Announcement Comes After Protests, Letter Writing Campaign
July 5, 2012 - By Ryan Wenzel
New York's mayor and City Council announced last week that they have restored funding to youth services across the city, including Henry Street's vital after-school programs. Massive proposed cuts to the Fiscal Year 2013 city budget would have eliminated some Henry Street programs, which are an invaluable resource for low-income working families.
Henry Street played an important role advocating for the restoration of funds. Joining with fellow Lower East Side settlement houses and other groups, Henry Street created a May 3 town hall meeting attended by hundreds that demonstrated the community's outrage over the cuts. Supporting the cause at such events were elected officials including State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, City Council Members Margaret Chin and Rosie Mendez, State Senator Daniel Squadron and Assembly Member Brian Kavanagh. And through advocacy efforts by Henry Street's staff and Board of Directors, some 1,500 letters, petition signatures, and children's drawings were delivered to City Hall in protest.
"Since our founding in 1893, Henry Street has advocated for a number of important causes," said Henry Street Executive Director David Garza. "This victory marks another chapter in that rich history."
