Fall Meals 2025

When I first met Candace Bell* in a group session at Chance for Change, she sat quietly, listening as another member shared their story of recovery. Later, she told me how surprised she was to hear someone speak so openly about their struggles. Years of living with substance-use disorder and surviving domestic violence had left her guarded—unwilling to be vulnerable. 

After escaping an unsafe situation, Candace was living in a women’s shelter. A friend invited her to join the group, but she admits she only came to pass the time while waiting for her dorm to reopen. She was exhausted, depressed, and weighed down by shame and fear. 

Candace didn’t believe change was possible. But the group was welcoming, the staff was encouraging, and the coffee was hot…so she kept coming back. At first, she only listened. Slowly, she began to share. In that judgment-free space, Candace began to rediscover hope. 

Getting her life back on track wasn’t easy. Candace needed stable housing, trauma-informed care, and a community that believed in her. She found all of that at the NCS Residence on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. What began as a place to live became a place to heal.