BronxWorks is grateful for the outpouring of support for our first ever BronxWorks Day celebration. Long-term partners, stakeholders, and friends gathered for the three-part event that included the long-awaited ribbon cutting for the newly renovated Carolyn McLaughlin Community Center (CMCC) Pool, a tour of select BronxWorks offices and locations, and an evening cocktail reception in the CMCC gymnasium. Special thanks to our guests, New York State Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez, who spoke about the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) that helped fund part of the pool renovations, and NYS Assembly Member Latoya Joyner, who helped securing funding for the recent pool renovations as well. Thanks as well to Deputy Bronx Borough President Janet A. Peguero and New York City Council Member Althea Stevens for helping us commemorate the re-opening of this wonderful and important community resource. Finally, thanks to all of our guests who came out to experience the many facets of BronxWorks for a day and helped make it such an illuminating event. 

As a settlement house dedicated to uplifting the communities of the Bronx, a central tenet of our strategy is to hire from within our communities and then help our staff grow into leaders providing the critical services that our communities deserve and need. Case in point: Lisbenny Salcedo, Program Director, Park Haven Supportive Housing. Lisbenny was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. After she graduated high school in the DR, she came to pursue higher education.

Wellness Block Party

BronxWorks Health & Wellness programs held a block party for the community this month! The torrential rain moved the party inside, but that did not dampen the festivities! Children & families got to talk with staff from multiple BronxWorks programs and other community partners. Also at the festivities were hula hooping lessons, indoor versions of yard games, balloon animals, face painting, music, and a cookout style lunch complete with hamburgers, hot dogs, and Coco Helado! A special thanks to City Council Member Althea Stevens for her support and assistance on making this event a reality!

Family Sanctuary Back-To-School Event

Children living in the BronxWorks Family Sanctuary were given new backpacks stuffed with back-to-school supplies ahead of the 2023-24 school year! Our Family Sanctuary shelter, opened in 2022 to assist with migrant families seeking asylum in the United States, houses nearly 90 families. The backpacks and supplies were provided by Volunteers of America and the New York Public Library.

Voter Registration Day

National Voter Registration Day was September 19. Our new walk-in office at 2111 Southern Blvd hosted a Voter Registration and Pledge Event to commemorate the day. Residents and community members signed a form pledging to vote on Election Day, November 7, and received information how to register to vote, early voting, and important deadlines. Click here for more information on how BronxWorks is getting out the vote.

BronxWorks SNAP-Ed & Morris Older Adult Center Group Walk

The BronxWorks SNAP-Ed Nutrition Education & Obesity Prevention program led seniors from BronxWorks Morris Older Adult Center on a group walk in the community surrounding the center. The SNAP-Ed team partnered with Equity Design to plan safe walking routes and lead physical activities along the way. The group walk visited nearby parks and stopped at a community garden to speak with the managers.

With great sadness, BronxWorks shares that our beloved staff member, Rene Ealey, passed away. Rene, a longtime custodian at the Carolyn McLaughlin Community Center, had many close friends across the organization and greater BronxWorks community.

Rene frequently went above and beyond her job title, greeting people at reception, working with summer interns, and even taking part in youth events. Rene would often help direct people at the pantry and, most recently, our weekend family program. If you spent just a few minutes with Rene, her personality, quick wit, and unique sense of humor would shine through. Her laugh was contagious, even during the most stressful times of the day, and always maintained her friendly professionalism. Rene always provided service with a smile, and many staff saw her as the glue keeping operations at the community center together.

We send our deepest condolences to her husband and our BronxWorks colleague, Robert, as well as her family, friends, and all our staff who are still devastated by this loss. BronxWorks will strive to honor her legacy.

We asked staff to share some memories of Rene. Read them here.