About

Bringing Communities Back to Health

Community Health Action operates programs that serve tens of thousands of Staten Islanders each year. We run a food pantry, mobile food pantry, domestic violence services, a 24-hour substance use recovery center, harm reduction services, care management programs for people with HIV and other chronic illnesses, alternatives to incarceration for people involved with the criminal justice system, HIV prevention and testing, and community-based health education services. For over 30 years, our programs and people have been bringing communities across Staten Island back to health.

Mission

Community Health Action of Staten Island drives dramatic improvements in the health of Staten Islanders.

We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion inside and outside our organization. Our mission to drive dramatic improvements in the health of our community is not just about medical appointments and prescriptions. Our responsibility as community leaders and advocates requires us to address and confront the root causes of inequity and disparities in health outcomes. One of the most glaring causes is the systemic racism within many of our institutions, within our national fabric and within ourselves. We must ensure our voices are heard loud and clear that – as a nation, as a community, as an agency and as individuals – racism must be called out in all the ways it manifests itself and we must act boldly to undo the injustice.

Core Values

Our Core Values guide our work and our organizational strategy:
Deliver WOW! Quality Service
Act with Empathy and Respect
Embrace and Drive Change
Be a Creative Problem Solver
Work with Humility and Dignity
Pursue Personal Growth
Build a Supportive Team
Focus on Results
Stay on the Ethical Path
All while having fun!

Testimonials

"For the first time, I took a chance because sometimes you can’t do it by yourself. You need that pat on your back. You need that affirmative. You just need it. You need to develop a whole new community of positives. And that’s what CHASI is."

David

on growth

“After I was safe, CHASI gave me appointments to come every three days, connected me to the food pantry, they registered me with a doctor. I never knew I would be a happy person. This CHASI community, they took me as their family. This agency I believe was created because of me - to help people like me."

Toyin

on second chances

"Miracles do happen, recovery is possible. I think that’s what I like about this place. They see sometimes what we don’t see."

Aliza

on recovery

Our History

In 1988, a group of Staten Islanders who were concerned about the impact of AIDS on our community came together to address the stigma, the discrimination, and terrible conditions of people with AIDS on Staten Island. This group of activists, providers, family members, and people living with HIV created the Staten Island AIDS Task Force.

Over the years, our services expanded to address the evolving needs of the HIV community as well as other people in need. We now have programs to connect Staten Islanders to the care they deserve, through services for people in recovery from drug and alcohol use, alternatives to incarceration for people with criminal justice involvement, LGBTQIA+ affirming programs and initiatives, a food pantry and mobile food pantry, harm reduction services and syringe exchange, overdose prevention trainings, and community-based HIV, viral hepatitis, and STI testing.

In 2004, we changed our name from the Staten Island AIDS Task Force to Community Health Action of Staten Island to reflect the expansion of our services. In January of 2015, we joined Brightpoint Health, bringing community-based services together with high-quality medical, dental, and behavioral health care. Brightpoint joined with Hudson River Health Care in 2018, and the merged organization is now Sun River Health. Together, we make significant and measurable improvement in people’s health and wellness, so they can enjoy a better life for themselves, their families, and within their communities.