News Items

The celebration of BronxWorks’ 40th anniversary year is coming to a festive close with our Annual Gala, to take place Monday, June 10 from 6 to 8:30 pm at Landmark on the Park, 160 Central Park West.

This year we are honoring:

As we’ve done in previous years, BronxWorks is now offering no-charge tax preparation services, including free e-filing, at two locations through April 15.

Our Morris Innovative Senior Center (80 E. 181th St.) will be open to tax filers Monday through Thursday 10am-7pm, Friday 10am-5pm, and Saturday 9am-5pm.  BronxWorks’ Burnside Avenue walk-in office at 2070 Grand Concourse schedules Saturdays 9am-5pm for tax services.

2012 is not over yet but if you supported BronxWorks in 2011 or early 2012, here are just a few highlights of how you have helped our neighbors in the Bronx:

 

The NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA), in cooperation with the Mayor’s Office and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has set up multiservice Restoration Centers in the areas most affected by Hurricane Sandy. BronxWorks has been chosen to help run the Restoration Center in the Throgs Neck section of the Bronx.

Residents in need of home repairs get help from NYC Rapid Repairs, a new program designed to streamline the process of finding contractors to repair damaged homes.

On October 11th, BronxWorks and the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) marked the 20th anniversary of its Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) program.

HIPPY is a home-based early childhood development and parent education program that serves mostly immigrant parents.  It gives parents the tools to be their children’s first teachers and helps prepare 3-5 year olds for success in kindergarten and beyond.

On June 28th, BronxWorks held a grand opening and ribbon cutting for a new farmers market location in the Morris Heights neighborhood.  The Heights Community Farmers Market will be open every Thursday until November 15, from 9 am to 3 pm.  The market is located at University Avenue and West 181st Street, on the corner of the Aqueduct Walk.

On May 17th, the BronxWorks Teen Action program held a Global AIDS Awareness Fashion Show at the Bronx Museum of the Arts (just down the block from our Community Center).  The purpose of the event was to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in the Bronx and the world at large.  The fashion show featured three dresses (pictured above) made out of condoms specially designed by the teens.  The dresses were modeled by BronxWorks staff.

On Saturday, April 28, twenty children from the BronxWorks Aquatics Program attended the 17th Annual Big Swim Meet at Asphalt Green.  The swimmers (aged 6-12) competed in 25-yard freestyle races and received medals, t-shirts, and ice cream.  The day included a diving demonstration by members of the USA Olympic Team and a synchronized swimming performance from Canicius College.  Thanks to BronxWorks Water Safety Instructor Eileen Towey for coaching our young swimmers, and also to Lifeguards Julieann Ortiz and Christian Almont.  Congratulations to all of the swimmers!&n

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach for the over 60-set.  As one of the city’s eight new Innovative Senior Centers (ISCs), the BronxWorks Morris Senior Center is now an example of what services for older adults should look like in the 21st century.

Some 126 seniors were on hand on Saturday, January 21st, for the center’s kickoff ceremony.  It is now known as the BronxWorks Morris Innovative Senior Center.