Over the years we have crossed many milestones in areas such as transforming vacant lots in the community into 500 units of affordable housing, community facilities and gardens since our founding. We created the Cypress Hills Child Care Corporation, which is still led by local women and worked with local parents to found the Cypress Hills Community School, a parent-governed, dual language school. Our decade-long organizing efforts with parents in the community reduced school overcrowding and led to the construction of three new public schools. Our staff has also helped local high school students organize to win school improvements including funding to start a Student Success Center for college counseling services at the Franklin K. Lane campus, reopening the campus library and implementing restorative justice practices in three local high schools. We also maintain a commitment to neighborhood governance. A majority of our Board of Directors live, work or grew up in Cypress Hills, and their knowledge guides our vision, planning and decision-making. This strong local input shapes the services we provide, including an array of youth development programs, workforce development and housing counseling services, a Middle School Student Success Center (MSSSC), and college access and persistence services that all contain an essential component of peer-to-peer learning and support.