York Street Project's 23rd Annual Spring Event

Standing Room Only…

York Street Project’s

23rd Annual Spring Event

It is true what they say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This also holds true for perspective, it too is in the eye of the beholder. One may see the glass as half full and another may see the same glass as half empty. Can we say that one is right and the other is wrong? No, we cannot because perspective interprets what is beheld to the beholder.

The York Street Project’s 23rd Annual Spring Event was held on Thursday, May 3rd at the Liberty House Restaurant in Jersey City, New Jersey. This evening Cocktail Reception was attended by an all-time high of 300 friends and supporters of The Project. The  theme was inspired by a quote from Walter Elliot, an American Catholic Priest and writer, “Perseverance is not a long race. It is many short races one after another.”


For the first time in the history of the York Street Project, the guest speakers were the mother and daughter team of Saundra and Deanna Ellis. Saundra is a member of the Board of Directors, and is also a formers resident of St. Joseph’s Home. This mother daughter team not only stole the hearts of the guests, but hearing their story helped everyone to reconnect to the life-changing mission of the York Street Project.

Growing up in an emotionally abusive household, Saundra shared how she desperately wanted to break free from her home life. Her one saving grace was education. Through her pursuit of various educational opportunities she eventually made it to Boston University (BU). It was not until she attempted to return to BU for her sophomore year that Saundra’s life took a turn for the worst. Her financial aid had not come through and she could not pay her tuition and was forced to return home to an environment that was not conducive to her goals. Once back home, her world came crushing down on her. She felt devastated, lost and hopeless. As a scapegoat from her grim reality, she began to hang out with the wrong crowd which lead to a life of drugs, alcohol and her pregnancy with her daughter Deanna. Soon after, life for Saundra and Deanna consisted of numerous tough struggles. Living moment by moment from one shelter to the next, Saundra’s dream of having a better life slowly began to slip away from her.

Listening to Saundra’s depiction of her journey to the York Street Project was extremely painful and heart wrenching. Ironically, as seen through the eyes of a then five-year old child, Deanna’s perspective of the same story was a tale of innocence, freedom and love that was fostered in the safe, nurturing, and rich atmosphere of the York Street Project. Their presentations were a testament to the work of The Project, and a stark reminder to all how vital their financial support is to providing the network of support for the new generation of women and children. Saundra and Deanna were able to get their life back on track when they came through the doors of the York Street Project some 20 years ago. They have persevered through many of life’s races and have come a long way and have made many achievements since 1992.

Special thanks to our major sponsors, CHASE, Lucille M. Mayer, Regina & Gerard McGraw, Margaret Palermo, Emerald Seafood, Goldman Sachs, ICAP, Daniel & Francine McGuire and the Janice Michelle Foundation, Inc. We also would like to thank all other sponsors, supporters and friends who made the 23rd Annual Spring Event possible. It is because of the help of so many that mothers and daughters like Deanna and Saundra can turn their lives around. We also extend a note of gratitude to the Liberty House Restaurant for another job well done.

Make sure to mark your calendar and meet us at the Liberty House next year for our 24th Annual Spring Event on Thursday, May 2, 2013. We’ll see you then!

Chalk It Up To A Good Day!

“Seven colors are in the rainbow count them and you’ll see; violet, indigo, blue, and green… violet, indigo, blue, and green… violet, indigo, blue, and green… yellow, orange and red!”

Every color of the rainbow, and then some, was well represented at York Street Project’s 13th Annual ChalkFest. Last year’s event was held on Thursday, July 28th from 12:00 Noon to 2:00 pm at Exchange Place Plaza in Jersey City, and raised more than $37,000 to support the life-changing programs of The Project. Year after year, the children of The Nurturing Place along with their special friends at the Waterfront Montessori School look forward to their annual trip to Exchange Place Plaza to have fun at the ChalkFest.

The day was bright and sunny, and the artistic energy was as brilliant as ever. ChalkFesters young and not so young were found on their hands and knees drawing, shaping, and giving great attention to some very unique works of art. Volunteer artists were on board once again to assist the children, and to add additional art expressions to the ChalkFest Zone. All were adorned in their official Cardinal Red ChalkFest T-shirts which made Exchange Place Plaza look like a field of dancing red poppies swaying to the melody of the wind

New to the scene last year was DJ Leon who had everyone up on their toes, rocking and bobbing to today’s hot tunes. Also new on the Plaza was the “Drown the Clown” dunk tank. Rumor has it that there’s nothing like a heckling lunchtime clown, under a hot July sun, to get your blood boiling. For $5.00 you got three balls and 3 chances to dunk the clown, who by the way, was really was asking for it!

Micky Magic, the Illusionist extraordinaire, was back and along with co-magician Cisco, who is also a supreme Illusionist. Together they mesmerized the children with one great trick after another. Magician Cisco performed the all-time favorite illusion of pulling a rabbit out of a hat. The high-light of that illusion came afterwards when Magician Cisco allowed the children to pet the rabbit. Once they touched the rabbit’s soft fluffy fur, and looked into his big, round, curious eyes, they knew for sure that he was a real rabbit. In the world of magic, a timeless illusion such as this never gets old. Last but not least, the ever popular Balloon Pop Dart Game, a ChalkFest favorite, was back. This fun carnival type game really brings out the competitor in our ChalkFest guests. There were so many great prizes to be won that the prize claim area looked like an isle in a Sporting Goods store. As the winners walked away with their prizes, they each had a bright smile that would charge a solar panel.

In summary, YSP’s 13th Annual ChalkFest was attended by more than 500 lunchtime patrons . The volunteers that worked at the food areas collectively served 1,000 hotdogs, and several hundred; cans of soda, bottled water, Italian Ices, and bags of snack foods.

A special thank you goes out to Fidelity Investments, our Title Sponsor for the seventh consecutive year, and to Pershing for their Challenger Sponsorship. We also would like to thank Porky Products, Sodexo, The Peerless Beverage Company and Tropicana/Dole Beverages for their generous in-kind donations and a host of other local businesses and supporting sponsors for contributing to the success of the 13th Annual ChalkFest. By the way, who was it that said the number 13 was unlucky?

Mark your calendar to meet us on The Plaza for York Street Project’s 14th Annual ChalkFest on Thursday, July 26, 2012 at 12noon. Until then… keep on Chalkin’!

The Journey

To put one foot in front of the other is the beginning effort in taking a step. It is not until our other foot meets up with the first foot that the cycle of taking a step is completed. Taking steps denotes movement and a desire to move away from where you are. When several concerted steps are taken, wherever they may lead, considerate it a journey.


The women and children that come to York Street have taken many steps in their lives, some which have led to a dead end, and others which have led to an open door. Last year at York Street Project’s 22nd Annual Spring Event we celebrated the many brave and courageous steps that our families have taken to get them to, and through the doors of the York Street Project.


On Thursday, May 5, 2011, nearly 300 friends and supporters of The Project gathered together at the Liberty House Restaurant in Jersey City, the new venue for the Spring Event, to reflect on how life is a journey, and how one particular journey has connected us all to York Street. We each come from different backgrounds, and have different mindsets, but yet we have found a common ground, the place called York Street Project.

The guest speaker for the evening was Jennifer Tuma-Young, founder of Inspiritsta Life-Style Design and Chief Creative Officer for Enchanted Makeovers. Ms. Young’s first experience with the women of the York Street Project was when she was part of a mind, body and soul makeover weekend given to the women by Enchanted Makeover early last year. Her portion of the weekend introduced the women to the transforming power of journaling, and focused on creating an inside-out makeover. The weekend had such a positive impact on the women that it gave them a renewed image of how they viewed their self-worth. After making such a deep connection with our women, the York Street Project was compelled to invite Ms. Young to be the guest speaker at the Spring Event. During her speech she shared how she worked with the women of York Street; and reflected on the self-insight journey that they made together. They also welcomed the new journeys that each of them were soon to take.

Special thanks to our major sponsors, JPMorgan Chase, Gerald McGraw, Emerald Seafood, ICAP, and Daniel & Francine McGuire. We also would like to thank all our other sponsors, supporters and friends who made this year’s Spring Event possible. It is because of you that we can take this journey along with our women and children. The York Street Project also thanks the Liberty House for welcoming us with open arms and for their unsurpassed hospitality

Mark your calendar to meet us at the Liberty House next year on Thursday, May 3, 2012 from 5:30 – 8:30 pm. We will see you then!

The York Street Project Family

Lucky Number 12!

York Street Project’s 12th Annual Golf Outing was held on Monday, September 12th at the Hackensack Golf Club, in Oradell, New Jersey. The winning combination of happy golfers, fine dining and warm sun shine, made for the most perfect day ever!

The golfers began arriving at the club at around 10:30 in the morning. They were greeted and serviced by the friendly and very competent staff of the Hackensack Golf Club. After a quick check-in, each golfer was given a limited edition of York Street Project’s golf umbrella, and the October issue of Golf Magazine.

Before starting the round, a few golfers drove balls at the Driving Range, while some opted to hang out at the Putting Green and participate in the Putting Green contest. But one thing was most certain, all feasted on the great smorgasbord lunch of barbeque chicken, baked beans, hamburgers, hotdogs, assorted salads and beverages.

At approximately 12:45pm, 125 eager golfers were seated in their golf carts along with their Forecaddies. Shortly thereafter, they started the challenging round that would last close to six hours. Once the round was over, the golfers and other friends of York Street gathered on the patio for the Cocktail Reception. It’s hard to say what was more captivating, the lavish food display or the arrangement of the Green and Silent Auction prizes. While the golfers and other guests indulged themselves at the seemingly endless buffet, an assortment of hand passed hors d’ oeuvres and cocktails were also being enjoyed. In the midst of the merriment, a team of persuasive volunteers diligently worked the patio to sell Green Auction and 50/50 raffle tickets.

At around 7:15pm Susanne Byrne, YSP’s Executive Director, gave a brief welcome and expressions of gratitude to the sponsors and guests. She then introduced Latania Cobb, a former resident of St. Joseph’s Home, and a graduate of Kenmare High School, whose children also attended The Nurturing Place (all programs of the York Street Project). Ms. Cobbs shared her heart-wrenching story about how the York Street Project changed her life. After she spoke, closing remarks were then given by Board Chair, Anne Denyeau.

As the evening was rapidly coming to a close, the remaining high-points were to announce the winners of the Green and Silent Auctions raffles and the 50/50 winner. With a new raffle prize announcement system in place, this segment of the evening enabled each lucky winner to quickly claim their prize. Then finally, the time came to pick the winning 50/50 ticket and wrap up the evening’s festivities. Although YSP’s 12th Annual Golf Outing was officially over, the guests were enjoying themselves so much that they continued to mill about, engaging themselves in light conversation.

A very special thanks goes out to The Haydon Family – Tournament Sponsor of the Event for the 9th consecutive year. An additional thank you goes out to our Lunch Sponsor, James Patterson, who actually was able to attend the Outing this year. Other major sponsors include The Uy Family & Headstrong Services LLC, The Denyeau Family and The Russo Group. The York Street Project family is grateful to these and the many other sponsors, supporters and special friends who helped to raise more than $96,000 to help our women and children break the chains of poverty.

Stay tuned for information about YSP’s 13th Annual Golf Outing!

York Street Project Golf Outing Take Two!

On Monday, October 18th, the York Street Project (YSP) held its 11th Annual Golf Outing at Glen Ridge Country Club in Glen Ridge, NJ. The Outing was initially scheduled to take place on Monday, September 27th and as you may recall, because of the inclement weather Glen Ridge closed their course and forced the re-scheduling.



Although the air was crisp and nippy, a band of 98 brave golfers arrived at the Country Club ready to do battle on the Golf Course. And that is just what they did! The challenging round lasted about 5 hours, and afterwards the golfers gladly returned to the Club House to enjoy the Cocktail Reception.



While the golfers and other guests indulged themselves in an assortment of hand passed hors d'oeuvres and cocktails, a team of persuasive volunteers worked the room to sell Green Auction and 50/50 raffle tickets. The Silent Auction station patiently waited for anyone who dared to approach the table with pen in hand. Shortly before the call was given to sit down for dinner, the Skill Prize winners were announced and each was awarded for their great work.



To make a great day even better, more tasty morsels were prominently displayed in the formal dining room. During dinner, a brief welcome and expressions of thanks were made by YSP’s Executive Director, Susanne Byrne and Board Chair Anne Denyeau. Not long after the greetings were done, the raffle prize drawing got underway. With David Mehr, YSP’s official announcer, at the helm, each lucky winner proudly came up to claim their prize. The finale of the evening came with the announcing of the winner of the 50/50 raffle. And much to everyone’s surprise, the winner of the 50/50graciously donated their winnings back to YSP.



A very special thanks goes to The Haydon Family – Tournament Sponsor of the Event for the 8th consecutive year. Additional thank yous go to our Lunch Sponsors, The George Link Charitable Trust and James Patterson. Other major sponsors include The Denyeau Family, The Russo Group, Jefferies & Company and Dan and Francine McGuire. The York Street Project family is so grateful to these and many other sponsors, supporters and special friends who helped to raise more than $91,000 to help our women and children break the chains of poverty.

Stay tuned for information about YSP’s 12th Annual Golf Outing.

Gettin' Chalky with YSP

What do you get when you have a sunny sky, children armed with chalk, foot stomping music, hot dogs galore, and the coldest Italian Ices this side of Alaska? You guessed right… you get York Street Project’s 12th Annual ChalkFest! This year’s event, held on Friday, July 30th from 12 noon to 2pm at Exchange Place Plaza in Jersey City, raised more than $34,000 to help women and children break the chains of poverty.



Once again, the children of The Nurturing Place along with their invited guests, The Waterfront Montessori School, took over The Plaza and created a chalk menagerie of animals, sea creatures, and practically anything that they could think of. The artwork was simply amazing!

All of the children, teachers and volunteers were clad in their official teal green ChalkFest t-shirts, transforming The Plaza into a beautiful rolling greenish blue Caribbean sea.



The musical tunes were provided by York Street’s own DJ “Big Ben”. Fun face painting designs were done by Anays Cartagena. New to the scene this year was Micky Magic who entertained the young and old with his delightful magical illusions.



Other special attractions at this year’s ChalkFest included the Balloon Pop Dart game. At $5.00 for 3 darts, if you were a good shot, you could have easily walked away with 3 cool prizes! Across The Plaza from the Balloon Pop Dart game was the new Blank Check game. This game was instituted to help promote public awareness to the true cost of living on a limited income.



Overall, a super day was had by all including the more than 500 lunchtime patrons who attended the event. A special thank you goes to Fidelity Investments, our Title Sponsor for the sixth consecutive year, and to Pershing for their Challenger Sponsorship. We also would like to thank Porky Products and Tropicana/Dole Beverages for their in-kind donations and a host of other local businesses and supporting sponsors for contributing to the success of the 12th Annual ChalkFest.



Mark your calendar to meet us on The Plaza for York Street Project’s 13th Annual ChalkFest on Thursday, July 28, 2011 at 12noon. See ya then!

Rising Above Adversity

Like the Lotus flower, the women and children of the York Street Project (YSP) overcome immense obstacles as they emerge from the murky depths of despair to a brilliant new life. This theme was the foundation of the 21st Annual Spring Event that was held on Thursday, May 6, 2010 at the JPMorgan Conference Center. The event was a great success and raised more than $108,000 to support our life-changing programs. It was attended by approximately 250 friends and supporters.



Latania Cobb, a former St. Joseph’s Home resident who graduated from Kenmare High School and whose children attended The Nurturing Place, was this year’s guest speaker. Her journey has not been as easy one, but with the help of YSP friends and donors, she was given the opportunity to blossom when she walked through the doors of YSP.



In addressing the theme as it compared to her life, Ms. Cobb shared the following sentiments with the guests, “Growing in up in Jersey City, life was full of possibilities but because of poverty, family structure, drugs, and a lack of education the possibilities for me were in a box. I lived with my mom and my oldest sister. For many years, my mother was addicted to drugs and she died at the age of 32; I was only 13 at the time. Because of the lack of information in my home, in the school system, and me making bad choices, I became pregnant at the age 13 and by the age 15, I had two children both of whom died December 27, 1992 in a fire. I was burnt over 33% of my body, wasn’t able to attend the funeral.



I was lost, confused, hopeless and helpless. I did not know where to turn. I had family members who did the best that they could with the information that they had. I was not taught how to cope. My way of coping was to use drugs; I used drugs to help me cope with life’s tragedies. It became very easy to do what everyone was doing. I did not have that true value of loving oneself, life and community.”

During her speech, Ms. Cobb told how the York Street Project programs changed her life for the better. “My first year at the Home, I was an angry and thought the world owed me something. The Sisters at the York Street Project took their time to help me, nurture me and exposed me to many different adventures; the first thing that was done was that I signed up for Kenmare High school. It was difficult because I stopped attending school in the 7th grade but the teachers at Kenmare helped me and inspired me to be all I that I could be. I was able to participate in different classroom activities such as reading, black literature, math, social studies and science, computers and dance. It was then that I began to grasp the many different concepts of learning.”



Her powerful closing remarks continued to hold the audience captive, “It was here at York Street Project that the foundation of my life was being formed. We were being introduced to a new way of life, I was given real values and traditions that now I can follow to help me live a spiritual way of life. The Sisters of York Street raised me and they did a great job. They awakened my spirit; they awakened me to life. My daughter and I had stability and a safe haven. They brought true meaning to parenting; they provided me with the skills and tools that I needed to become a good mom, and a productive member of society.”

Today Ms. Cobb holds a B.S. in Public Policy and Urban Studies from Saint Peter’s College, and she currently is working toward earning her Masters degree in Management.

Special thanks to our major sponsors: JPMorgan Chase, Gerry & Regina McGraw, Daniel & Francine McGuire; Morgan Stanley Smith Barney; and all other sponsors for helping to make this another wonderful night to remember why—and how—a place like the York Street Project exists.