Fostering self-reliant families and healthy, sustainable communities.
June 2022
As the month of June comes to a close, we want to share with you just a few things we did this month towards our mission.
REVITALIZE COMMUNITIES
On June 11, we partnered with the Passaic Street Business Association to host the 3rd Passaic Street Classic. This event celebrated Trenton's creative talent and one of its oldest commercial strips with live music, local art, food, and games provided by our T-Recs (mobile recreation services) truck. We had a blast engaging with residents and supporting the local businesses.

Hear what some of the community members in attendance had to say about the event here.
TRAIN AND EDUCATE
One of our most meaningful days of the year is the Isles Youth Institute Commencement. We celebrated 7 graduates getting their high school diplomas, PACT (Pre-Apprenticeship Certificate Training) certifications, and internship experience in their desired fields. Kevin Perez was one of our graduates who overcame many challenges to graduate. He tried going through our programming twice unsuccessfully before completing it this year, and he said that he didn't give up because he "knew Isles would work with [him]." Kevin had previously been impacted by violence, had trouble with the legal system, and struggled to move forward. This year, he completed his program, was selected for our Martin Family award, and hopes to eventually earn his Commercial Driver's License. When asked about the impact of his story, Kevin said, "There are other people who go through what I went through and I want them to know it's not over."
LIVE GREEN AND HEALTHY
This month we hosted one of our most popular garden events of the year, the Summer Garden Social. This event brought together community members at our Incubator Garden to learn about our program, share in our garden's bounty, and enjoy the summer weather. Want to learn more about our garden programming? Visit our website.
BUILD WEALTH
We hosted our annual Welcome Home Fair for First-Time Homebuyers on June 15th. This virtual event featured presentations and Q&A sessions to help attendees learn about the home buying process and decide if purchasing is right for them. In addition to Isles staff, we had vendors, real estate professionals, and other experts discuss their own tips and tricks for home buying. To access our First-Time Homebuyer resources and view the virtual vendor tables from this event, click here.
LEARN, SHARE, INNOVATE
One of Isles' main objectives is to learn, share, and innovate in Trenton and beyond. This month, we hosted our second annual Virtual Forum, a week-long series of virtual workshops and panels that brought together over 600 attendees to learn about topics like urban sustainability, community engagement, violence prevention, and more. To watch recordings of forum sessions and learn more about the event, visit our forum website.
UPCOMING EVENTS
  • Increase the Peace Mural Celebration - Join us on July 7th for a community hand printing ceremony and celebration of the completion of the new mural at 33 Tucker St that represents peace and unity in Trenton. This mural is part of our Increase the Peace initiative that supports local youth in reducing violence through creative engagement.

  • First-Time Homebuyers Workshop - We're hosting a workshop for potential first-time homebuyers on July 9th. Click here for more information and to register.