The school year has kicked off with a bang at NIA! From exciting community events to our after school programs, NIA has been buzzing with activity as we head into fall. The community came together for our beloved Senior Picnics, Veterans Breakfast, and annual Halloween Festivals, and after school programs celebrated National Lights On After School. Stay tuned for all the latest updates from the NIA community!

Senior Picnics

In early October, we were thrilled to host our annual Senior Picnics, which were a huge success thanks to the support of Council Member Justin Brannan, Senator Andrew Gounardes, and Senator Iwen Chu. With over 1200 seniors in attendance, the picnics featured delicious food, lively music, dancing, and plenty of opportunities for our seniors to socialize and have a great time. Along with Council Member Justin Brannan, we were also  able to host our first Senior Picnic in the Coney Island community. Beautiful weather allowed for each picnic to be hosted outdoors, with seniors able to enjoy the sunshine and quality time connecting with their peers. Special thanks to our corporate sponsors from MetroPlus Health and Maimonides for their support.

Halloween Festivals

It was another outstanding Halloween season this year at our annual Halloween Festivals! NIA's annual Spooktacular and Halloween Festival at Owl's Head Park in partnership with Council Member Justin Brannan, Senator Andrew Gounardes, and Senator Iwen Chu were better than ever this year. Over 3,500 attended and enjoyed treats, games, live music, costume contests, costumed characters, pumpkin decorating, and much more. There were also performances by NIA’s after-school participants from PS 247, IS 281, PS 176, and PS 179. The Spooktacular event featured a petting zoo, while Owl’s Head Park attendees navigated through a haunted maze. Special thanks to our sponsors NYC Ferry, Investors Foundation, Abby Palanca Group, and NYC Parks for their support.

Lights On afterschool

Lights on After School is an annual initiative that celebrates the support and opportunities provided by after-school programs. Each year, NIA programs are thrilled to participate by planning fun events that highlight the value of after-school in their community. This year there were activities thrown at nearly all of our after school programs to celebrate. IS 30 created designs that shined a light on students' greatest achievements, future goals, and promoted peace, love, and kindness. PS 247’s dance and SEL/drama instructors worked with their students to create a performance piece about Pinocchio, and JHS 227 combined Halloween and Lights On where they hosted pumpkin carving, created light-up specimen jars, designed Halloween lanterns, and enjoyed food and refreshments. Other programs hosted glow-in-the-dark dance parties and a candle-making party for the “lights on” theme, and all sites participated in a poster-making contest to show their support for Lights On and After School!

Veterans Appreciation breakfast

On October 22nd, NIA was pleased to host our annual Veterans Breakfast, with support from Council Member Justin Brannan, Senator Andrew Gounardes, and Senator Iwen Chu. This event holds a special place in our hearts as we come together to show our gratitude and support for those who have bravely served our country. With a turnout of over 200 veterans gathered at Fort Hamilton Army Base, we enjoyed a delightful breakfast and were inspired by the words shared by honorees Anthony Jackson, Leonard Aronica, and Hector Gonzalez. A special thank you to Chaplin John Bailey and Commissioner of the New York City Department of Veterans' Services James Hendon for their kind and insightful words. We are grateful for the opportunity to host this event once again and look forward to continuing this tradition in the years to come!

swing band concert

Along with Councilman Justin Brannan, we recently had the pleasure of hosting our first Swing Band Concert Night. The event took place at the new Bay Ridge Center where the talented M.A.S. Swing Band performed live music that had everyone on their feet dancing and enjoying themselves. Approximately 200 seniors attended the concert and had a fantastic time. We are grateful to Council Member Brannan for his support in organizing this wonderful event.

TRIE Neighborhood Initiative grant

NIA’s Carey Gardens Cornerstone Center hosted its first Idea GeneratiON session, led by Assistant Director Amonni Chavis. Thanks to the TRIE Neighborhood Initiative Grant, a partnership between the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity, the Young Men’s Initiative, and the Civic Engagement Commission, the event brought together community members to brainstorm creative projects that address local needs. This two-part meeting, which included the Carey Gardens Cornerstone Advisory Board and the TRIE brainstorming session, introduced participants to the city’s participatory budget and sparked ideas to benefit the Coney Island community. We’re excited to see the community’s projected ideas continue to develop!

NIA SOCIAL SERVICES ASSISTANCE

FAMILY SERVICES

NEW HIRES & PROMOTIONS

Alyssa Ruggiero
Human Resources Onboarding Specialist

Our new HR onboarding specialist brings invaluable experience from her time at Graham Windham’s recruitment department. Holding both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Industrial Organizational Psychology from Brooklyn College, she is well-equipped to support our team with staff onboarding efforts. In her free time, she enjoys reading, baking, and spending time with her beloved Labrador pitbull, Jake. A proud Brooklyn native, Alyssa is eager to start her journey with NIA.

Stephanie St. John
PS 134 Program Coordinator

Stephanie is a mother of three boys who attend NYC public schools, where she is an active supporter who attends SLT, School Safety, and Title One meetings. She also organizes school events through her work with the P.T.A. Stephanie is a dedicated professional with experience in client relations and administrative support. She prioritizes mental health and earned a Mental Health First Aid Responder Certification. Stephanie is so excited to work with the amazing students at PS 134 and NIA looks forward to having her on as their newest Program Coordinator.

Fatima Chahine
PS 247 Assistant Director

Fatima has been a dedicated member of the NIA Community Services Network family, for 7 years. Starting as a group leader at PS 247, she quickly climbed the ranks, eventually landing the position of Outreach Coordinator and now Assistant Director with NIA’s Beacon program. Fatima is a substitute teacher with the NYC Department of Education and hopes to continue her journey with DOE as she pursues a Master’s degree in Elementary Education, further solidifying her commitment of nurturing and educating young minds.

Jessica Falco
PS 52R Program Director

Jessica has been working with children for quite some time as a classroom teacher, afterschool moderator, cheer coach, drama club administrator, summer school teacher, and summer camp Counselor, to name a few. While she enjoyed being a teacher for many years, she is excited for this new position and the ability to be a different kind of resource for the children in her program as well as her staff. She is looking forward to a great year filled with growth and fun!