Henry Street Settlement opens doors of opportunity for Lower East Side residents and other New Yorkers through social service, arts, and health care programs.
Having grown up in Breman Asikuma, a town in Ghana’s Central Region, Haleema Forson, 32, became a middle school science and math teacher there when she was only 19. But she dreamed of coming to the United States, where her aunts, uncles, and cousins lived. “I thought it was like heaven,” she says of America…. Read More »
Carlos de la Rosa has never taken for granted the enormous sacrifice his parents made—leaving their homes and their culture in Mexico and Ecuador—so that their children could have better lives. As a strong student growing up in Washington Heights, Carlos felt obligated to overcome any academic obstacles. “Every first-generation student feels this way,” he… Read More »
He came to the United States at the age of nine without knowing a word of English. A born actor and poet, Modesto “Flako” Jimenez didn’t get a leading part in his elementary school’s production of The Wizard of Oz because of his accent. He’s been proving his school wrong ever since. “Every immigrant struggles,… Read More »
For Miriam Mercado, Tai Chi is on Tuesday. Flower-making is on Thursday. Exercise, dance, art, and bingo happen every day. Mercado is one of a loyal cadre of regulars who never miss a day the Henry Street Settlement Senior Center. The 75-year-old has come to the center for about six years, traveling from her home… Read More »
Yan and Jimmy’s family success story started at Henry Street. Jimmy Zheng came to the United States from China in 2008. He had heard that “in the U.S., you’d have freedom, the right to do anything,” but he acknowledges the adjustment was difficult. (For one thing, in China, no one eats salad, he jokes.) Yanquing… Read More »
Kalsang Lhamo came to New York in 2005 from a farming community in Tibet. Knowing that learning English was essential to finding a good job, the 24-year-old signed up for ESOL and housekeeping classes at Henry Street, at the advice of a friend. Although she received a housekeeping certificate, Kalsang struggled with English and instead… Read More »
In 2014, desperate for a way out of an abusive marriage, Yuharnis Abdullah reached out to Henry Street’s Neighborhood Resource Center (NRC) for advice on the next steps toward a divorce from her spouse of 21 years. She had come to the United States in 1993 following an arranged marriage. Though she had completed college… Read More »
Above: The Art Show Gala Preview, February 27, 2019. Photo by Cesarin Mateo. See more photos online here. Henry Street Settlement’s largest annual fundraiser, The Art Show, brought together art-world bigwigs, philanthropists, and long-time settlement supporters for the February 27 Gala Preview in the Park Avenue Armory. The sumptuous celebration of museum-quality artwork, enjoyed alongside a delicious… Read More »
New York City’s architectural structures offer us a visual narrative of the city’s compelling and dynamic history. As traditional craftspeople, we recognize the significance that these structures have within the edifice of our societal fabric and to our sense of memory. We understand the need to preserve such framework by using careful and thoughtful restoration… Read More »
