www.BXTimes.com BRONX WEEKLY May 24, 2020 4
Group photo of Lehman College board members and Verizon executives. Photo by Jewel Webber
BY ALEX MITCHELL
Lehman College announced a
half million dollar fundraiser that
will go towards supporting students
in need during the coronavirus
pandemic.
Called, “The Campaign for Lehman
College,” proceeds have been
providing funding to support students
in need of food and housing
security, scholarships and general
operating support to sustain services
and to meet emergencies as
they arise during the coronavirus
pandemic.
“When the coronavirus hit New
York City, the Lehman College community
immediately understood
the pandemic could lead to disaster
for many of its students, most of
whom live in the under-resourced
Bronx,” said Lehman College President
Daniel Lemons, adding that
the school aims to grow that fund
to $1 million this year.
An estimated $480,000 of the
fund was raised in part by Robin
Hood, The Seidenberg Family
Foundation, Inc., and two anonymous
donors as well who had specifi
cally contributed $225,000 to
the cause.
“Education is critical to mobility
from poverty, and we are proud
to stand alongside Lehman College
to help these remarkable students
who are working hard to build better
lives for themselves and their
families,” said Wes Moore, CEO of
Robin Hood.
A faculty- and staff-led initiative,
Lehman Cares, also raised
$55,000 for student emergencies
and scholarships, the college announced.
As Lemons noted, Lehman is
avidly looking for additional donors
and partners, with the goal of
raising at least $1 million to support
students with urgent needs as
the pandemic and its economic effects
continue to unfold.
“The Campaign for Lehman
College, with a goal of raising $1
million, seeks support for students
who need our help now and to expand
the scholarship pool to support
students through the summer
and fall,” he said.
To contribute to The Campaign
for Lehman College, visit
here.
Nonprofi t builds home
libraries for low-income
families during COVID-19
BY JASON COHEN
Libraries are shuttered due
to COVID-19 and many lowincome
families do not have
access to computers in their
homes.
One newly created nonprofi
t, Start Lighthouse, realized
this and on May 15, distributed
300 books to students
at P.S. 5, in Port Morris.
Each child received literacy
kits, which have two
books and supplemental resources
to aid in student comprehension
and further their
engagement. According to cofounder
Rina Madhani, “the
resources are designed to become
part of the daily reading
routine and further cultivate
a reading culture at home.”
“Books are luxury items
for some families,” Madhani
explained. “Right now students
aren’t able to go out
and buy new books for themselves.”
Madhani, who launched
Start Lighthouse in March
with her friend and former
classmate at NYU, Brittany
Kramer, said the goal is to foster
literacy for students and
families in the south Bronx.
Given the current crisis, the
need for providing access
to literature has never been
greater.
“A lot of people live in shelters
and remote learning has
not been accessible to everyone,”
she explained. “There is
a digital divide and not every
kid has a laptop. What these
kids really need are books
they can hold and read at
home.”
Madhani, 27, of Manhattan,
does analytics for Success
Academy Charter Schools and
from 2015 to 2017 was a teacher
in the south Bronx. As an educator,
she already knew the
struggle those children and
Start Lighthouse Kits that will be
handed out Friday. Courtesy of Start
Lighthouse
families faced and now during
the pandemic, their struggles
are magnifi ed.
So, she and Kramer, who
is a medical student at Touro
College, wanted to give back.
The duo launched a virtual
wish list where people could
purchase books from independent
sellers and Starlight
would then distribute them to
the community.
In total, they have collected
325 books.
“You don’t know the impact
this is going to have on
our communities and our
families,” Danielle Keane,
principal at P.S. 5 said to Madhani.
Madhani said they are
in the process of being incorporated
to a 501(c) (3) and
the goal is to give away 1,000
books by the end of the year.
“We’re trying to create a reading
culture,” she said. “There’s
such a need for students to become
profi cient readers. I’m really
excited to see where it goes.
I hope we can shed a bit of light
in these uncertain times.”
For those interested in learning
more, contact info@startlighthouse.
org.
Lehman College and partners
raise $500K for students during
coronavirus pandemic
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