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| Kevin Coffey Retires After 28 Years of Helping Youth |
"Twenty-eight years ago, I walked into 1720 Church Avenue -- a much different space than it is today -- and somehow felt it was a place where I might make a contribution," says Kevin Coffey.
"What I didn't know was how much it would contribute to me."
Next month, Kevin will hang up his CAMBA ID and retire. His legacy: CAMBA's juggernaut of youth services and hundreds of thousands of New York City kids who have benefited substantially from the programs he built.
Currently
Senior VP of Education and Youth Development, Kevin worked with CAMBA's first dropout prevention program and went on to expand and enhance CAMBA's portfolio of youth and family support services -- ranging from violence prevention, to Beacon and Cornerstone community centers, to Summer Youth Employment, among many others.
Joanne M. Oplustil, CAMBA's President and CEO, said: "
Kevin has always gone above and beyond his everyday responsibilities at CAMBA, taking on many different roles to truly serve as the backbone of the organization. In those early years, Kevin not only supervised programs, he was also our resident carpenter, custodian, mover, M.C., and beloved 'Director of Distribution' for our annual Thanksgiving Turkey Drive."
"Kevin established our 'primary person model' for youth services, a philosophy that ensures that young people always have a supportive adult they can rely on. This principle now guides all of our youth programs," said Valerie Barton-Richardson, CAMBA Executive VP.
"He loves seeing staff flourish, as well. As dedicated as Kevin is to kids, he is as supportive to staff," she added.
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| Penguin Random House Goes Miles for Literacy |
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| A few four-legged friends of Penguin Random House employees came out to show their support for literacy and reading programs. |
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The five-mile walk -- along the Hudson River on a sunny Friday morning -- ended at the beautiful 72nd Street Boathouse, where these generous publishers enjoyed some well-deserved refreshments and lunch.
"About 800 individuals contributed to this campaign, and every dollar raised will help expand our literacy services for struggling New Yorkers," said
Joanne M. Oplustil, CAMBA's President and CEO. "
She added, "Thanks to these gifts, more mothers in shelters will learn to read to their children, low-income middle school children will gain a love of reading, high-school students will receive literacy help that opens doors to college and immigrants will gain skills to read, write and speak in English."
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| Junior Board Joins Tenants to Beautify CAMBA Gardens Phase I |
CAMBA's Junior Board members got their hands dirty this summer at CAMBA Housing Ventures' CAMBA Gardens Phase I, a 209 unit sustainable, affordable and supportive housing development. These 10 dedicated volunteers gardened alongside six tenants, then toured the LEED Platinum development. A gardener from the
Horticultural Society of New York
shared expert gardening advice with our volunteers and tenants.
The gardeners spread nutritional soil into the vegetable beds and planted yard-long beans and statice, which are cheerful flowers that will be harvested and dried in the fall providing the hallways and common areas bright flowers throughout the winter.
This month, the Junior Board will return to CAMBA Gardens Phase I to celebrate the garden's harvest and to help tenants pick vegetables for a healthy cooking presentation with a local chef.
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| More Than 1,000 CAMBA Youth Are Working This Summer |
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| Kadianne Morris_ a 19-year-old full-time student at Long Island University_ is enjoying her second summer in the SYEP program._ |
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CAMBA's
Summer Youth Employment Program drew in more than 1,000 young participants, who will spend six weeks of their summers gaining entry-level workplace experience. This summer's number of SYEP participants was the highest of any program year that CAMBA's had over the last decade, said Daniel Manbode, SYEP's Program Manager.
"Studies show that early work experiences have lasting impact on young people and their future earnings," Daniel said. "Through SYEP, young people learn basic working skills -- managing their time, working on a team, communicating effectively with supervisors and customers and so more -- that will serve them for a lifetime."
This invaluable program, he added, also provides some economic relief to families strapped for cash.
This summer's fleet of SYEP students are working in a range of roles. Among the private sector employers are:
Victoria Stennett Realty, Latin Fever Dance Studio, Gwen Moore Professional Services, Big Bang Screen Printing,
Auh Yuh So Nice Restaurant, Dawgs All Day,
Sweets and Treats Bake Shop and
Doc D's Southern Desserts.
Participants are also working in CAMBA's food pantry, day care programs and summer camps and in government offices.
Good luck to our hardworking SYEP participants as they continue to serve their communities and beyond!
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| Violence Out Brownsville Celebrates New Home |
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| Violence Out Brownsville's new office opened in June. |
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A standing-room-only crowd gathered on June 14 to mark the opening of Violence Out Brownsville's new office at 1667 Pitkin Ave.
The new space enables
Violence Out Brownsville to expand its services aimed at curbing gun violence in the neighborhood.
Started in 2015,
Violence Out works with young people in Brownsville, Brooklyn, who have been involved with or are at risk of becoming involved with gun violence and gangs. The program offers participants a variety of wrap-around supportive services, including job training programs and access to employment, legal and therapeutic services, conflict mediation and more.
Learn more about CAMBA's Violence Out program and new office in the Brooklyn Reader.
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| CAMBA Gardens Phase II Opens Applications for Affordable Apartments in Wingate |
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| Rendering: Dattner Architects |
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CAMBA Gardens Phase II -- our newest development -- is now accepting applications for 110 affordable rental apartments under construction at 560 Winthrop Street in Brooklyn's Wingate neighborhood. The deadline for applications as part of the HPD lottery is September 12, 2016.
Developed by CAMBA Housing Ventures, CAMBA Gardens Phase II is a 293-unit, LEED Gold, permanent, affordable and supportive housing development, located on the campus of Kings County Hospital Center.
This development is a continuation of the successful
CAMBA Gardens Phase I,
a national model for partnerships with a public hospital, non-profit community developer, social service provider and community stakeholders to redevelop underutilized hospital property into much-needed sustainable, supportive and affordable housing.
In addition to the 110 units available through HPD's affordable housing lottery, CAMBA Gardens Phase II will provide 182 units for formerly homeless families and individuals.
Click
here
for more information on CAMBA Gardens Phase II and the application process.
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| Coming Soon: CAMBA Casino Night Out 2016! |
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Celebrate CAMBA's 2016 achievements at our gala fundraiser, where we'll enjoy cocktails, food, an auction and our ever-favorite casino.
Our honorees include:
- JPMorgan Chase, which partnered with us on our Affordable & Supportive Family Housing at Van Dyke and has supported CAMBA's work in the community for more than 30 years; and
- Dr. Barry Smith and The Rogosin Institute, one of the nation's leading centers for kidney disease, which contributed new computer labs for homeless families at CAMBA's Kensington Family Shelter and Flagstone Family Center.
WHEN: Thursday, November 3, 2016
TIME: 6 pm to 10 pm
WHERE: Tribeca Three-Sixty°, 10 Desbrosses Street, New York, NY 10013
Tickets and sponsorships are available online
here.
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Visit
CAMBA.org to learn more.
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Donate today and help support CAMBA's life-transforming services for 45,000 New Yorkers in need each year.
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