Four decades of heading Harbor, a nonprofit organization, and exerting leadership in the sector
Lew Zuchman, the esteemed executive director of SCAN-Harbor, has dedicated nearly four decades to leadership and service in the nonprofit sector, focusing on supporting children and families in Harlem, East Harlem, and the South Bronx. His long tenure in such a demanding role suggests significant personal commitments and challenges typical of nonprofit leadership.
Over the years, Zuchman has worked tirelessly, often sacrificing personal time and facing emotional and financial strains common to nonprofit executives devoted to community service. Leading SCAN-Harbor, an organisation that integrates support for vulnerable populations, has required enduring ongoing resource challenges, managing funding shortfalls, and navigating the complexities of social service delivery in economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Zuchman has made significant personal contributions to the nonprofit sector. He is the founding president of the Human Service Consortium of East Harlem, the largest standing community networking body in New York City, which includes 30 to 40 not-for-profits in East Harlem and Harlem. The Consortium aims to coordinate, integrate, and support each other to better serve the community.
Zuchman's dedication to community service is deeply rooted. He was one of the original 1961 Freedom Riders, a group of civil rights activists who risked their lives to challenge segregation on interstate buses and in bus terminals. This experience instilled in him a profound commitment to fighting for social justice and equality.
Jackie Robinson, the legendary baseball player and civil rights advocate, is one of Zuchman's biggest heroes in nonprofit work. Robinson's biography was the first book Zuchman ever read, and his commitment to not fighting back for three years, no matter what they said or did to him, continues to inspire Zuchman today. Robinson, despite his success, consistently fought for the rights of Black people at a personal cost to himself.
SCAN-Harbor runs the only inner-city LGBQ program based in NYCHA developments, offering a range of programs supporting children and families. As the largest service provider in Harlem, East Harlem, and the South Bronx, SCAN-Harbor plays a crucial role in these communities, providing essential services to those who need them most.
In recognition of his outstanding work, Zuchman is currently a professor at City College of New York, where he graduated many decades ago. His commitment to doing more than just providing good services at his organisation is evident in the impact he has made on the lives of countless individuals and families in New York City's underserved communities.
Zuchman, in his role as professor at City College of New York, frequently encourages online education and learning as a tool for self-development and education-and-self-development, often emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and adaptation in the nonprofit sector. Despite his already substantial contributions to the community, he continually seeks improvement and innovation, believing that constant learning can lead to even greater impact in the lives of those he serves.
Having been inspired by Jackie Robinson's enduring commitment to standing up for social justice, Zuchman has also incorporated these values into his work at SCAN-Harbor, focusing on supporting disadvantaged populations and offering online education and learning opportunities tailored to their needs, ensuring that they too have access to resources for self-development and education-and-self-development.
