This Mother’s Day we celebrate the mothers and daughters who are the cornerstone of our community, and motivated to ensure that Harlem remains as vibrant and whole as it was prior to the Coronavirus Pandemic.
IN HONOR OF MOTHERS & DAUGHTERS
This Mother’s Day,
SUPPORT HARLEM NOW!
Make a Personal Gift or
Make a Gift in honor your Mother
or the “Mothers” in your Life
THIS IS A MOVEMENT
OF THE PEOPLE
The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce would like to especially acknowledge the drive, dedication, and hard work of our Mother and Daughter Friends, Board Members, Staff and Consultants, who provide the guidance, direction, inspiration, and uplift that allow our communities to thrive.
Barbara Burwell
Temple-Jene Fleming
Stephanie Francis
Belinda Gordon-Brown
Sandra Harris
DiAnne Henderson
Julie Henry
Debi Jackson
Kay Lawrence
Pamela Lee
Lucille McEwen
Tina McRae
Betty Park
Joyous Pierce
Carrie Robinson
Jackie Rowe-Adams
Michele Scott
Melissa Skinner
Charlotte Sutton
Keisha Sutton-James
Linda Walton
Our Progress
Below, please find some of the ways that contributions have been utilized to assist those in need.
COMMUNITY FOOD INITIATIVES
Thirty days ago, we began a daily food distribution in partnership with ReThink Food NYC and Salem United Methodist Church located at Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Boulevard & West 129th St. to feed seniors, families, and homeless persons. Since we began this community food initiative, we have doubled the 500 meals originally provided and now serve over 1000 persons daily.
The New York Post applauded our efforts in their April 19th article:
“NYC soup kitchens are now serving grad students, actors, and musicians.”
Brittany, a 35-year-old Ph.D. candidate at Teachers College at Columbia University, who declined to give her full name, says she started visiting food services at Salem United Methodist Church in Harlem a few weeks ago after her partner lost his bartending job. “I’ve been going two or three times a week for lunch,” she said. “The fresh air makes it seem a little less scary.”
Manna’s, Sylvia’s, Ponty Bistro, Melba’s, and a number of other Harlem restaurants are preparing meals for first responders including NYPD officers, and the medical and support staff at Harlem Hospital Center.
We immediately recognized that the demand for food was great and recently expanded our partnerships to include West Harlem Group Assistance, Cabot Creamery, Hormel Foods, and New York Road Runners who are donating pre-packaged food and pantry items which will be distributed to residents of our neighborhood affordable housing complexes at one of The Chamber’s storefronts on West 135th Street.
PERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT (PPE)
In partnership with the President of The City College of New York, we have distributed Personal Protection Equipment (gloves, gowns, and masks) to Harlem Hospital Center.
TECHNOLOGY
The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Silicon Harlem is responding to the Coronavirus pandemic by working to close the technology gap in Upper Manhattan. The emphasis is on seniors, students, shelters, and hospitals where communication tools are needed most. The effort is focused on devices, connectivity, and digital literacy. Based on new technologies deployed by Silicon Harlem, over 1300 vulnerable households now have internet access. The effort has also allowed us to provide some households with devices. In addition to supporting the fundraiser, we encourage you to donate (used or new) devices (tablets/computers) for distribution to many of our neighbors who are unable to afford these critical communication tools.
MEDIA AND PROMOTIONS
To ensure that our communities are well informed, The Chamber, along with experts from Columbia University, The City College of New York, hospitals, civic and cultural groups, and government agencies, are providing daily content on a variety of topics for on-air personalities at WBLS-FM, WLIB-AM, and WHCR-FM (The City College of New York) to keep listeners informed about the latest Coronavirus news as it relates to important health, business, and community updates. We are providing articles, editorials, and ads to our print partners including NY Christian Times, NY Amsterdam News, NY Carib News, Positive Community Magazine, and Schneps Media.
We are dramatically saddened that thousands of our extended families of all ages have been sequestered, hospitalized, and unfortunately hundreds have passed away including some of our relatives, staff, members and partners. GOD BLESS THEM ALL.
With that in mind and recognizing that communities of color are two to three times more likely to be impacted by COVID-19, we are committed to ensuring that HARLEM and communities of color, nationwide and beyond, rebound from the pandemic to become stronger than before.