News

African American Community Brunch

(l to r) Chandler Bazemore, North Star Fund; Ingrid Benedict; Public Interest Project; Nicholas Pelzer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (click to enlarge)

"It's time for donors of color to make philanthropy more diverse and inclusive," said Yvonne Moore, Executive Director of the Daphne Foundation. She added,"North Star Fund is committed to this and that's why I volunteered to be a host" for North Star Fund's African American Donor Community Brunch.

The annual brunch, held this year on March 1, 2009 at the Harlem home of donor Beatrice Sibblies, is part of North Star Fund's Donor Diversity program. This initiative is building a diverse community of donors to support grassroots activism and community organizing in low-income communities and communities of color. The brunch brought together African American professionals to learn about North Star Fund, the groups we support and our impact in New York City's African American neighborhoods.

Errol Louis, The New York Daily News (click to enlarge)

Guest speaker Errol Louis, a columnist at The New York Daily News, shared stories of his coverage of the Obama campaign. He saw firsthand how community building and organizing created momentum as the campaign unfolded across the country. Louis also discussed the implications of Obama's election on New York City's African American communities.

Representatives of North Star Fund's grantee communities explained the challenges faced by low-income African American New Yorkers. Zena Nelson, the Director of South Bronx Food Cooperative (SBxFC), a grantee that provides affordable, nutritious food and job training programs discussed the health concerns in her community. "The lack of access to nutritious food is directly connected to the health problems of low-income residents. The South Bronx has one of the highest rates of obesity in the country."

(l to r) Zena Nelson, South Bronx Food Cooperative; Yvonne Moore, Daphne Foundation (Click to enlarge)

Wanda Imasuen, Lead Organizer at Families United for Racial and Economic Equality (FUREE), a grantee since 2002, recounted how her treatment within the welfare system led her to get involved with FUREE. "Dealing with the welfare system was one of the most humiliating experiences of my life. They made me feel like a liar and like I was begging for help, and forced me to do work that I didn't believe in. FUREE was a savior."

(l to r) Valery Jean and Wanda Imasuen from FUREE (click to enlarge)

Through FUREE, a group that organizes low-income families to fight for economic justice, Wanda learned her rights and developed the skills to advocate for herself and others in the welfare system to demand respect and fair treatment. "If it wasn't for FUREE I wouldn't be part of the change that is happening in this country."

North Star Fund thanks Host Committee Members Elise Boddie, Kanyere Eaton, Damon Hewitt, Yvonne Moore, Arva Rice, Kevin Ryan, Beatrice Sibblies and Maxim Thorne for making the African American Community Brunch event a huge success.

To learn more about the Donor Diversity Program contact Diana Correa, Deputy Director for Programs and Strategic Initiatives