Close to 400 supporters, donors, volunteers and community members gathered on May 30 at the GlenArbor Golf Club in Bedford Hills for “Festival de Primavera,” the Neighbors Link annual spring benefit. More than $735,000 was raised at the event, which featured the announcement of a new Immigrant Empowerment Campaign designed to fill significant resource gaps for immigrants across the Hudson Valley. The campaign, to date, has raised $5.5 million toward an $8.5 million fundraising goal.
The event honored Executive Director Carola Otero Bracco for her 20 years of visionary leadership and dedication to championing immigrant integration and empowerment. In addition to successful life-changing programs, such as workforce development, ESL instruction and immigration legal services, Otero Bracco’s focus on community engagement has built cultural awareness and trusted relationships among immigrant communities, the Westchester Police Department and the Department of Social Services.
In accepting her recognition, Otero Bracco emphasized the leadership role that Neighbors Link has taken to help immigrants into their communities. “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. In turn, our entire community has been enriched by the diversity, talents and aspirations of new Americans.”
Additional honors were presented to Police Officer Eddie Ramirez, Jr., who received the Gabby Rosenfeld “Be a Hero” Award for his exceptional commitment to foster trust and improve communication among Westchester’s diverse communities.
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 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 providing more space for children to learn and play.
