Neighbors Link’s spring benefit raises $735,000 to empower new Americans with skills, resources

The Neighbors Link annual spring benefit, “Festival de Primavera,” held May 30 at the GlenArbor Golf Club in Bedford Hills, not only raised $735,000 but announced a new Immigrant Empowerment Campaign designed to fill significant resource gaps for immigrants across the Hudson Valley. The campaign has raised $5.5 million towards an $8.5 million fundraising goal. 

The event honored Executive Director Carola Otero Bracco for her 20 years of leadership, which has included overseeing programming in workforce development, ESL instruction and immigration legal services. Otero Bracco’s focus on community engagement has been designed to build cultural awareness and relationships among immigrant communities, the Westchester County Police and the county’s Department of Social Services. 

 “As New York state has seen an increase in new arrivals, Neighbors Link is empowering people with the skills and resources needed to stabilize their lives and settle in new homes,” Otero Bracco said. “In turn, our entire community has been enriched by the diversity, talents and aspirations of new Americans.” 

In announcing the campaign, Otero Bracco reinforced Neighbors Link’s commitment to assisting asylum seekers who are fleeing danger and oppression. “While recent ineffective policy has been initiated at the southern border, Neighbors Link will continue to fill gaps for asylum seekers with boots-on-the-ground programs that make sense and make a difference in the lives of families who are fleeing dangerous living conditions and seek only to find legal pathways to work, contribute and find acceptance in America — as all of our families have done for more than 200 years.” 

Funds raised through the Immigrant Empowerment Campaign will support multiple programs for employment success, including computer and internet training, career counseling, increased 

ESL offerings and practical training for in-demand jobs, like home health care, construction and the trades. Neighbors Link – which is headquartered in Mount Kisco with three Westchester locations and services throughout the Mid-Hudson Valley – will increase the capacity of its free, high-quality immigration legal services by hiring more attorneys and paralegals to join current staff. The campaign will also support the organization’s relocation of its Mount Kisco headquarters to a larger space with essential technology infrastructure upgrades. This relocation will enable Neighbors Link to expand services, especially workforce development and digital literacy training, as well as provide more space for children to learn and play. 

At the fundraising gala, additional honors were presented to county police officer Eddie Ramirez, Jr., who received the Gabby Rosenfeld “Be a Hero” Award for his commitment to foster trust and improve communication among Westchester’s diverse communities. 

  For more, call 914-666-3410 or visit neighborslink.org.