His politics is also traditional, which means he can generate a crowd - as he intends to do tomorrow afternoon with other unions and social-service groups for a rally in lower Manhattan against the Governor's proposed budget.

The city has only 250 beds for homeless families; the city's social-service groups say they could fill 3,000.

"It's going to be a city that is more uncomfortable for everyone," said Penelope Pi-Sunyer of the City Project, a coalition of social-service groups that monitors the budget.

The after-school program provides a meal for 100 youngsters, paid for by government agencies and delivered each weekday by Boys' Harbor, a social-service group.

While many residents support Ms. Reiter's move, social-service groups and civil libertarians are questioning its legality.

The New York center operates an emergency shelter program for battered Asian women and receives referrals from local hospitals, the police, churches and social-service groups.

"They are demonizing the needy," said Frank J. Mauro, director of the Fiscal Policy Institute, a group financed by labor unions and social-service groups.

The Mayor said he hoped social-service groups, which played an important role in his campaign, could give him room to maneuver.

May 8 - A wide-ranging auction of antiques, vacations and other items will be held at the Jan Hus Presbyterian Church, 351 East 74th Street, to benefit the church's social-service groups.

During the day, the volunteers worked for several social-service groups.