On Saturday, October 25, 2014, LIFT-New York hosted our first ever LIFT-NY Fall Festival as a way to celebrate our community in the Bronx. The day came together thanks to the NY team and a handful of LIFT alumni showing up and working to put on an incredible event for the neighborhood!
The day was modeled off a traditional block party and included delicious food donated from our surrounding community of Little Italy, music, pumpkin painting, collectively creating a LIFT tree. We had a wonderful photographer take family photos for Members and community partners who provided HIV and Hepatitis C testing, members signed up for financial counseling, and opportunities for filling out SafeLink wireless applications. Some of our donors came with their own kids and saw the LIFT-NY office up close and personal including the new Constituent Voice kiosks!
At the heart of the event was a goal of fostering a greater sense of community by providing a fun day for our Members and their families. With about 180 members with their families attending, there were over 200 people who came to the event. We even had a “celebrity” appearance from last year’s upLIFTing Communities Award winner, Council Member Ritchie Torres!
If you were at the event you would have looked around the street and taken in the warm sun, kids running around and playing, painting pumpkins, adults having a few minutes of private conversations, neighbors laughing and eating—it was a true sense of community, LIFT style. Check out the photos here.