-on-one homework assistance is available. The computer lab is also open for classes and independent use.

Ages 13–21 Teen Program – 50 Madison Street is open weeknights for the teens and gives them a safe environment to socialize with their friends, receive homework assistance, speak with a social worker, play pick-up basketball, engage in HIV/AIDS peer education, and surf the net. In addition, Makin' Da Music, an innovative DJ-training program, is offered to teens ages 15–17. The participants learn the fundamentals of spinning discs, the history of music, working an audience, and developing entrepreneurial skills.

Timeline

1898 In Spring, Madison House of the Downtown Ethical Society is founded at 300 Madison Street.

1900 Under the leadership of board member, Bella Moses, mother of Robert Moses, Madison House embarks construction of a permanent summer camp.

1902 Hamilton House is founded on Hamilton Street. On June 17 Hamilton House is incorporated.

1910 Madison House acquires a building at 216 Madison Street.

1915 In November, Hamilton House moves from Hamilton Street to 72 Market Street.

1920 In September, the summer camps are replaced by Camp Rossbach for both boys and girls at Tomkins' Corners near Peekskill. This camp later becomes Camp Madison and later is known as Camp Madison-Felicia.

1925 In the mid-twenties, Madison House is incorporated.

1926 Dr. Algernon Black becomes Headworker at Madison House until 1930.

1929 The building at 226 Madison Street is completed

1930 During the next ten years, Madison House provides facilities for WPA workers who serve the neighborhood's cultural, health and social needs.

1941 World War II starts. Mrs. Josiah Willard, President of Hamilton House, from 1952 to 1954 and Helen Greenebaum, Headworker, share the task of managing the House during the war years.

1947 The neighborhood population becomes primarily by African Americans and Latinos. Friction between the pre-war community and the newcomers escalates. Teenage gangs present an acute problem. Geoffrey Wiener is Headworker. Helen Hall, Headworker of Henry Street Settlement and a member of the Hamilton House Board, urges Mr. Wiener on. The budget is $12,000, with a deficit carried by Henry Street Settlement House.

1950 In the 1950s the first Hamilton-Madison House Thrift Store opens on Madison Street. The thrift store moves uptown to Third Avenue and moves again on Third Avenue before locating on Second Avenue.

1951 The Golden Age Group of Chinatown is established as a group of Chinese senior citizens at Hamilton House.

1952 In February, Hamilton House offers counseling and family care work as an experimental project through an arrangement with the Family Services Division of the Community Service Society of New York.

1953 When the second half of Smith Houses is completed, a community space and a 55 child pre-school Day Care Center are allocated. Hamilton House is named the sponsor. In a dedication ceremony in March 1953, Eleanor Roosevelt is the principal speaker.

1954 Hamilton House and Madison House merge.

1954 Shirley Chisholm is named the Director of the Child Care Center of Hamilton-Madison House.

1955 The Two Bridge Neighborhood Council is founded and flourishes as a community wide citizen's action organization.

1967 Hamilton-Madison House establishes an Adolescent Service Center on an experimental basis. The Tenants' Association, an independent body of tenants of Smith Houses, functions out of Hamilton-Madison House.

1969 Hamilton-Madison House establishes Big Brother and Sister Corps and Services to Chinese Immigrants.

1970 Susan Chan is hired as a social worker for a Chinese Immigrant Program at Hamilton-Madison House.

1973 Hamilton-Madison House celebrates its 75th anniversary with a party on the South Street Seaport Pier, on May 17

1974 The Chinatown Children's Consultation Center (CCCC), the first such mental health facility in New York City, opens on May 29 at 103 Canal Street.

1974 In May, Hamilton-Madison House and other Lower East Side Settlements found the Lower East Side Family Union, an agency designed to work with problem families to prevent foster care placement of their children.

1976 In January, Frank T. Modica becomes executive director of Hamilton-Madison House.

1978 The Chinatown Family Consultation Center moves to 46 Henry Street.

1978 The First Chinese Banquet Benefit is held in December.

1979 Short-term programs are set up to aid the Indo-Chinese boat people. The Chinatown Family Consultation Center treats Chinese patients in 12 dialects

1980 The Indo-Chinese Refugee Program is funded in February 1980 by the State Department of Social Services through a joint proposal submitted by Hamilton-Madison House and the Chinatown Planning Council.

1981 Helen Hall, a celebrated leader in the settlement movement and social services and the Honorary Chairperson of Hamilton-Madison House, dies.

1981 Head Start expands from 95 to 145 children. An additional classroom is rented for the program at PS 126.