Dear GCF Community,
Yesterday staff, board members, partners, friends new & old, and community volunteers came together at our new Astoria Houses Eco-Hub for a day of service honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his legacy fighting for racial equity on MLK Jr. Day. We also recognize today as the National Day of Racial Healing. Though racial healing, equity and justice are daily, ongoing collective actions at the heart of our work, these two days of recognition remind us to pause and reflect.
While there is still much progress to be made, the efforts of our young BIPOC adults’ service and training is apparent everyday in our NYCHA communities and beyond. Our Corps Members and alumni are leading the way from the ground up by creating safe and healthy green spaces and resources for themselves and fellow residents of color, while growing career skills alongside trauma-informed healing and empowerment, to then excel in jobs that continue to support prosperity for themselves, their families and community members.
As we work to improve the reaches of black and brown wellness and liberation, we are thankful for the tireless path and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his counterparts, and look to present successes that continue to pave the way forward.
In service and solidarity,
The GCF team