INWOOD HOUSE

When Jeanne Scanlon started volunteering as a receptionist at Inwood House for two hours one evening a week, she had no idea what she was getting herself into.

"Years ago I was sitting at that front desk picking up the phone thinking about how I have to go home, make dinner—I'm doing my little weekly two-hour thing. Well, every week I had discussions with the girls. About five years later after this one—I completely forgot that I ever had this discussion—I get a note in the mail and this girl whom I could barely remember told me she was enrolling in medical school. She completely attributed the positive sequence of events that led her to this decision to a conversation years ago in which I said to her, the sky's the limit for her potential in this world."

This illustrates the opportunities available at Inwood House, a center that helps pregnant teens and disadvantaged youth. Inwood House was originally formed in 1830 by group of women who recognized the need to help young female immigrants who had come to America in search of work and a new life, and found instead poverty-ridden streets. As Kathleen Cooney Clarke, Director of Public Affairs at Inwood House, puts it, "the founders realized that the issue was one of poverty, not morality. A lot of girls were living on the streets to support themselves. This was about the fact that they were alone, unconnected to a community, lacking in skills and education."

By 1910, needs had changed and so had Inwood House. They were now formally committed to helping young pregnant women take charge of their lives. Faced with widespread religious discrimination, they chose to accept Jewish, Catholic and Protestant women. In 1934 they began assisting women of all colors. Inwood House has consistently provided help where help is needed, even creating an Inwood House Research Group to determine what those needs are.

Young women are referred to Inwood House by the Administration for Children's Services, New York City's division of foster care. The largest of four homes for pregnant teens, Inwood House also sponsors programs for fathers of the babies as well as ongoing support. Clarke stresses the mission of Inwood House as declared on their 2001 Annual Report: "We help teens take charge of their lives."

"What we want them to do very much is to be great mothers and fathers. But what we also want them to understand is that the way to be a great parent is to really be fulfilled as an individual. You have to be healthy; you have to be educated; you have to be able to take care of yourself. Then, you can be a great parent. So that's how this all works."

The program works because the need is out there—but also because of people who find satisfaction in giving to those in need. There is All Souls volunteer Gail Green, an interior designer, who has made herself available to decorate an Inwood House special project—a home in Queens for three mothers and three babies; Alexandra Gerston and Anne Brewer, who keep Inwood House in mind for free and discounted tickets to events around town; Jennifer Mayer, who mentors a young woman residing at Inwood House by simply hanging out or going to the movies. There are Alison Green, Megan Martin, Rosalyn Kemp, Vilia Hayes and Xiu Ling, who have had fun helping with Saturday afternoon cooking classes. Whether it's teaching the girls how to knit while sitting on the porch or taking them to a museum, the important thing, says Jean, is not to come with a rigid agenda.

"Just sitting around in the lounge with the girls on a late Saturday afternoon, looking at Lifetime, you can have the most meaningful discussions during commercial breaks that you're ever going to have—just sitting there listening to their ambitions and dreams."

Rosalyn Kemp and Ling Chow between two young women from
Inwood House (at front, to left) and Jeanne Scanlon and
Jennifer Mayer (at back, to right)  —Photo by Laura Yanes