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Newsletter
May 2011
In This Issue
Modern Family's Ty Burrell visits Citi Field Kids
Fighting for Children
Viacommunity Day
"Don't Cut the Core" City Advocacy Day
Junior Board Career Panel
Cooking for Healthy Communities
Citi Supports UNH College Access Initiative
Settlement Houses and Social Justice Forum
Healthy Communities Through Healthy Food- Vote Now!

Modern Family's Ty Burrell visits Citi Field Kids

                      
Ty Burrell and CFK 2011
NY Mets GM Sandy Alderson with Desmond Johnson and Ty Burrell
Everyone's favorite goofy dad from ABC's Modern Family spoke at the first Citi Field Kids game of the season on May 5th. Modern Family's Ty Burrell told kids from Grand Street Settlement, East Side House Settlement, and University Settlement/ East Side Community High School, "It's ok to be afraid....often the fear is telling you it's something important and worth fighting for."  

 

Ty also joined lucky 10-year-old Desmond Johnson (Grand Street Settlement) for the first pitch.  

 

Citi Field Kids is a collaboration of UNH, the NY Mets, Citi and the Jackie Robinson Foundation that will bring hundreds of kids to watch the Mets and learn about Jackie Robinson this season.

 

Fighting for Children
                      

In February, the City announced plans to implement the largest cut to child care in more than a generation.  This cut would have terminated child care for thousands of working families who need somewhere safe and nurturing for their young children during the day.  After intense advocacy from UNH and its coalition partners, Mayor Bloomberg presented a plan that restores some of the money that would be cut, but will still lead to a child care system serving many fewer children.

 

UNH is at the forefront of the fight to preserve child care.  UNH staff and member agencies are organizing working parents to bring their stories to policymakers and the media.  The media has responded by running stories across many outlets including NY1, News 12, DNA Info, City Limits and others.

Nancy on NY1 discusses childcare cuts
UNH Executive Director Nancy Wackstein (left) participates in a panel discussion on NY1 political show Inside City Hall with host Errol Louis, City Councilmember Annabel Palma and Mercedes Rodriguez, a parent of a pre-schooler at UNH member agency Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation

View Inside City Hall clip here 

Viacommunity Day
                      

We were thrilled that Viacom President and CEO Philippe Dauman stopped by to help out at United Neighborhood Houses' 2011 Viacommunity Day.  

 

This is the third year UNH has been involved with Viacom's annual corporate service day and it was better than ever.  

 

Volunteers served over 400 lunches to seniors at UNH member Hamilton-Madison House City Hall Senior Center.

Viacommunity Day 2011

Viacom President and CEO Philippe Dauman stands (middle) with Viacom volunteers.

Click here for more photos from Viacommunity Day

 
"Don't Cut the Core" City Advocacy Day
 

On May 17th, over  50 executive directors, staff members, volunteers and clients from more than 20 UNH member agencies participated in UNH's 2nd Annual "Don't Cut the Core" City Advocacy Day at City Hall.   

They met with policymakers in Mayor Bloomberg's  

administration and the City Council.                                        Don't Cut the Core

 

City Advocacy Day focused on preserving the core services that keep communities strong. With the theme of "Don't Cut the Core", it gave policymakers in the middle of a difficult budget season the opportunity to interact directly with important community organizations.  

 

 

                   

Junior Board Career Panel

On May 18th, UNH's Junior Board held its second in a series of career panels for college-bound young people.  

 

The panel included accountants from Ernst & Young, a JP Morgan Investment analyst, a research assistant from The After School Corporation, a rising senior at The Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, and the Deputy Chief of Staff from NYC's Mayor's Office of Contracts.  

 

A huge thank you to everyone who shared their story with the young people at UNH member Goddard Riverside Community Center.

 

If you are interested in joining a panel or learning more about the Junior Board, please reach out to Jesel Roosevelt at  [email protected]

Cooking for Healthy Communities 

The first phase of UNH's Cooking for Healthy Communities concluded this spring, with approximately 50 cooks from UNH's membership completing the 24-hour training program.

 

The program included instruction in technical skills and nutrition information with a focus on disease prevention. Technical assistance and resources were provided to plan and implement community nutrition education activities.  

 

Chefs from UNH corporate partner ARAMARK are now volunteering their time to mentor these cooks to support the implementation of what was learned at the training.

 

At present, cooks from childcare programs, senior centers, homeless shelters and HIV/AIDS service programs are making healthy changes to their menus, swapping items like white rice for brown rice and incorporating more fresh (as opposed to frozen) produce.


Citi Supports  

UNH College Access Initiative  

On May 26th, the OPTIONS program at UNH member Goddard Riverside Community Center held the final of two Culmination and Evaluation meetings for the UNH Strengthening Settlement House College Access Programs initiative.   

 

With generous support from the Citi Foundation, staff of five UNH member agencies increased their capacity to provide effective college access services for low-income students through participation in the 60-hour Foundation and Framework for College Access Counseling Course.   

 

Those agencies were CAMBA, The Educational Alliance, Grand Street Settlement, Henry Street Settlement and Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement House. Participants will continue to build on their skills through peer learning activities facilitated by UNH.


Settlement Houses and Social Justice Forum

On April 15th, UNH and Goddard Riverside Community Center co-sponsored a discussion on Settlement Houses and Social Justice with panelists: UNH Executive Director Nancy Wackstein, Louise Knight (settlement house historian and author of two books on Jane Addams), and Frances Kunreuther, Director of the Building Movements Project and a Senior Fellow at the NYU Research Center for Leadership and Action.  

 

UNH's Ken Walters facilitated the discussion. There was consensus that settlement houses have not only a glorious history of social activism, but remain in the forefront of efforts today in the fight for equity and fairness.


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United Neighborhood Houses
Board of Directors
Honorary Chair
Sidney Lapidus

President 
Lewis Kramer

Vice Presidents 
Patricia M. Carey
Roger Juan Maldonado

Treasurer 
James W. Barge
 
Secretary & Counsel
Thomas M. Cerabino

Board Members
Eric C. Andrus
Paul F. Balser
Darel M. Benaim
Julie Copeland
Marc S. Dieli
Sue Fox*
Mark Handelman*
Mark Hershey
Nelson Hioe
Alain Kodsi
Jack Krauskopf
David W. Kubie
Anne C. Kubisch
Ann L. Marcus
Ilene Margolin
Carolyn McLaughlin*
Eugene P. Nesbeda
Kristin Nygreen
J. Donald Rice, Jr.
Stephan Russo*
Thomas C. Skrobe
M. Bryna Sanger
Arthur J. Stainman
Beth Taylor
Patrick Vatel
Wanda Wooten*
Michael Zisser*

*Member agency representatives

Emeriti
Richard Abrons
Barbara B. Blum
Anthony D. Knerr
Emily Menlo Marks

Executive Director
Nancy Wackstein



 
 Spring Appeal: A Success in More Than One Way
appe
Thank you to all the wonderful supporters who made UNH's Spring Appeal a resounding success.

With your help, we raised a total of $50,000 drawing down the full $25,000 challenge match from two UNH Board Members Paul Balser and Lew Kramer.

And, UNH's work had a real impact. While the Mayor's budget released just last week restored all but 7,000 of the 16,000 children slated to lose their childcare in September, we still need your help to save childcare for working families.

Thank you everyone!

Donate Now

Healthy Communities Through Healthy Food- Vote Now!  
_Pomonok Seniors Green Market CC.mov

Vote Here 

UNH's Community Experience Partnership project--Healthy Communities Through Healthy Food

-- is working in low-income communities to increase access to affordable fresh food with older adults from these communities serving as key project leaders.   

 

UNH's project is part of a national effort of The Atlantic Philanthropies to demonstrate how older adults can be mobilized to address important community needs.  The New York Community Trust is the local funder of the project.  

 

UNH members involved include:  Bronx Works, Queens Community House and United Community Centers.

 

Please vote on the video above which showcases a Healthy Communities through Healthy Food project run by UNH Member Queens Community House.  

 

Voting for the best video is open until 11:59 p.m. on May 27, 2011

Congratulations  

to UNH Member Services Associate Lauren Antelo  who just completed her Master of Science Degree in Urban Policy and Management from Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy in which she focused on community development finance.  

Lauren Antelo

Lauren Antelo, Master of Science


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Check out the new UNH YouTube page

We Need Your Support

Donate Now button 

 

Your contribution will help UNH to strengthen New York's communities.  

 

Right now, we are working closely with our 37 member agencies to fight for continued funding for working families and children in New York City whose child care will be lost this Fall due to budget cuts. In September, we hope these working families will not be forced to make life-changing decisions. We are advocating for the kind of common sense support that will help the parents of our City keep working and contributing to our economy.  

 

To get more involved with signing petitions and other forms of advocacy on this issue, go to our child care campaign page at  

www.facebook.com/SaveChildCare  and also UNH's facebook page www.facebook.com/unhny   


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2011