2019-2020 Impact Report

Approved for NTA for  African American Non-Profit Organizations under Microsoft program which provides us the software integration into our Science, Technology, and Engineering Program. This sponsorship provides Business Premium Office 365 plus other collaborative programs to enhance the overall effectiveness a responsible and accountable organization for over 135 students and 10 staff members.

As a financial literacy focused element of our math program, this sponsorship covers the training  and certification for an ambassador program for financial education  for 1  student in our program. This sponsorship enables them to be trained, certified and recognized as a national ambassador for financial literacy and credit risk management  through the curriculum of National Financial Educators Council. To remove the stigma of lack of financial literacy within the low-income community.

SCMA provided the sponsorship for 10 youth-artists to be compensated in our Diversity ART Mural in Northampton, MA. Their sponsorship provided the youth stipends for their community involvement and artistic contribution. This changed the stigma of lack of diversity within  ART industry and lack of financial compensation for work provided of services. This sponsorship was a clear indication of support to advance the BIPOC community in under-paid  opportunities by providing the payment for this.

NEFA provided the sponsorship for our 3 lead BIPOC artists to be compensated for our Diversity Mural to transcend cultural and social injustices happening each and everyday in the ART industry. With this sponsorship, we were able to bring awareness within the community of Northampton and provide a community workshop, magazines, and huge mural where bikers past each second of the day on the  Norwottuck Rail Trail Bridge. #economicdevelopment

To provide firsthand experience into high demand industry specific experience for the youth e serve, AZURE provides us the software sponsorship for engineering for AI (Artificial intelligence),  machine learning, app building, SQL Database with serverless storage, deploy Windows and Linux virtual machines across cloud and hybrid environments  and more. This is provided to 125 students we serve.

Thank you to OPERATION WARM, we were able to distribute over 100 children's brand new coats to kids displaced from Puerto Rico and local in-need residents of Springfield at Mayor Sarno's office. Operation Warm donated the coats to kids we served. 100 kids received brand new coats.

We provided over 580 masks and 30 hand sanitizers to youth at the community center we serve. Through the community support of in-kind donations, hand-made masks by donors, and factory made donations of masks, we impacted 400 youth and 100 staff and volunteers.

We provided nine (9) laptops to the local community center, Boys and Girls' Club Family Center to fill the technology gap of no laptops at the center. These laptops also provide the software exposure and experience for our Microsoft and AZURE sponsorships to the youth through our S.T.E.A.M. program. Although laptops were provided to students, there was still a lack among multiple sibling households or those without internet. 

We partnered with YEA Arts Collective to provide an opportunity for BIPOC students and artists to be paid while providing a community conversation about social injustices happening worldwide while capturing ART through a Diversity mural. The mural was funded through NEFA, SCMA, and community donations through gofundme. The mural was backed by the Northampton Arts Council, Mayor  Narkewicz , and Police Commissioner Kasper for the location to be under the I-91 bridge on the Norwottuck Rail Trail.

We partnered with Ranowo.org, a fundraising platform for BIPOC and Latinx/Hispanic serving organizations founded by a Black Woman, named Esther Ladipo. We joined forces to provide a framework for donors to know funds are going directly into the organizations that services the youth of minority communities. We partnered during our time of the holiday season to bring awareness to donors for donations off our Amazon Wish List for our Annual Toy Drive and Emergency Disaster List

This was our 4th annual toy drive, we received several toy donations from different organizations supporting our local toy drive, but we were graciously sponsored by the Hampden County Marine Toys for Tots Foundation in Chicopee. Toys for Tots donated over 8,000 toys to us to support over 500 families right up to Christmas Eve. We provided several registered families toys and last minute requests with at least 2 toys per child. We had over 40 local volunteers from city-based organizations. 

With all the volunteering that has been contributed to several of our projects and events, there has been a financial impact of $8,000 with over 45 volunteers over the course of the year since Jan 2020. We cannot achieve the mission without your support and time.