Leave the gun take the cannoli (9)

The hallmark of a great man is his willingness to help others succeed and his unconditional loyalty to his friends. Allan Sih lived a quiet life of purpose, dedicating most of his free time to helping friends and strangers in their hour of need.

As a long time New York Cares team leader, Allan spent the better part of his weekends volunteering with people who were struggling with life altering illnesses. He also enjoyed an active social life, maintaining friendships from his teenage years to his final days.

Allan had a strong sense of empathy and the ability to organize everything and everyone in the midst of chaos. His only discernible weakness was the way he made coffee.

When I met Allan he was struggling with a coffee pot at NYU Rusk Institute. We were setting up the snacks at his monthly social event for patients with spinal cord injuries. Alan had carefully measured the water and scooped out a minute amount of grounds. I grabbed the pot, scooped a heaping pile of grounds into a paper cup and said “trust me, and everyone will stay awake through BINGO.” That was the beginning of our friendship and charity collaboration. We chopped vegetables at God’s Love We Deliver, read to kids and served lunch to the homeless for over seven years. We also ate at every vegetarian restaurant below 14th Street.

Allan knew how to pick a restaurant, where to buy the best green tea in bulk, and how to get the best prices on electronics. He was also an expert on chili.

As a former president of the New York Texas Exes, the University of Texas alumni association, he never missed the annual chili cook off fundraising event. He considered himself a Texan as much as he considered himself a New Yorker. I think he was born in Asia, so I guess you could say he was a citizen of the world. And he lived everyday of his life trying to make the world a better place.

Allan Sih’s Memorial will take place on May 7th from 12 to 3 pm at Hill Country, 30 West 26th Street, NYC.
(212) 255-4544

Araceliz Romero-Gonzalez is an educator, child advocate and mother of three. Her teenage son is overcoming the effects of autism thanks to her exceptional parenting skills and tireless efforts to fight for his academic and medical rights.

Last month, Araceliz helped to organize a fundraiser in our neighborhood for Anais Rosado, a beautiful three year old suffering from Leukemia.

As she handed me a glossy invitation, I spied the colorful Caring Bridge logo in the corner of the picture. Caring Bridge is a non-profit that offers websites to critically ill children so that they can keep friends and family in the loop on their medical progress. Many of these children need constant care, and are not strong enough to recieve visitors, these websites are the only way that they can communicate with the outside world. Anais is too young to text, so her mother writes the journal entries about her courage and chemo treatments.

Caring Bridge also accepts donations to help familes defray medical expenses.

For more information about Anais Rosado and the Caring Bridge organization go to www.caringbridge.org search for her story.

March comes in like a lion ready to prey on the innocent little lambs flocking to Sunset Park for a game of basketball.  The  unscrupulous are roaming the streets for fresh blood to feed the insatiable appetite of the ubiquitous gang royalty fighting for control of a certain south Brooklyn neighborhood.  

Information is our best defense.  So, every spring, Children of the City hosts Gang Awareness workshops after their Saturday Reading Buddies Program. In conjunction with GRIPE (Gang Reduction through Intervention and Education), kids and their families learn about the ways that gangs recruit members into a sub-culture that fosters violence and economic suppression.  

An icy grey pentimento in  the deep blue December sky was the first hint that there was something special in the air over Sunset Park.   A string of unseasonably  balmy   days inexplicably  gave way to 6 inches of snow on the afternoon  of Children of the City’s annual Holiday Super Saturday Event. 

  Months in the making, this party was the culmination of a  week long marathon of collecting, sorting and wrapping gifts for  600 families living below the poverty line in soutwest Brooklyn.  

Joyce Mattera, Daniel  Ramos, Marty Raymond and Melissa Perez   orchestrated  every aspect of  the Christmas project from soliciting donations to recruiting volunteers and making sure that  each  gift was  wrapped,  labled and delivered on time.   

Wrapping was never my forte, so I relied on the kindness and expertise of Elizabeth and Jocelyn Greenwald form Park Prep Academy in New Jersey to help me make a dent in the pile of “creativity kits” donated by New York Cares. 

Rumors around the local schoolyard claimed that   Santa  was on a tight budget.  So,  many of the   kids were  convinced they’d be forgotten.  Most of the letters were requests for clothes, sneakers or toys for a younger sibling.    

A virtual round of applause to all of the donors  and  volunteers who helped to make the holidays happier for the  1100 kids who celebrated with Children of the City.    Santa couldn’t have done it without  you!

The annual Boxes of Love Thanksgiving food event at Children  of the City is the only  community service project with all the fun and excitement of a game of Beat  The Clock. 

The first shift of volunteers arrive at noon to help sort hundreds of pounds of canned food  and non-perishables.  They  pack dozens of  bags and boxes of groceries for  families living below the poverty line in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.    

 At three o’clock sharp, the second shift is in place and Daniel Ramos  goes over the game plan.  Dividing the volunteers into three teams he explains that  time is of the essence.   We have one hour  to distribute the boxes to the  clients standing on the other side of the door.   

A former Disney employee instructs the volunteers on ways to make the Children of the City headquarters the happiest place in Brooklyn.   

Each family walks through the threshold to the applause and cheers of smiling volunteers.    Ticket takers welcome guests in Spanish and English.   The families are asked to chose between a canned ham or a frozen turkey package.  Smiling  volunteers carry the groceries and help shepard the kids  outside.  Everyone wishes each other a Happy Thanksgiving  y Felice de Dia de Gracias.    

Children of the City offers a variety of programs to help change the culture of poverty.     

On a good day, running in heels makes about as much sense as running with scissors but I was up for the illogical challenge  to save a child.   Stop Child Trafficking Now was trying to set a world record for a stiletto run in NYC to help raise awareness of the fastest growing crime on Earth.   

The sudden September shower wrecked havoc on our shoes and made 62nd Street and Columbus Avenue a slick mess.   Most of us were more concerned about breaking a heel than breaking our necks.      

The race was short and sweet followed by a walk around Manhattan.  Waiting for the final tally on donations and the offical verdict  about breaking a record took a little longer.

On October 8th, 2009 the official news was posted that the ladies racing in the rain broke the world record for  running in stilettos.   For more information about Stop Child Trafficking Now visit www.sctnow.org

Children of the City stepped up their anti-obesity initiative with the  help of their friends at Pricewaterhouse Coopers, New York Cares and Radio Disney.

Pricewaterhouse Coopers graciously donated their time and energy to organize two events to benefit Children of the City.  In an effort to foster goodwill and teamwork Pricewaterhouse Coopers offers their employees a chance to assemble brand new bicycles for underprivileged kids.  Children of the City president and founder, Joyce Mattera and I had the pleasure of meeting Daniel Rhodes the coordinator of this operation at the Millenium  hotel in Manhattan.   

The Elvis version of “A Little Less Conversation” was blasting though the hotel auditorium as I made the rounds to thank the amateur mechanics and answer questions  about Children of the City.      Mr. Rhodes had announced to the crowd that they only had an hour and a half before Joyce and I would bring in a few kids to see their bikes.

Five kids were picked for the mini field trip to Manhattan, even though all of the students in the Create Success Summer Program would receive a bike the following day.  The kids were completely overwhelmed to see so many bikes in one place.  Jocelyn, a fourth grader, asked for a microphone so she could address the crowd.  She expressed her gratitude on behalf of all the kids.  The crowd was stunned when they realized that these bikes  would be the first ones that many of the kids would ever ride or own.  Of course, the kids invited everyone to come to the Children of the City headquarters and eventually they did.

Last Friday, Pricewaterhouse Coopers employees took a day off to hang out at the Children of the City headquarters in Sunset Park.  They  joined New York Cares program manager Whitney Hampton  and her volunteers  to host a carnival  with music provided by Radio Disney.

The kids played games, painted and ran relay races with the financial services staff.  Later,  DJ Deanna Fernandez and her Radio Disney Road Crew taught the kids a few dance moves.  They could have danced all afternoon but the weather interrupted the fun just before their parents arrived at 3 pm.     

A sudden summer storm  dampened the red carpet   outside of Tribeca Rooftop, as paparazzi and reporters  clamoured for  Gwyneth Paltrow’s attention  as she  walked  into Children of the City’s annual benefit gala.  Hosted by local ABC meteorologist Bill Evans, the Champions of Hope benefit shone a spotlight on the  noble  non-profit trying to change the culture of poverty.

The guest of honor, Gwyneth Paltrow, spoke eloquently about the organization before  the press and the 400 plus guests who came to support the organization.  She graciously spent quality time with several  teenage girls receiving services from Children of the City.     Ms Paltrow and Mr. Evans   went out of their way to focus  attention and admiration on Rosa, a 9th grader in the guardianship program.  They allowed Rosa to speak from her heart about all of the things Children of the City does to keep her safe and healthy.  

Overcoming a sad and difficult early childhood,  Rosa is an optimist.    She speaks respectfully about her biological mother who has been unable to  care for her since she was 5.   She sings the praises of her warm and loving foster family, mentor and tutors.   Her gratitude toward the organization and its sponsors was so  sincere that Rosa received a thunderous  round of applause that made her the biggest   star of the gala.         

Children of the City kicked off the summer with a health fair disguised as a block party. Kids spent the afternoon examining dinosaur bones on the American Museum of Natural History’s mobile exhibit, while their parents learned  the importance of physical and financial health thanks to  representatives from Health Plus, Turning Point, and TD Ameritrade. 

Jude Maragliano, and his  associate Russell, form A M N H’s educational department  patiently answered hundreds of questions as the kids observed replicas of  ancient  bones.     New York Cares volunteers helped the kids transition from the exhibit to sack races, watermelon eating contests and variations on  ring toss games.    They also grilled hot dogs and passed out fresh juice and healthy snacks to over 500 families living below the poverty line.

Sunset Park has a  has a rich history of embracing immigrants from every continent and common wealth in the Atlas.   Ever since the days of Ellis Island, this  south Brooklyn neighborhood has consistenly  welcomed a steady stream of strangers to its  communtiy and classrooms.   

Last semester, Joel Mejia  challenged the students of The Dual Language School in Sunset Park  to be a part of  his  “Dare To Dream Project” and explore  immigrant heritage.   Many of the children enrolled in this after school  endeavor  immigrated when they were babies, others are first generation Americans.   

Joel began by teaching  the kids photography skills.  Then, he empowered them with cameras and took them for walks around the neighborhood.  They discovered  the meaning of juxtaposition by strolling down 8th Avenue.  The children were fascinated with the vibrant colors of the Chinese shops preparing for the Lunar New Year.  Just a few feet away they found a   Mexican bakery and  stores with signs in Arabic calligraphy.

Suddenly, the students were filled with questions on the immigrant experience and how it differed from one group to another.   They learned to appreciate the struggles and accomplishments of their families and neighbors.  When it came time for the kids to select the images to display in the Dare to Dream Media Festival, their compositions proved  thoughtful and sophisticated.  They captured the the pride of the shop owners and the symbols of the various cultures.   The work in the exhibit was professional and thought provoking.                     

The Dare To Dream Media Festival was featured by the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs  2008 Immigrant Heritage Week.