Pairs with Purpose
In October, Deputy Director for Community Safety Strategies Andre Cirilo organized a fundraiser on Staten Island that raised more than $1,000 and collected nearly two dozen boxes of supplies for victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
Recently, he and members of NYCHA’s Culture & Arts Exchange employee organization partnered with Why Not Care, a non-profit organization started by a former NYCHA employee, Martin Medina, and New Balance to send 140 pairs of sneakers to the Immaculate Conception Church in Vieques, Puerto Rico.
“Unfortunately, the mainstream media has eased coverage to a point where most people feel like the problem has been resolved. But the fact is most people still do not have power,” Mr. Cirilo explained. “And, for the areas really hit hard by the storm, thousands of families lost everything when their homes were flooded and destroyed…clothes, shoes, basic necessities all gone. So we continue to work to provide support and relief to the families on Puerto Rico in any way we can.”
