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.
