Barbara Smith we miss you!

Community Dialogue NYC is moving — not because of big money, but because of our volunteers. We're neighbors serving neighbors: training young people to recognize a mental health crisis, bringing therapy to families in shelter, and putting groceries into the hands of families who need them.

WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW

- 250 young people trained in Teen Mental Health First Aid. This summer, our Wellness Director Mabel Martinez-Almonte led sessions with RiseBoro youth, teaching teens how to recognize when a friend is struggling and how to get them help.

- Parent & Child Family Activity Program. Our occupational therapist Regina Lehman led therapeutic group sessions for families living in shelter, in partnership with Bushwick Family Residence — building bonding, play, and hope. Families are asking for more.

- Minds Matter. Mental health counseling and support for individuals and families.

- Groceries for families. During the pandemic, we kept food flowing the entire time through partners and neighbors. After the pandemic we closed our walk-in pantry — today we buy groceries based on each family's needs.

- Street outreach. Meeting our homeless neighbors where they are, with compassion and practical help.

- Bringing "SHIFT" to our youth. In May 2026, for Mental Health Awareness Month, we partnered with the nonprofit Tell My Story to screen their film SHIFT at a local high school. The film opened the door for honest conversations about mental health, isolation, and the importance of being heard — students who are normally quiet spoke up, asked questions, and connected emotionally. They wrote us thank-you letters afterward. The film carries the story of Tell My Story's founder, Jason Reid, whose 14-year-old son Ryan died by suicide in 2018, leaving a note asking his father to "tell my story."

- Housing help that lasts. When a young man experiencing homelessness needed a path to stability, our team sat at the care-planning table alongside his care coordinator, shelter provider, and city agencies. In the spring of 2025, he moved into a staffed residential placement — where he remains housed today, with daily structure and ongoing support.

POWERED BY VOLUNTEERS

Community Dialogue NYC has no paid staff — not even our CEO. Our work is carried by our volunteers, who show up every week because they love this community.

OUR TEAM

- Joanna Fuentes-Singh — Founder & Chief Executive Officer (volunteer)

- Mabel Martinez-Almonte, OTR/L, MA MHC, NCC — Wellness Director & Teen Mental Health Facilitator

- Regina Lehman, MS, OTR/L — Occupational Therapist

- Julio Medero — Community Outreach

- Wendy Huff — Treasurer

- Isaac Archie — Finance

Mission Statement:

Community Dialogue NYC Inc. partners with Christian organizations, community neighbors, families, and community-based partners to support and develop sustainable programs that help people thrive.

We are committed to creating pathways toward mental wellness, family connection, community stability, and healing, with a particular focus on individuals and families experiencing mental health challenges, homelessness, social isolation, and other barriers that affect their well-being.

Through our Street Quietude Mental Health & Homelessness Approach, we engage community members where they are, building relationships through compassion, dialogue, outreach, education, and practical support. We believe meaningful change begins with listening, restoring dignity, strengthening relationships, and creating opportunities for individuals and families to reconnect with their communities.

Our work is grounded in a communal reconciliation and healing approach. We equip youth leaders, advocates, families, and community partners with knowledge, skills, and resources to recognize concerns, respond appropriately, connect people to available services, and become positive contributors to the well-being of their communities.

Goal:

Our goal is to help create healthier, more connected, and more resilient communities by empowering individuals, families, youth leaders, and community advocates with the knowledge, relationships, and resources they need to thrive.

Community Dialogue NYC Inc. seeks to strengthen the community through programs that address mental health, homelessness, family wellness, youth development, and community connection.

We believe that young people can be part of the solution. Through leadership development, education, community engagement, and hands-on opportunities, we equip youth leaders and advocates to recognize challenges affecting their communities, respond with compassion, and help connect families and individuals to appropriate resources.

We also envision developing Diálogo Comunidad Cocina (DiaCo), a community kitchen initiative designed to provide hot meals while creating opportunities for community gathering, youth development, culinary arts, hospitality training, and paid internship experiences.

Through our programs and partnerships, including Minds Matter, the Parent & Child Family Activity Program, Street Quietude, and future community initiatives, we seek to build bridges between individuals, families, organizations, churches, service providers, and community neighbors.

Our ultimate goal is to promote communal reconciliation and healing, strengthen families, restore connection and dignity, and contribute to a safer, healthier, and more compassionate community where everyone has an opportunity to thrive.

Groceries for families. During the pandemic, we kept food flowing the entire time through partners and neighbors. After the pandemic we closed our walk-in pantry — today we buy groceries based on each family's needs.

In the face of Covid-19, we are doing everything we can to continue our support of North Brooklyn’s well-being and development. Our focuses include safety, nutrition, education, mental well-being, and civic engagement