Letter From The Chair: Enjoying the Last Days of Summer

Summer – who doesn’t love it? It’s the time we all relax a little, get out in the sun and enjoy the warm weather, spending time with family and friends.

Perhaps no one needed a break more than young people who worked hard throughout the school year, like the members of NYCHA’s Youth Leadership Councils (YLCs). They met at a summit earlier this summer to present the results of their year-long projects to improve quality of life at their developments and in their communities, and I cannot begin to describe how impressive these young people were. From meeting with the local police to improve community relationships and launching an afterschool program for children to organizing a gun collection drive and driving a coordinated repairs program for their buildings, their accomplishments will resonate through their communities for years to come.

Another group of young people who are reaping the results of their success are the latest crop of Green City Force grads, young NYCHA residents enrolled in GCF’s farm training program who participated in culinary training in order to teach residents how to cook what they are growing on NYCHA farms. Be sure to try some of the delicious, nutritious vegan recipes in this issue from NYCHA’s own Food Business Pathways graduate, Chef Rootsie, who now has a very popular catering business. And don’t forget to check out your neighborhood farmers’ markets to stock up for these recipes.

Be sure to read up on hurricane and thunderstorm safety—though hurricane season started in June, late summer and fall are usually the most dangerous times in our area. You can also check out weather safety tips on NYCHA’s website or at NYC.gov/severeweather.

Speaking of reading, NYCHA was the happy recipient of a grant of 50,000 brand new books, distributed to children in June and July—you can read more about that on page 13. Many young people also learned to swim for a second year in a row thanks to a program called +Pool Bluefish Swimming that seeks to provide essential swimming to all kids across the City.

As the summer comes to a close and parents and children prepare for back to school, I want to take a moment to thank all of our young people for the ways they are helping create a safer, cleaner, and more connected future for their communities. Good luck in the new school year!

Shola Olatoye

Chair and CEO