Hearts of Gold inspires over 400 NYC homeless and low-income children to pursue an education while drumming up excitement for the new school year ahead.
8th Annual Hearts of Gold Back To School Backpack Giveaway took place on Saturday, August 17th in the Flatiron District
*Several recent studies have shown that homelessness has skyrocketed in many areas of our country. New York City is certainly not immune to this epidemic. There are over 114,000 homeless children from shelters, doubled up, or in other temporary living arrangements in city schools and another 80,000 children under the age of five waiting in the wings according to the Institute for Children, Poverty and Homelessness. Those numbers are staggering.
Hearts of Gold, a New York City-based non-profit has been positively impacting the lives of these children since 1994. On Saturday, August 17th, Hearts of Gold NYC brightened the lives of more than 400 children and held a block party at the 8th Annual Hearts of Gold Back to School Backpack Giveaway on 26th Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue.
The block party was a vibrant and lively event from start to finish. Over 60 volunteers turned out to support, inspire and excite the Pre-K to 12th graders. They cheered them on, helped them to select that special backpack, entertained them, built lego structures, fed them, danced with them, assisted them in tie-dyeing tee shirts and more. Hearts of Gold knows that a prepared child is a confident child. Providing them with these well needed school supplies is a major step in helping them to understand that they are capable of fulfilling their potential in and outside of the classroom… and in life.
Despite the hard circumstances these children face daily, they were happy to be there participating in the day’s events and truly gracious and thankful to be receiving the necessary school supplies. They left the event feeling ready and prepared for a new school year.
There are many challenges faced by homeless children that present potential barriers to achieving academic and personal success, such as needing the basic life necessities of food, shelter and clothing. According to an article in the New York Times, homelessness rates are rising dramatically. At 144 NYC public schools, a third of the children are homeless. Homeless students tend to struggle academically with just 12% of students living in shelters passing the state math exam, and 15% passed English.
Sadly, many homeless students are failing at rapid rates but there is a glimmer of hope on the horizon. There are those out there in their communities, like Deb Koenigsberger and Hearts of Gold, who are changing the game. They are, with their support, rewriting the ends of these children’s stories. In a report released in February by the Research Alliance for New York City Schools, a New York University-based group that studies the city’s public schools across town found that support outside of school helps the students benefit INSIDE the school. It just goes to show how additional support, no matter how little, can make a monumental positive change.
No truer are those words than those spoken by a guest of honor and alumnae of Hearts of Gold from 21 years ago, Jacqueline Brown (pictured below). Jacqueline attended the event on Saturday as a graduate of the HoG program. She volunteers to give back, and now as a student herself, she too was rewarded with an honorary backpack. She will need it since she will be attending college this fall to get her Bachelor’s degree.
“As a mom who has been in the same place as a lot of these moms, I am now in a position to help these same moms, my message is to keep reaching, keep moving, keep trying and don’t lose hope. You can change your life and make things better for you and your children. If you are as lucky as I have been, to have someone believe in you and help you to understand all you can be, appreciate that! Hearts of Gold and Deborah Koenigsberger have been there for me and my children and helped us to grow in ways I never dreamed imaginable.”
“I kept the school supplies because I need those but I thought you could use this backpack so I wanted you to have it. I can use my old one.” If that is not grace… I do not know what is. One heart opened, that opened another heart.
Deborah Koenigsberger is the Founder and CEO of Hearts of Gold, a non-profit organization that provides the support, tools, education and training required to overcome the key elements that define poverty, such as: limited access to education, social discrimination, and lack of participation in decision-making. Hearts of Gold helps homeless mothers and their children reimagine their future and assists in transitioning them out of shelters and into permanent homes.
This is a big year for Hearts of Gold as they are celebrating their 25th Anniversary year with a massive Silver Anniversary Celebratory Event on November 7th. Since its founding in 1994, Hearts of Gold has positively impacted the lives of 33,720 homeless and low-income single mothers and their children by partnering with shelters in the entire NYC area targeting all five boroughs. By working in partnership with the women and children to lower the recidivism rate, Hearts of Gold helps them gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to transition out of the New York City shelter system and become fully independent and productive members of the community.
“As much as it warms me to the core to see these children so excited and appreciative of a backpack filled with school supplies, it also pains me. There are things that should not be and this is one of them. The words “homeless” and “children” do not belong together.
If we help children, all children, to understand how valuable they are, I can’t think of a more powerful scenario.” Deborah Keonigsberger
Visit www.heartsofgold.org to learn more about ways you can make a difference.
source:
Allison Allieri Hayden
account director
mulberryandastor.com
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