Women’s History Month: Isabelle Weiner
Q: What brought you to CHiPS?
Isabelle Weiner: What struck me immediately about CHiPS was how genuinely community-focused it remains, even after more than fifty years of service. So many nonprofits can feel weighed down by administrative bureaucracy, but at CHiPS, you feel something different the moment you walk in: an energy and purpose where everyone is oriented around service to our guests first and foremost. As the organization has grown, that commitment hasn't diluted. We consistently center the voices of our guests and residents in our programming, and our volunteer base remains the true backbone of everything we do. The mission of supporting our Brooklyn neighbors isn't just something written in our reports; you feel it every single day.
Q: Do you have a specific memory that speaks to what working at CHiPS means to you?
IW: It's less one memory and more a mentality that I keep coming back to: all hands on deck. At CHiPS, when you see a gap, you step in — regardless of your title or how long you've been here. I think of our Executive Director stopping mid-conversation with staff to help carry in a food delivery, or taking a few minutes out of a busy day to sit with a resident and make sure she gets exactly what she needs. Whether you've been volunteering with us for years or you've just walked in for your first shift, you are immediately an integral part of the team. We show up as a unified front, because that's what our neighbors deserve.
Q: What does women's history month mean to you?
IW: Women's History Month is a moment to be intentional, to consciously celebrate what women have built and fought for, and to honestly reckon with the obstacles that women, and especially women of color, continue to face every day. The gender pay gap, the weight of balancing career and caregiving, domestic violence; these aren't abstract issues. They shape quality of life in profound ways. For me, this month is a reminder of why that support matters and why the work we do at CHiPS is inseparable from the broader struggle for gender equity.
Q: Do you think that the mission of CHiPS contributes to gender equality? (if yes, how so?)
IW: Absolutely. Our Frances Residence is a women-only shelter serving pregnant women and single mothers, a space designed specifically around their needs and dignity. Our Director of Case Management works directly with guests and residents to connect them with resources tailored to their circumstances: childcare support, job opportunities, and much more. We have a strong community of supporters across Brooklyn who ensure our guests have access to period products, and our mothers have diapers, wipes, and the essentials they need. Every day, in ways large and small, we are working to make life a little more manageable for the women who come to CHiPS.