Citizen Contributions

LEAP Raises $450k For Underserved Kids

by | Mar 12, 2024 8:40 am | Comments (1)

Contributed Photos

Caption: Guests attend the Sing Us a Song, Piano Man dinner singalong with Andy Rubenoff, hosted by Drs. Desir.

This Citizen Contribution was submitted by Melissa Liriano, LEAP’s communications coordinator. 

Leadership, Education, and Athletics in Partnership, Inc.’s (LEAP) 29th annual LEAP Year was a great success, with new community connections made, fascinating topics discussed, and delicious food enjoyed by all. The fundraiser brought together public officials, business professionals, philanthropic donors, and volunteers to support LEAP’s mission of empowering New Haven’s youth to become leaders in their communities.

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29th Annual LEAP Year Event Approaches

by | Jan 30, 2024 10:13 am | Comments (0)

Contributed Photo

This Citizen Contribution was submitted by Melissa Liriano, LEAP’s communications coordinator. 

Are you interested in immersing yourself in the world of jazz and inspirational music with the Monk Family Jazz and STEAM Collective? Maybe you want to participate in discussions on health equity with Yale’s Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith or wish to explore the latest climate solutions with former presidential candidate Tom Steyer. The 29th annual LEAP Year Event, on Thursday, February 29, 2024, with additional conversations on March 2, 2024, and April 4, 2024, offers these unique experiences and more through engaging conversations, in-person and on Zoom, with experts from a broad range of fields. 

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Q House Turns 100

by | Jan 15, 2024 11:47 am | Comments (1)

The Q House is celebrating the 100 years that have passed since the community fixture first opened its doors in 1924.

The space will be hosting events throughout 2024, which can be read about here, to honor Q House history and strengthen its current community. Below, we’ve included a letter sent by the Q House Centennial Committee with more details. 

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East Shore Park Soccer Fields Renamed For Douglas W. Rae

by and | Nov 9, 2023 9:15 am | Comments (2)

Contributed photo

Local officials and Douglas W. Rae (third from right) at Founder's Day event.

The following writeup was submitted by Ellen Doon and Mike Galbicsek of the New Haven Youth Soccer league.

On Saturday, Nov. 4, over a hundred people gathered at East Shore Park to celebrate 40 years of youth soccer in New Haven. Members of New Haven Youth Soccer, along with several city and state officials, came together for the league’s first Founder’s Day” event. The event honors Dr. Douglas W. Rae, Professor Emeritus in the Yale School of Management, who founded New Haven Youth Soccer in the early 1980s.

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Jewish Historical Society Honors Career Of Community Service

by | Oct 20, 2023 10:55 am | Comments (1)

Gary Drucker Photo

Robyn Teplitzky, MSW, Honoree of the Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven

This write-up was submitted by Jewish Historical Society President Michael Dimenstein.

Last Sunday, more than 200 members and friends of the Jewish community gathered to recognize Robyn Teplitzky’s four decades of leadership, advocacy, and service to a host of local organizations and agencies. Following an intense week that included violence in Israel and multiple bomb threats against Jewish institutions, the Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven’s Annual Award Celebration provided an opportunity for the community to gather in solidarity and support, and perhaps for a temporary antidote to the pain and grief.

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Super Parent Honored For Family Organizing

by | Oct 20, 2023 9:40 am | Comments (4)

Contributed photo

LaToya Howard (right) with Elm City Montessori's David Weinreb.

The following writeup was submitted by Elm City Montessori School to celebrate Thursday’s recognition of statewide parental involvement awardee LaToya Howard.

Elm City Montessori School parent and former NHPS T.A.P.S award winner LaToya Howard was honored at the Connecticut Family & Community Engagement Conference in Rocky Hill on Thursday as one of five recipients of this year’s State Education Resource Center (SERC) Parental Involvement Recognition Award.

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Author Meetup Explores "The Other Side Of Yet"

by | Oct 5, 2023 10:00 pm | Comments (0)

Contributed photo

At the Sept. 29 New Haven Museum meetup, with author Michelle Hord.

The following photos were submitted by Links member Sheila Carmon about a Sept. 29 book signing and meet and greet with Daytime Emmy Award winner, author, and media executive Michelle Hord. The event was organized by the New Haven chapter of The Links, Incorporated.

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Yale Schwarzman Center's Season Announced

by | Sep 8, 2023 8:55 am | Comments (0)

Nina Westervelt -El Nino production photo

Julia Bullock.

The following writeup was submitted by Babz Rawls-Ivy, the host of WNHH’s morning radio show LoveBabz LoveTalk” and the editor-in-chief of the Inner-City News.

Yale Schwarzman Center announced its 2023 – 24 season lineup featuring boundary-pushing artists and powerful performances. From Corinne Bailey Rae to Renée Fleming, attendees from the Yale and New Haven communities will experience deeply personal and culturally immersive performances.

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Benefit Brings Cooking & Singing For Child Advocacy

by | Jul 26, 2023 8:34 am | Comments (0)

Contributed photo

Chynna Sherrod, Claire Criscuolo, and Josiah Brown.

Connecticut CASA, a New Haven-based nonprofit organization, submitted the following account of a recent event held on its behalf.

On July 20, Connecticut Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) held a Cooking for CASA Benefit with Chef Claire Criscuolo and a musical performance by Chynna Sherrod. 

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Record Donation Supports Hill Health Center For Women In Recovery

by | Nov 16, 2022 3:04 pm | Comments (1)

Dr. Ece Tek, Chief Medical Officer, Mental Health and Addiction Services, Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center; LindyLee Gold’s grandson Ari Kroop; Michael Taylor, CEO of Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center; LindyLee Gold, President of the Amour Propre Fund and recently named Chair of the Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center Foundation board; and local attorney Keith Bradoc Gallant, who assists with the Amour Propre Fund.

Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center has received the largest donation in its 55-year- history, a $1 million infusion that will support a wellness center within a new facility for women in recovery from addiction.

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Freddy Fixer Gala "Uplifts Community"

by | Sep 13, 2022 9:57 am | Comments (2)

ECFFPC’s first all-Black-women parade committee members: Petisia M. Adger (Board of Directors); Joy Sawyer (volunteer); Chanelle Goldson (president); Diane X. Brown (Board of Directors); Jacqueline Glover (Board of Directors); Nina Silva (member).

Petisia M. Adger of the Elm City Freddy Fixer Parade contributed this write-up and these photos from the organization’s Saturday night gala.

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Benefit Explores Music, Culture, Social Change

by | Jul 25, 2022 8:00 am | Comments (0)

Connecticut CASA, a New Haven-based nonprofit organization, submitted the following account of a recent event held on its behalf.

The Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) movement, now in the Waterbury as well as New Haven child protection courts, is growing toward statewide reach. (See the Newsroom.)

Following a 2021 Cooking for CASA” event over Zoom with Chef Claire Criscuolo, Connecticut CASA held its first in-person Benefit event, Thursday, July 14, 2022​.

Addressing Music, Culture, Social Change,” the evening featured a panel discussion moderated by Jeffrey Ogbar, Professor of History and founding Director of the Center for the Study of Popular Music at UConn. Panelists were:

  • Lisa Dent, Executive Director of Artspace;
  • Brandon Sherrod, Connecticut CASA ambassador, musical artist, and pro basketball player;
  • Bradford Watson, CEO/Founder of Spinach Records.

Brandon Sherrod (on Spotify here) played the piano and sang, too. Though he also writes and performs original songs (for example, Corona Freestyle”) and has a new album due out in October, on this occasion Brandon did acoustic renditions of Lean on Me” (by Bill Withers) and Ordinary People” (by John Legend).

Sponsors were Yale University, Claire’s Corner Copia, NewAlliance Foundation, and Russell Hall Co. Chef Claire Criscuolo of Claire’s donated catering, with the Wine Thief donating wine.

{image 1 – headshots of all 4 panelists with title of event}

Historical Context, Music, Identity, Mental Health

Professor Ogbar — as a historian whose next book, for Basic Books, is on white nationalism in the shaping of Atlanta — framed the discussion with allusions to figures ranging from Billie Holiday, Sam Cooke, and Nina Simone to Woody Guthrie. Then, Jeff Ogbar (who grew up in Chicago and Los Angeles in the 1970s and 80s before attending Morehouse College in Atlanta) spoke of the 1980s, when urban deindustrialization, fraying social safety nets, rising crime and incarceration coincided with the rise of hip-hop. He noted that the genre has seen both misogyny and female empowerment, glorification of materialistic capitalism and critiques of extreme inequality, mass incarceration, and violence.

Lisa Dent, with a career across artistic media before her current leadership role at Artspace, evoked Prince and the Revolution” as a point of departure, for not only music but understanding of gender fluidity and other matters of identity. As the conversation moved from music and culture to mental health, she remembered her late father, a psychiatrist who preceded her at Howard University and became a trusted confidant to many, including to fellow Black men.

The challenge of sharing one’s vulnerability, especially in the public eye and especially given bias around Black masculinity, was another theme.

Brandon Sherrod spoke about intersections of artists and athletes. A native of Bridgeport, he came to prominence nationally when, as a Yale political science student and member of the men’s basketball team, he left the university during 2014 – 15 to tour the world as a Whiffenpoof singer. (See articles in the New York Times, Guardian, ESPN, Boston Globe, Sports Illustrated, etc. ) He returned a year later, helping his team to win the Ivy League and defeat Baylor in the NCAA tournament, while setting the NCAA record for consecutive field goals. Since, he spent five years playing pro basketball (and speaking Italian) in Italy, before playing in Finland and then Israel in 2021 – 22. As noted at the July 14 Benefit event, he is playing this summer with the Nerd Team” in a national tournament televised by ESPN

{image 2 – Brandon at free throw line for the Nerd Team, 7/22/22}

(That team won its first two games, Brandon among three former Yale players — with Azar Swaim and Jordan Bruner — in the starting lineup. The team is scheduled to play again Monday night, July 25, at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.)

Along the way, Brandon is creating his own musical catalog with pioneering label Spinach Records.

Bradford Watson, his colleague as CEO/Founder of Spinach Records, spoke about the label’s fundamental emphasis on artists’ mental health. A graduate of Wilbur Cross High School and more recently of Harvard, he recalled meeting Brandon in New Haven — while the latter was a Yale undergraduate and Brad Watson himself was still in high school. Their artistic collaboration continues to develop, as Spinach Records now has a recording space in midtown Manhattan, while balancing music with artists’ well-being.

Q & A with the Audience

In attendance were not only Board and other volunteers for Connecticut CASA (such as Advisory Council member Jessica Sager of All Our Kin) but also a range of leaders and advocates from across the region — from Ronnell Higgins of Yale University to Dotty Weston-Murphy of the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and Lauren Ruth of CT Voices for Children.

Amos Smith, who as CEO of the Community Action Agency of New Haven was one of four colleagues from that agency at the July 14 event, commented as a former clinician himself — on the power he saw in this public discussion of mental health (days before the new national 988 hotline took effect).

In response to a question from Lindy Lee Gold (whose civic leadership with nonprofits from r Kids to Christian Community Action is well documented), Bradford Watson explained that Spinach Records is indeed now a B Corp, after having begun in the form of an LLC

{image 3 – 4 panelists}

An Ironically Named Gang”; toward Community

Brad Watson also conveyed the label’s ironically named Instagram handle: @SpinachGang. The company obviously defies stereotypical assumptions about gangs,” while offering camaraderie and mutual support to its community.

Community” was a word that Brandon Sherrod used in concluding with his singing of Bill Withers’ and John Legend’s songs, each of which elicited rousing applause. 

(In the days ahead, see Connecticut CASA’s YouTube channel for video of Brandon’s rendition of Lean on Me” — piano and voice.)

Community is also (with collaboration, integrity, respect, quality, service, and stewardship) among Connecticut CASA’s core values.

Connecticut CASA Growing

The Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) movement is now in Waterbury as well as New Haven, the two largest Child Protection courts, growing toward statewide reach. (See the Newsroom.)

The CASA program model assumes 1 staff person for each 30 volunteers, on average serving 75 children in need. Working with professionals in the child welfare system, Connecticut CASA’s volunteers are supervised by staff who ensure high-quality advocacy and follow-through, including regular reporting to judges.

{image 4 – panelists with Connecticut CASA staff Josiah Brown, Vallerie Dontes, and Catherine Ramirez Mejia}

The organization is expanding under a 2016 state law, as discussed in June 2021 opinion pieces in the Connecticut Mirror and New Haven Register, along with news articles in the New Haven Register among other places, as well as a TV interview with Ann Nyberg of WTNH Channel 8.

The CASA approach is associated with greater stability, fewer placements and increased permanency for children, as those with CASA volunteers are only half as likely to return to the foster care system and spend 25% less time there, with a one-on-one connection to an adult and greater access to community services through the sustained, resourceful efforts of that caring adult. Connecticut CASA is governed by a Board, who with an Advisory Council, Ambassadors, and professional staff extend the reach of Volunteers for children’s best interests.

CASA volunteers meet with children regularly, getting to know them and their circumstances — including teachers and social workers, foster parents and families. CASA receives court appointments in both Foster Care and Protective Supervision cases. Carefully screened and trained through a systematic curriculum and part of a national network recognized for improving outcomes, CASA volunteers make evidence-based recommendations to judges. At the center: these caring, consistent volunteers’ relationships with the children themselves — with whom these adults can make a lifelong difference through one-on-one interactions at a difficult time.

Connecticut CASA is funded through a blend of public dollars, foundation grants, individual donations, and sponsorships such as those that made the July 14 Benefit possible.

Visit the website at ConnecticutCASA.org for information about the CASA role; how to volunteer; news on grants, partners, Great Give fundraising, the board, advisors, and ambassadors—both former Yale student athletes. Social media include a new YouTube channel, atYouTube.com/ConnecticutCASA.

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Next Up At The Q: Fresh Produce

by | Jun 17, 2022 8:30 am | Comments (4)

LEAP sent in the following write-up:

As summer kicks into full swing, the Dixwell Q House announces a new Farmers Market in collaboration with CitySeed. The Farmers Market will occur at the Dixwell Q House plaza (197 Dixwell Avenue) every Wednesday from 3 pm to 6 p.m. starting on June 22nd until October 26th. The Q‑House Farmers Market is a partnership also involving LEAP, the Stetson Branch of the New Haven Public Library, the City of New Haven’s Dixwell-Newhallville Senior Center, and Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center. Opening day for the Farmers Market will bring together Connecticut farmers, artists, musicians, community members, and, most importantly, plentiful fresh food in the heart of the neighborhood. 

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1,220 Stroll For Childcare

by | May 20, 2022 9:36 am | Comments (1)

Friends Center for Children sent in this article and these photos about a recent event it organized.

What do we want? To fix child care! – and have some fun along the way.

Last Saturday marked the 10th New Haven Family Stroll and Festival, an annual event to raise awareness and much-needed funds for high-quality early care and education. After a two-year Covid-induced hiatus, this year’s event grew by over 300 people and had over 1,220 children, parents, educators and advocates converge at the Quinnipiac River Park for a day of awareness, fundraising and family fun

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