Create House Inc. The Create House organization began in the Harlem community in 1983. A man named Father Ben started it in a storefront. It later moved into the building on 111th and St. Nicholas Ave. In 1997 it contracted with the city of New York to be a homeless DHS drop-in center. It's an outreach program for the community; it helps youth, Senior citizens, single parents, and the homeless. There are several other components to the organization: a Senior Citizens component, an Outpatient component, a Young Adolescent component, a Pantries component called Anthony House, a Transitional Temporary Residency Housing component, Rehabilitation component and Physical Building.

Mr. George Rodriguez became involved in the Create House program through a former member of the organization in 1992. Mr. Rodriguez was the President of the community Shechem service in the south Bronx. His friend desired to be trained on how to run a food pantry in the church. His friend told him about Create House and they both went down to visit the place. Mr. Rodriguez saw an opening for a managerial job and applied for it. Two months later he got the job in the transitional residency component. He later became a counselor.

As a counselor, Mr. Rodriguez counsels in the area the client needs. If the client needs an ID, he will work to get him one. If he needs public assistance, he gets him that assistance. If a client needs clothes, he finds clothing pantries where the client can go to get clothes. He is basically there to help provide all of a client's needs. He helps the client get work and learn to manage money so the client has enough money saved to be able to go on independent living which is the goal of this a Transitional Temporary Residency Housing component.

He teaches clients what could happen if they save their money. Mr. Rodriguez gave this example: A client gets paid and has all the essentials he needs for a week. He wants to keep an extra fifty dollars in his pocket that h does not need. He calculates what fifty dollars would be if he saves it for four weeks and then shows him all the things he could buy with the money saved.

Mr. Rodriguez was saved in 1984 when he started Bible school. He said the Lord put love in his heart for people that are needy. He started to volunteer at a Christian drug rehabilitation center. In 1993 he became ordained as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And he said it became more established in his heart that the Lord led him to be a counselor at Create House.

Mr. Rodriguez said that the program really makes a difference in the lives of people. Some people come with low self-esteem and problems with finding a good job. They sit down with the counselor then find a job they're good at. Later, they return and thank Create House for what it has done to help them help themselves.

Mr. Rodriguez said the goal of the transitional residency component of Create House is for clients to go on independent living. Before any client goes on independent living, they sit down and discuss whether they have enough money so if everything doesn't go right with their work they can still pay rent and essentials.

Charles Farmer Jr., a former client at Create House, came to the program because he said you can't go to a shelter where you live at which is Queens. He was in the program twice, once for four months and then for one year. He gave up his time screeching for what ways he can help himself change his life around. So he went to a private bible study school which helped him a whole lot. He now has his own business and advises youth to stay in school, stay off the streets and listen to their parents.

The Create House organization is very helpful to the community. It provides many centers for people in the community that need assistance. Create House is trying to help needy people get back on their feet. When most people shun the homeless, they treat them as equals and try to help them. They have positive intentions and should help teach others to have the same intentions for needy people.