CAN YOU HELP?

Dear Friends,

As the year comes to a close, we want to express our sincere thanks for all the support we've received from you, our volunteers and CSA members. In the coming year we look forward to continuing- and hopefully expanding- our community programming. But we need your help!

Right now your support is urgently needed to keep our Sixth Street Afterschool and Summer Youth Program going in 2016. We receive no government funding (we’re not against getting help from the government but this funding has shrunk dramatically over the years) so we rely almost entirely on donations from our friends.

Our Youth Program offers neighborhood children attending local elementary and middle schools a unique experience in the arts, poetry, creative movement and health and nutrition.  Ninety-five percent of our students are from low-income households and attend at no charge.  We pride ourselves on providing a quality enrichment program to families that need it most.

This coming year we’re excited to continue our students’ growing connection with Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).  With the support of our CSA volunteers, students will continue  to receive weekly hands-on workshops in healthy food preparation and juicing using our local produce and  learn about sustainable agriculture through trips to the farm. And right here in the neighborhood our students are learning about community gardening, working at the Fifth Street Farm roof-top garden at Earth School and composting food scraps at El Jardin del Paradiso garden by P.S. 15. 

This January we will start our weekly yoga classes for all participants. And for summer 2016 I will continue to lead our Friday Kids Bike Trips to Governors Island, Hudson River Park, Brooklyn and even New Jersey (with a little help from the MTA)!  Everyone is welcome to join us on these trips. 

 We have two great teachers running our Youth Program- Jen Chantrtanapichate and Libby Mislan. Not only have they done a remarkable job creating an innovative program for our neighborhood kids, but they’ve also launched our new Sixth Street Synergy, a Tuesday night workshop series focused on wellness, the arts, and environmental and social justice. Thus far, participants have enjoyed workshops in essential oils for winter, superfoods for immunity and mood boosting, and basic hand-sewing techniques.

 We are thrilled to share that our Organic Soul Cafe is now open from 9 am-1:30 pm, Monday through Friday! We are serving organic fair-trade coffee and teas, fresh juices and elixirs using produce from our CSA. All proceeds go towards our Youth Program. Please spread the word!  We’ll be working hard to re-launch our dinner schedule in 2016 under the continued guidance of our amazing Chef and Program Director Annette Averette. As part of this, Annette and our CSA volunteers will be offering nutrition and vegetarian cooking workshops to the community.

We look forward to another great year of programming and our twenty-first of Community Supported Agriculture with Hepworth Farm and participating members, schools and community organizations!

Your tax deductible contribution to support our community programs is deeply appreciated.
Warmest wishes during this winter season. 

Howard Brandstein 
Executive Director