Honoring The Reverend Brenda Husson

St. James’ Church was instrumental in NCS’s founding and has remained a dedicated partner for four decades. When Rev. Brenda Husson became the Rector there 25 years ago, she inherited the close relationship NCS and St. James’ share. As Rev. Husson prepares to retire later this year and NCS turns 40, the Rector reflects on some of the reasons for the strong bond between the two Upper East Side institutions.

“NCS, along with St. James’, wants to nurture the full humanity of every person who both needs or could use the services NCS provides,” she shared. “NCS sees every individual as a full person with humanity and doesn’t define those in need solely by their situation. It’s the difference between referring to ‘the homeless’ and talking about ‘people experiencing homelessness.”

Rev. Husson saw this ethos envisioned by NCS's founders when they opened a drop-in center in 1984. This 24-hour service was one of NCS’s first programs, providing food, clothing, showers, and connection to essential social services for people who needed this support. “The drop-in center was NCS’s way of saying, ‘just come and be and then we’ll figure out how we can be most helpful to you,’” Rev. Husson reflected. “We didn’t require people to know what they needed ahead of time and come in with a referral. We let individuals know that we wanted to get to know them first and then discover what services they needed with them. Not all homeless people are alike or need the same services the same way housed people don’t all need the same things.”

That focus on humanity continues today. Many of the free meal programs that NCS’s founding partners began decades ago continue today, including St. James’ Tuesday lunch program. “Our lunch guests know that NCS is their ally and advocate, and that’s huge. They know that they’re not seen as a problem to be solved but as a person who we are providing help to, and that makes all the difference.”

As Rev. Husson prepares for retirement, we at NCS wish her all the best and thank her for her 25 years of devoted service to the community.

In honor of NCS’s 40th anniversary, we will be sharing stories about our founders, volunteers, supporters, and staff who make our work possible, and the residents and clients at the center of our mission.
Check back throughout the year as we regularly update the series with new stories from our 40 years here.