Georgiette Morgan-Thomas and George Sanders

CB9M Member Rev. Georgiette Morgan-Thomas was named Robin Hood Foundation 2005 Hero

The Robin Hood Foundation Honors Five New York City Heroes

Georgiette Morgan-Thomas and George Sanders
Goddard Riverside Community Center

Georgiette Morgan-Thomas and George Sanders
2005 Hero

Georgiette Morgan-Thomas, Director, and George Sanders, Resident, Goddard Riverside Community Center's Corner House.








Watch Video of Georgiette Morgan-Thomas









Watch Video of George Sanders

Since 1997, Georgiette Morgan-Thomas has been running Corner House, Goddard Riverside's permanent housing in West Harlem for the mentally ill and elderly. Here she has created a community�not an institution�for people who otherwise may be chronically homeless or suffer long stays in hospitals or jails. Compassionate and available 24/7, Georgiette helps residents cope with the side-effects of medication, fight their addictions, and deal with the aftershocks of a lifetime of neglect and abuse. She also enables them to assimilate into society which, in turn, has made Corner House the heartbeat of a once dangerous neighborhood.

Each summer, Georgiette arranges for the street to close so children and families can play in safe, outdoor space. The residents help serve breakfast to the neighborhood kids. During the holiday season, they throw a party for the children.

Helping the mentally ill and destitute are Georgiette life's work and her passion. She is one of the thousands of unsung heroes at non-profits throughout the city that work miracles every day.

George Sanders, a resident of Goddard Riverside's Corner House, never really had a chance to live a normal, healthy life. His mother and grandmother died by the time he reached age 5 and he was taken in by an aunt and uncle. To counter his hyperactivity, they fed him beer and by age 10, George was reaching for alcohol by himself. When he was 13, he fled his aunt's house to escape constant beatings and was homeless on city streets and subways for the next 30 years.
Goddard Riverside found George, by then a crack addict, an alcoholic and mentally unstable, living in Central Park. At first he didn't trust them, but they kept coming back, giving him sandwiches and greeting him by name.

Today, for the first time in his adult life, George lives in his own apartment and proudly shows off his couch and a stereo. Corner House has helped him set up a bank account, taught him how to manage money and pay rent. He is mentally stable and has been sober since 2003. And, he has a new family�Georgiette and the residents of Corner House. One day, George hopes to help someone who is struggling with homelessness and addiction like he did for three decades.