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LADY GAGA AND ROBIN HOOD FOUNDATION ANNOUNCE CONTEST
TO GIVE
$1 MILLION TO BENEFIT FIVE CHARITIES THAT TARGET
NEW YORK CITY'S
DISCONNECTED YOUTH
Fans Can Vote for Winning
Charity on
http://on.fb.me/GagaRobinHood
Starting April 26, 2011
Winning Organization Announced
on May 9 during Robin Hood Annual Benefit
Robin Hood Hosts Ticket Giveaway to
Private Lady Gaga Performance on
Robin Hood Facebook Page
(New York, NY April 26, 2011) – Lady Gaga and the Robin Hood
Foundation today announced a contest in which they will give
away $1 million to five charitable organizations that
benefit disconnected youth in New York City. Robin Hood is
a public charity which targets poverty in New York City by
funding and partnering with the best and most effective
programs to get maximum results. The contest will begin on
April 26, with the public voting via
http://on.fb.me/GagaRobinHood.
Disconnected youth is a term that refers to young people
between the ages of 16 – 24 who are not in school or
employed in the legitimate workforce. They may have had
experience with the criminal justice system or have been in
foster care. They aren’t getting the education, work, civic,
and family support they need to be successful adults. A
significant portion of these young adults are part of the
LGBQT community.
"I'm thrilled to be working with the Robin Hood Foundation
to distribute funds to help the youth of
New York City, “said Lady Gaga. “NYC is my hometown and I
think investing in these kids' future will go a
long way.”
The five charities the public will vote for are:
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SCO Family of Services, which works to strengthen
family ties and connects New York City’s homeless and
LGBTQ youth to support services, including counseling,
health
care,
life skills training, career guidance and counseling.
-
Lawyers for Children, which advocates on behalf
of New York City youth to ensure they have access to
safe housing, educational opportunities and fair and
equal treatment, providing free legal and social work
services and offering specialized assistance for LGBTQ
youth, as well as teens aging out of the foster care
system.
-
The Door, which provides New York City’s
disconnected youth with a safe space to learn and grow,
offering a full range of medical, social, educational,
recreational and legal services under one roof.
-
Hetrick-Martin Institute, which prepares LGBTQ
youth for self-sufficiency by providing medical,
education, career development, and HIV prevention
services.
-
Safe Horizon, which connects homeless and abused
youth to support services, including housing, health
care, and government entitlements.
The winning charity will be announced on May 9 during Lady
Gaga’s performance at Robin Hood’s annual benefit. The
winning program will receive a $500,000 grant over a
two-year period, with the subsequent charities receiving
smaller grants.
“As poverty-fighters, we are thrilled with Lady Gaga’s
generosity to support New York City’s disconnected youth,”
said David Saltzman, Executive Director, Robin Hood. “Right
now, 4,000 New York City teens are living on the street.
Some aged out of the foster care system, some ran away from
abusive homes, and others were rejected by their families
because of their sexual orientation. Robin Hood’s programs
offer a lifeline to the city’s most vulnerable teens,
helping them get off the streets and build stable lives.”
Robin Hood will also offer Lady
Gaga fans the opportunity to win tickets to her sold out
performance at the organization’s annual benefit on May 9.
Beginning on April 26, Robin Hood will give away two tickets
per day until May 5 to the concert via the organization’s
Facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/robinhood.
The winners will be announced each day on the page.
Lady Gaga’s past charitable works
include Virgin Mobile USA’s “Free I.P.” volunteer program on
her Monster Ball tour, which gave hundreds of lucky fans the
chance to get VIP tickets by volunteering time and local
homeless shelters; spokesperson for the M·A·C AIDS FUND,
which empowers and advocates people everywhere to protect
themselves from HIV/AIDS; the Japan Prayer Bracelet designed
by Lady Gaga with all of the proceeds going to benefit those
affected by the Japan tsunami disaster; and her support of
repealing the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy for
gay service members.
Technology for the contest was
provided by Buddy Media and Network for Good.
About The Robin Hood Foundation
Robin Hood is the largest private poverty-fighting
organization in New York City. We find, fund and cultivate
programs that have shown they are an effective remedy to
poverty. In our 23-year history, we’ve distributed over $1
billion and helped millions of our neighbors. We only fund
programs that can conclusively prove they are being
effective and generating measurable results. Why? Because
every misspent dollar is a missed opportunity to help
low-income New Yorkers. We work closely with the
organizations we support to help them to be more effective,
enabling them to assist even more people.
A rigorous system of metrics and third-party evaluation of
these groups guarantee accountability. Since Robin Hood’s
board pays all administrative costs, 100 percent of
donations goes directly to helping families build better
lives. In 2010, Robin Hood invested $132 million in 200
programs and schools, helping over 650,000 New Yorkers. In
2011, expect Robin Hood to be there, once again, targeting
poverty in New York City, taking from those rich in
compassion and giving to the poor.
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