At this year’s gala we honored two remarkable women who have made great contributions to the Cypress Hills community: Silvia Belmonte and Emily Estevez. Silvia is an incredible young woman who has and continues to help local high school students navigate the path to college at our Student Success Center at the Lane high school campus. Emily Estevez was a founding member of the Cypress Hills College Success Partners, a group of NYC-based career professionals who volunteer their time to help young people from Cypress Hills and East New York chart a road to higher education.

The funds we raised at this event will help cover our basic program and operating expenses and enable us to respond to Cypress Hills’ ever-changing needs. We put these generous donations to work serving and educating young people, supporting young adults to gain admission to and succeed in college, helping residents secure good living-wage jobs with career ladders, engaging youth in fun, educational afterschool programs and summer camps, building and preserving affordable housing, greening the neighborhood and mobilizing Cypress Hills/East New York to fight for justice.

We are extremely grateful for our host committee’s hard work and the generous support from our sponsors. Visit our Facebook page to see additional photos from the event.