Children of Promise, NYC

I'm raising money to benefit Children of Promise, NYC, and any donation will help make an impact. I have always wanted to use my voice to make a difference and am so excited to raise money for this charity! I have been singing almost all my life and have put a song I sang on my website to be able to achieve that goal. Thank you to all who have contributed! It is so greatly appreciated. Please feel free to visit my website to learn more at https://niekimehrany.squarespace.com/

On my 40th birthday, in lieu of gifts, I’m asking all of my friends and family to donate to a cause that is very important to me. I’m requesting a minimum of $40 donation, but any amount is appreciated! 

Children of Promise, NYC (CPNYC) is a 501(c)(3) certified non-profit  founded in 2009, and based in Bedstuy, Brooklyn. It is the only program of its kind to support children and families impacted by parental incarceration.

Mass incarceration plays a key part in perpetuating systemic racism in our country, but what is not as commonly discussed are it’s young victims – the children of incarcerated parents. It is reported that children of incarcerated parents are SIX TIMES more likely to enter the criminal justice system than their peers. CPNYC’s mission is to embrace children of incarcerated parents, and empower them to break the cycle of intergenerational involvement in the criminal justice system.

CPNYC supports predominately African American and Hispanic children ages 6-18, with a staff of highly trained, certified clinicians, art therapists, and counselors who work hand-in-hand with families.


Some of their programs include:

•       Mental Health Clinic

•       After-School Program

•       Saturday Resource Clinic

•       Summer Day Camp

•       One-on-One Mentoring

•       Advocacy & Family Engagement

•       Teen Program

•       Healthy Meals Program

 
Some further notes about the effects of parental incarceration:

•       Children of incarcerated parents rarely receive the support they need as they suffer the psychological consequences of their parents’ imprisonment.

•       Parental incarceration has recently been designated as an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE), by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). ACEs are traumatic events that can have negative, lasting effects on an individual’s physical health and emotional well-being.

•       ACEs are strongly related to the development of a wide range of health and emotional problems including substance abuse, violence and being a victim of violence, depression, other mental illness and involvement with the criminal justice system.

•       Children served by CPNYC have experienced complex traumas, compounded by multiple traumatic experiences, which are increasingly common for children of color in marginalized communities. Because CPNYC’s children experience an intersection of several traumas simultaneously, they are a highly vulnerable and at-risk population.

•       These specific trauma responses and problematic clinical conditions are often associated with a child’s identity, interpersonal relations, cognition, disruptions in eating & sleeping, self-harming behavior, suicidality, anxiety, dissociation, substance use, and a decrease in academic functioning.

•       Many children affected by parental incarceration experience complex traumas through repetitive exposure to traumatizing events that are compounded by poverty, racism and disproportionate arrest and incarceration rates.

This year’s our 12th Annual Reaching for the Stars Ball is geared towards the advancement of our chapter's philanthropy, "Little Angels". This event will serve to aid Children of Promise, NYC which is a non-profit organization located in Brooklyn that aims to embrace children of incarcerated parents & empower them to break the cycle of intergenerational involvement in the criminal justice system.
 

We, the members of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Incorporated- Delta Zeta Chapter, believe that it is crucial to showcase the importance of this philanthropic cause and opportunity to our community. The chance to assist children left behind by a parent serving time in prison is not only a noteworthy and remarkable cause but also stands as a vehicle of hope to break a cycle that many children growing up New York City face.  As such, your help will have a profoundly positive impact not only on a particular child, but his/her family, as well as the medical community.

We thank you for taking the time to donate, with your support this year's ball will be a monumental occasion to be remembered for years to come.

We, the passionate, powerful and loving leaders known as "A Tribe Called Love" (Tribe) choose to serve "Children of Promise, New York" (CPNYC), an organization dedicated to supporting the children of incarcerated parents through education and mental health programs.

We are committed to supporting, unifying and creating an empowered world of infinite possibilities by raising $20,000 in 20 days (#20Kin20Days) for these courageous children.

Why CPNYC?
CPNYC serves an often "forgotten population struggling with the psychological trauma and social stigma that stems from a parent’s incarceration" .  Their staff training combines the best practices in youth development with mental health strategies and techniques that specifically address the unique needs of these children.

·       AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES provide a safe space, group learning, homework assistance, book clubs, community service and more.
·       SUMMER DAY CAMP operates M-F, 8AM to 5PM in July/August that provides recreational activities and mental health services, as well as participation in non-traditional sports, including golf and tennis.
·       MENTORSHIP: PROJECT DREAM provides children of imprisoned parents, ages 8-18, with one-to-one matches with screened and trained mentors, as part of the agency’s larger mission to break the cycle of intergenerational incarceration.
·       THERAPEUTIC SERVICES trauma-focused therapeutic interventions play a key role in supporting success in school, ability to get along with others, and opportunities to cope with the unique challenges of disenfranchised grief. The Children of Promise, NYC Wellness Center is a New York State Office of Mental Health licensed Outpatient Treatment Program.
·        FAMILY CONNECT  focuses on working with caregivers to eliminate barriers that may exist in the lines of communication between children and their imprisoned parent, coordinate trips to correctional facilities and provide workshops to assist in understanding the regulations and protocols of jails and prisons.

IMPACT
Your donations will support CPNYC's efforts to expand into the South Bronx later this year and replicate the Brooklyn model in a similar high-need area. Additionally, Tribe is seeking to arrange a field trip, volunteer for functions/events and become mentors.

TRUE COSTS
New York State spends $88k a year to incarcerate a juvenile, while CPNYC spends $6k per year to provide preventive & support services to a child of an imprisoned parent.
·       2.7 million children in the US suffer socially, emotionally and economically as a result of parental incarceration
·       In NYC, 58% of incarcerated men and 73% of imprisoned women are parents to children under the age of 18
·      CPNYC is the only after-school program & summer day camp in NYC designed to specifically meet the needs of this target population*
*Provided by CPNYC

A Tribe Called Love sought to go beyond buying a few new computers and/or some art supplies; rather we wanted to continually impact children, their environment, families and future legacies.

These children of promise truly represent the potential for a transformed world, one child at a time.