What's Happening

Union Settlement's 14th Annual Day of the Dead Celebration

Ballet de San Juan Diego performs traditional Mexican dance in front of a large audience at Union Settlement’s 14th Annual Day of the Dead Celebration on Monday, November 2. The program also featured Mariachi Real de Mexico and other performers, whose shows surrounded the perennial centerpiece of the community altar, which the attendees decorated with photos, fruit, and other artifacts. With this year’s theme of Los Angelitos (little angels), children designed paper flowers and candy figurines for the altar and danced and sang in the shows. Celebrating Dia De Los Muertes is one of Union Settlement’s proudest and most robust traditions, made a success each year by talented artists, musicians, and volunteer cooks. The night was capped off, as always, by a candlelight ceremony into Union Settlement’s garden.

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Free Arts NYC Treats Rising Stars Children to Day of Arts and Mentorship

Union Settlement teamed up with Free Arts NYC on Saturday, October 24 to match 80 children, including 52 members of our Rising Stars elementary school program, with 75 volunteers for a day of mentorship and creating art. The children built sculptures, decorated masks, and painted wall murals, all while conversing with their volunteer mentors on a one-on-one basis. The afternoon culminated in a pizza party and an interactive break-dancing performance. Free Arts NYC is a non-profit that provides underserved children and families with a unique combination of educational arts and mentoring programs that help them foster the self-confidence and resiliency needed to realize their fullest potential. The event was attended by Councilmember Melissa Mark-Viverito of Manhattan Community District 8.

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National Latino AIDS Awareness Day

Carlos Santos of MTV Tres and Mariela Lucas, Miss Dominican Republic 2009, take OraQuick ADVANCE® rapid HIV tests in front of an audience of East Harlem residents during the National Latino AIDS Awareness Day health fair at Union Settlement. The afternoon’s speakers and performers drummed up support for HIV/AIDS prevention within the Latino community of New York City, which has one of the highest rates of Latinos living with HIV/AIDS in the nation. Speakers included The Honorable Melissa Mark-Viverito, District 8 Councilmember; Guillermo Chacon, Interim Executive Director of Latino Commission on AIDS; and Dr. Monica Sweeney, Assistant Commissioner of the Bureau of HIV/AIDS and Control, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The event was co-sponsored by Manhattan HIV CARE Network and was attended by members of CARE Network and the community.

Mizuho Volunteers Revamp Entire Garden

More than 100 volunteers from Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd. donated their time and talents to renovate and upgrade facilities at Union Settlement on Saturday, September 26. They reconstructed the amphitheater stage in El Sitio Lindo garden, repainted the auditorium and playground set, laid new gravel on the pathways, replaced raised beds, and planted nearly 1,000 tulips. Union Settlement would like to thank Mizuho Bank and its volunteers for giving our garden and offices a beautiful face lift.

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East Harlem HIV/AIDS March and Health Fair

J. Martin Garcia Orduna, Coordinator of Union Settlement's Manhattan HIV CARE Network, leads a march of HIV/AIDS prevention activists as part of the 8th Annual East Harlem AIDS March and Health Fair. Over 30 Manhattan-based health organizations, including many CARE Network members, participated in the fair and disseminated information to scores of visitors.

Two mobile health service providers were on hand to offer free HIV testing and blood pressure screenings. East Harlem has the second highest cumulative AIDS and living AIDS case rates in New York City. Union Settlement combats these conditions through its lead role in the Manhattan HIV CARE Network, a consortium of more than 35 service providers in the community seeking to improve the availability, accessibility, quality, and coordination of services for people living with or affected by HIV and AIDS.

Cenicienta/Cinderella Performed in the Garden

A captivated audience looks on as The Puerto Rican Traveling Theater performs their rendition of Cenicienta/Cinderella in the garden of the Union Settlement. Scores of seniors, children, and community members of all ages laugh along with the mobile musical, which seamlessly blends English and Spanish dialogue in their performance.

Rising Stars Expo

Seydina Sall presents a chart on an experiment about the effects of earthquakes as part of the 3^rd Annual Rising Stars Science Exposition. The event marked the culmination of the 2009 Rising Stars summer day camp, which engaged over 200 campers, ages five to 12, in a multidisciplinary, theme-based literacy program. With this year’s theme of Natural Disasters, each group learned about a calamity of their choice through creating artwork, reports, and educational displays.  One group simulated a hurricane for their “news reports” while another reported on the relative effectiveness of sand bags versus bags of dirt in holding back floods. Dozens of family members attended the Fair to celebrate this work and enjoy an afternoon of live music and pizza.

Mayor of Rome Visits Union Settlement

On Tuesday, July 21, Gianni Alemanno, the Mayor of Rome, Italy, visited Union Settlement and toured the garden area created by the students in Union Settlement’s Rising Stars program, with the assistance of Concrete Safaris, a not-for-profit that promotes youth environmental awareness and exercise.  Also participating in the visit were NYCHA Commissioner Margarita Lopez, Citizens Commission for New York City President Peter Kostmayer, and Concrete Safaris Executive Director Sharon Levine.  The New York Times report on the visit is available here: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/22/from-the-spanish-steps-to-spanish-harlem/.

Union Settlement Association Featured on CBS Channel 2 Report on NYC’s Day Care Cutbacks

On Wednesday, July 15, CBS Channel 2 News did a report on New York City’s impending cutbacks to day care, and the impact on working parents.  The reporter interviewed Stephanie Irby, Union Settlement’s Director of Childcare Services, as well as the parent of a child at the Union Settlement Leggett Memorial  Day Care Center.   The text of the report and the accompanying video are available at http://wcbstv.com/local/budget.cuts.daycare.2.1087216.html.

Sounds of East Harlem Benefit: Raising Vital Funds for East Harlem Families

On April 21, more than 200 supporters of Union Settlement gathered in the glorious Prince George Ballroom to celebrate the hard work of the agency as well as the achievements of its two honorees, Hope Knight, COO of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone (UMEZ) and Universal Business Solutions, represented by its CEO, Abe Thomas.  [Read more...]