New York, NY
- (June 16,
2011)
Partnership
With
Children
raised over
$610,000 at
its 2011
Spring Gala
held on June
2.
Highlighting
Partnership's
focus on
at-risk
youth was an
inspiring
talk by
Brooklyn
high-school
senior
Hortensia
Bonilla, who
described
her journey
from near
drop-out, to
a top
student
eager to be
the first in
her family
to graduate
from high
school.
The Gala
also honored
the
philanthropic
work of
Citigroup
Chief
Administrative
Officer Don
Callahan who
was
presented
with the
Anne
Vanderbilt
Award for
Achievement.
The Board of
Directors of
Partnership
With
Children
also
recognized
long-serving
Executive
Director
Michelle
Sidrane with
the
Leadership
Award for
her work in
vastly
increasing
the number
of school
children
being
helped.
"Our social
workers make
sure the
children in
our program
are fed,
clothed,
supported
and ready to
learn," said
Sidrane, "We
help their
families
receive the
services
they need
and which
help them
get back on
their feet."
Dinner
co-chairs
included
Greg Hodges
of Verizon,
Janet Lewis
of
Hewlett-Packard,
Joe Profeta
of EMC and
Sarah
Steiger of
Microsoft.
In support
of
Partnership's
social and
emotional
learning
goals, IBM
Corporation
served as
Grand
Benefactor
of the
event.
The Anne
Vanderbilt
Award for
Achievement
is named
after the
founder and
first
president of
Big Sisters,
Inc., which
was founded
in 1908. Now
known as
Partnership
with
Children,
the
organization
strengthens
the
emotional,
social and
cognitive
skills of
at-risk
public
school
children
through its
Open
Heart-Open
Mind program
which
reaches
10,000
students in
22
elementary,
middle and
high schools
across New
York City.
# # #
Partnership
with
Children,
founded in
1908,
provides
early
intervention,
preventative
services and
counseling
to at-risk
children and
youth. Our
teams of
professional
social
workers
integrate
themselves
seamlessly
into school
communities
to provide
comprehensive
support to
those
children and
families who
need it
most. Today
we reach
10,000
students, as
well as
their
families,
teachers,
and
community
through
Open
Heart-Open
Mind,
our school
based
program,
Life Steps,
our
preventative
care program
for
adolescents
and the
Center for
Capacity
Building,
our
professional
development
and training
program. Our
mission is
to
strengthen
the
emotional,
social and
cognitive
skills of
at-risk
children so
they can
succeed in
school, in
society and
in their
lives.