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Press Contact:
Zella Jones
917-686-8385
PHOTOGRAPHY

July 3, 2008
For Immediate Release

The Neighborhood Technical Assistance Clinic Feted
New York City Nonprofits and Neighborhoods
at Gala July 1^st Celebration

Tuesday evening, July 1^st at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, there were fireworks, hundreds of nonprofit and neighborhood leaders and cultural entertainers galore gathered to celebrate the strength and accomplishments found in neighborhoods throughout New York City’s five boroughs.

The Neighborhood Technical Assistance Clinic (NTAC), hosted this July 1^st gala as part of its 10^th Anniversary celebration, at Stage 6 – Steiner Studios in the Brooklyn Navy Yard with a fitting view of neighborhoods throughout the City.  The impressive list of New York City elected officials included State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, Assembly Woman Annette Robinson, Councilman David Yassky and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.  Among the major grassroots-supporting nonprofits and community-supporting organizations present were The United Way of New York City, the JP Morgan Chase Foundation, the Greater New York NAACP, The Sister Fund, The Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, The New York City Mission Society, the New York Community Trust, the Richmond County Savings Foundation, the Verizon Foundation, ConEdison and Macy’s, to make the point that “neighborhood rule” has never been stronger or more important to the social and cultural health of our city.  Together -  NTAC, the honorees, awardees, and reserved guests for the evening -  represent more than 230 nonprofits that live that message. 

In highlighting nonprofit accomplishments The Salute to New York City Nonprofits and the Neighborhoods They Serve honored nine outstanding executives and one State Senator for their vision and commitment to grass-roots nonprofits: 

Cesar Claro, Executive Director of Richmond County Savings Foundation (RCSF);

Rev. Kanyere Eaton, Executive Director, The Sister Fund;

Seth Edwards, Vice President in J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.’s Community Relations;

June Jee, Director of External Affairs at Verizon and Verizon Foundation;

Larry Mandell, Former President of the United Way of New York City;

State Senator Velmanette Montgomery; NYS Webpage

Brenda Scott, Director of Community Affairs for Macy*s East;

Rev. Dr. Gary V. Simpson, Pastor Concord Baptist Church of Christ;

Rev. Emma Jordan Simpson, Executive Director of the Children’s Defense Fund New York;

Elwanda Young, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the United Way of New York City. 

Proceeds from the event provided a fund for training and technical assistance to five selected community-based nonprofits:  Sesame Flyers, International (Brooklyn), a multi service agency which provides a services to both youths and adults;  Sundog Theater (Staten Island) a resident performing arts organization in Staten Island that provides entertainment for adults and children toward creating positive change and enlightenment through the power of live performance.; the Parents Assoc Council, Harlem Dowling (Manhattan)  committed to serving children and families in crisis and distress,; NAACP-Bronx promoting human rights and social justice with more than four Bronx chapters ; LifeCamp Inc. (Queens) a Queens-based organization focused on youth, ages 13 - 24 years, who demonstrate patterns of negative behavior, are at risk of dropping out of high school, or who may become engaged with the criminal justice system. This fund also established scholarships for other nonprofits throughout 2008

Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, 11^th Congressional District, who has worked closely with Valerie Oliver-Durrah, NTAC’s president and ceo, in the ten years since its founding, offered praise :  On behalf of :New York's 11th Congressional District, it is my honor to extend warm greetings and congratulations to the Neighborhood Technical Assistance Clinic in recognition of your 10th Anniversary.

Mayor Bloomberg commended the event:   This gala is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of New York’s nonprofit community, which works hard every day to make our City an even greater place to live, to work, and to raise a family. 

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz,  on behalf of 112 .5 million Brooklynites, saluted and commended the administration and staff of the Neighborhood Technical Assistance Clinic for their ongoing dedication to helping Brooklyn' s and New York City's many civic and community organizations grow and flourish.  

Hazel N Dukes, president, New York State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) congratulated Valerie Oliver-Durrah (president and CEO of NTAV)  on the important work NTAC has provided NYC nonprofit's and neighborhoods: . I have witnessed a tremendous improvement in the operation and delivery of service by nonprofits because of your stellar leadership in providing excellent information and training.

State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, who has recently secured state funding for community-based social service organizations also had particular praise for the unswerving leadership of Ms. Durrah in building sound community-based and faith-based organizations over the last 10 years.  If it weren’t for NTAC’s devotion to grassroots training and organizational stability many of us would not have recognized how effective this type of social service delivery really is.

Assemblywoman Annette Robinson was no less ebullient about NTAC’s 10-year mission:  Valerie has been relentless in her faith and in achieving new heights in grassroots constituencies, upon which, I am proud to say, I rely heavily in serving my district. 

Valerie Oliver-Durrah, president & CEO NTAC is delighted.  We are so honored to have such recognition and so tangible proof of the great progress neighborhood-based nonprofits have realized over last 10 years.

The Piel Canela Latin Dance Troup, provided a Latin Dance performance of exceptional beauty and precision.   Sesame Flyers, International punctuated the event with an extremely professional Youth Steel Drum Band and another spectacular performance from their Limbo Dancers. Adhikaar, for Nepalese Human Rights volunteered South Asian costumed greeters and the Boncella Lewis Jazz Trio, performing seamlessly throughout, appealed to every culture present with vocalist Boncella Lewis capturing every heart with her warm and unique style.

Honorary Chairs for the event included:  Marty Markowitz, Brooklyn Borough President; Adolfo Carrión, Jr., Bronx Borough President; Scott Stringer, Manhattan Borough President; Helen Marshall, Queens Borough President; James Molinaro, Staten Island Borough President. 

The Honorary Co-Chairs were:  Congresswoman Yvette Clark; Congressman Ed Towns; State Senator Velmanette Montgomery; State Senator Kevin Parker; State Assemblyman Darryl Towns; State Assemblywoman Annette Robinson; New York City Councilmember, Leroy Comrie; Deputy Brooklyn Borough President Yvonne Graham; Deputy Manhattan Borough President Rose Pierre-Louis; Gordon Campbell, President United Way NYC; James C. Durrah, Assistant Commissioner, NYC Dept of Health; Hazel Dukes,; President Greater New York NAACP; Hon. C. Virginia Fields, National Black Commission on AIDS; Rev. Dr. David A. Hampton and Mrs. Hope Y. Hampton, Bethany Baptist Church; Dr. Marcella Maxwell, The Links, Inc.; Dr. Megan McLaughlin, Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, retired. 

Event Chairs were:  Elwanda Young, United Way of NYC; Kim L. Jasmin, JP Morgan Chase; Brenda Scott, Macy’s; Aldo Bianchi, Verizon

The Benefit Committee included:  Chaya Abelsky, Nonprofit Help Desk; Jennifer Jones Austin, United Way NYC; Carlton Brown, Full Spectrum Dev. Corp.; Melba Butler; Butler Consulting; Ruth Clark,  Support Network; Brooke Remel Durrah, NTAC; William Oliver Durrah, Office of Sen. Velmanette Montgomery; Colvin Grannum, President Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation; Fred Price, Medgar Evers College; Valerie Rainford, JPMorgan Chase; Coreen Simpson, Support Network; Troy Taylor, Johnson & Johnson; Patricia White, NY Community Trust; Lawrence Whiteside, Brooklyn Community Board 2; Rev. Alphonso Wyatt, Fund for the City of New York.

Sponsors for the event included:  The United Way, JPMorgan Chase Foundation; Verizon Foundation; Macy’s, ConEdison, MetroPlus Health and Anheuser-Busch.

Faith Based Supporters included:   Bethany Baptist Church, Concord Baptist Church of Christ, Greater Allen AME Cathedral of New York, The Church of the Open Door, The Miracle Makers, The Moriah Institute.

Community-Based supporters included:  the Nonprofit Helpdesk, the Bronx Chapters of the NAACP, Harlem Dowling Family Services, The Piel Canela Dance Troupe; LifeCamp, Adhikaar for Human Rights, the Sundog Theatre, Sesame Flyers International, African Ventures, Weeksville Society, Concord  Family Services, and the New York City Mission Society

MEDIA CONTACT:     Zella Jones, 917-686-8385, Zella@marketxmarket.com
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