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City Stories 2026 raises more than $1.3 million to directly support University Settlement programs 40,000 New Yorkers count on every year
University Settlement honored the Schall family’s exemplary 60 years of commitment to its community and celebrated its 140th birthday as an institution while raising a record-breaking $1.3 million (and counting) at its annual gala City Stories: Through Generations at City Winery last night, America’s first settlement house announced today.
The Schalls collectively received University Settlement’s Charles B. Stover Award. Named for one of the organization’s founders, an activist who spent his life advocating for and meaningfully achieving social reform in New York City, the award honors individuals and organizations who bring real change to their communities. University Settlement also announced that a room on the ground floor of its historic headquarters at 184 Eldridge Street will now be designated as the Schall Family Welcome Center.
Altogether, four generations of Schall family members – 19 individuals in total – have supported University Settlement financially or by volunteering their time over the last 60 years. This engagement began in 1966 when Ellen Schall, seeking a meaningful experience during her summer break from college, became a camp counselor; she later served on the Settlement’s Board of Directors for 35 years, including as its President (1977-1986) and Vice President (1987-1997). Ellen’s brother Steven Schall and nephew Ben Schall are both currently members of the Board, with Steven having served since 2008 and Ben since 2014; Ben is currently the Board’s Co-Chair.
“We are thrilled to recognize the Schall family’s amazing contributions to our work through generations,” said Melissa Aase, Chief Executive Officer, University Settlement. “From Ed and Rhoda Schall’s generous donations and volunteerism at our former thrift shop, to their children Ellen, Richard, Larry, and Steven’s serving as camp counselors and even chairing our Board, and extensive contributions from other members of the family that continue to this day, the Schall family’s legacy of giving has only grown even as it’s been passed down. Their commitment to our mission has been passionate and extensive; for over 60 years, the Schalls have collectively stepped up and engaged completely with our work.”
“From an early age, our parents taught us to be aware of the inequality in this country, and that we all have an obligation to improve the world,” said Ellen Schall, Honorary Director. “University Settlement is the first settlement house, with aculture of excellence and an impressive legacy of innovation, and the deep relationships we’ve built within this community over the last 60 years have helped us live up to this responsibility, even as we’ve also deepened our connections to each other. As a family, we are sincerely honored that a Welcome Center at 184 Eldridge Street has been named for us, and to receive the Charles B. Stover Award.”
“Giving back has always been important to the Schalls, and it’s really meaningful to have our collective commitment to University Settlement recognized” said Ben Schall, Co-Chair, University Settlement Board of Directors. “We’re also thrilled and grateful that our friends and networks stepped up to help us break our gala fundraising record by such a significant amount. This is an organization that is deeply thoughtful about finding gaps in systems of support, and which develops creative and strategic responses to those gaps that make a difference for the families in our communities. The money we’ve raised at City Stories will go directly to support programs that more than 40,000 New Yorkers of all ages count on every year.”
City Stories: Through Generations was hosted by noted actor, writer, and director Peter Riegert, who is well-known from his appearances in films including Crossing Delancey, Local Hero, and Animal House. Riegert also has deep roots with University Settlement, having worked as a counselor (alongside Ellen Schall) at its former summer camp in Beacon in the 1960s.
For 140 years, University Settlement has gathered its neighbors around a shared purpose: to build stronger, more resilient, more powerful families, and better-connected and better cared-for communities, so we can in turn collectively build a better New York City. Through Generations, our values reverberate.
University Settlement thanks all our donors for their partnership and generous investments in this important work. To learn more about City Stories, visit universitysettlement.org/citystories/