Tag Archives: gala

An Evening Celebrating Resilience

June 12, 2025  |  Leave a reply
A bird's eye view of An Evening of Resilience, The Child Center gala

Exploring the intersection of art and impact

A bird's eye view of An Evening of Resilience, The Child Center's galaIt was billed as a night of unforgettable art, music, and engaging discussion—and wow, did it deliver.

On June 3, The Child Center of NY hosted An Evening Celebrating Resilience. Around 300 supporters came together at the iconic Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City to celebrate the remarkable resilience of the nearly 60,000 children and families we serve, along with the unwavering commitment of our dedicated staff.

The moment guests arrived, they stepped into a world of beauty. Looking more closely, they saw that the beauty was not only because of the stunningly set tables and ambient lighting, but also in large part because of the artwork set out before them—paintings, needlework, and other artistic pieces created by teens at The Child Center Residential Treatment Facility (RTF), where the creative and therapeutic arts programming plays a vital role in their journey toward achieving wellness and their full potential.

Needlework featuring pandas and a landscape paining are displayed on a table.

Nina Grae, a gifted singer-songwriter who serves as the arts expansion coordinator at the RTF, was our emcee. With her extraordinary voice and firsthand knowledge of Child Center programming, she captivated the room and added meaning and emotion to her role.

At the top of the night’s program, Christajah, a teen from the RTF, set the mood with her moving reading of a poem she wrote called “My World.”*

A young woman in a light pink dress stands at a podium and microphone at Evening Celebrating Resilience, the child center gala.

Christajah

Next up was a presentation of the Russell L. Carson Visionary Award, named for Russell L. Carson, a steadfast supporter of The Child Center. The Visionary Award recognizes employees who perform above and beyond expectations, initiate creative solutions despite limited resources, and demonstrate entrepreneurship in increasing the accessibility to services and opportunities for children and families. The 2025 award recipient was Tracey Elting, director of our Escalera Head Start and Early Head Start center in Manhattan. In accepting the award, Tracey spoke about how she worked as a teacher for 20 years before joining The Child Center, where she was drawn by a yearning to contribute to an organization where she would help not only the children, but also the families.

Tracey Elting speaks at a podium with the child center logo.

Tracey Elting

Upon accepting the award, Tracey said, “There is no better feeling than watching the excitement in a child’s face when they catch a ball, or write the letter S, or discover what happens when they mix two colors together. That never gets old.” But, she added, “It’s not all flowers and bubbles. Working with children can also be stressful, overwhelming, and challenging.” Exuding resilience, she noted how she has covered every position from cook to custodian—whatever role needed filling on a particular day. She accepted the award on behalf of her team, in recognition of their dedication and hard work.

This year’s program included a panel on the intersection of art therapy and impact featuring Traci Donnelly (CEO, The Child Center of NY), Dr. Claire Wang (Executive Director, Make An Impact), Joseph Di Salvo (Managing Partner, Di Salvo Howard PLLC), and Drew Sora (Founder, Port Jefferson Youth Council). The discussion was moderated by Greg Alba, creator and host of The Reel Rejects. The participants discussed the personal impact that art has had on their lives and why it is such a crucial part of the work The Child Center does each and every day.

members of a panel sit in chairs on a dark stage.

From left to right: Drew Sora, Claire Wang, Joseph Di Salvo, Traci Donnelly, and Greg Alba

Following the panel discussion was a highlight of the evening: Krystal, another teen at the RTF, joined the stage with Nina to perform a song called “Underestimated.”  Krystal wrote the entire section that she performed with Nina’s support. The lyrics, their meaning, and the beauty of Krystal’s voice took the audience’s breath away and led to a standing ovation.

Krystal and Nina singing

Krystal (left) and Nina (right) singing their song, “Underestimated.”

Other honorees of the night included Joseph Di Salvo of Di Salvo Howard PLLC, who received the Voice of Resilience Award; Kristen Lonergan of Greenberg Traurig, LLP, who received the Distinguished Service Award; and the wider team at Greenberg Traurig, LLP, who received the Impact Award. We are grateful for their tireless commitment to building stronger families and more resilient communities.

 

Kristen Lonergan
Greenberg Traurig CEO Brian Duffy with Child Center CEO Traci Donnelly
Joseph Di Salvo

 

While the event has passed, there is still time to support our vital programming. Text TCCNY to 50155 or visit childcenterny.org/donate to make a donation today. If you are not already on our list, email us at fundraising@childcenterny.org to receive communications about future events and happenings so you don’t miss a thing.

See you next year!

*Lyrics to “My World”:
My world is gray.
My world is me pacing.
My world is me overthinking about my past.
My world is me overthinking about my future.
My world is me zoning out of reality.
My world is me trying my best.
My world is me trying my best to use self-control.
My world is me trying to build a good relationship with my Grandmother.
My world is me trying to build a good relationship with my parents.
My world is me trying to be there for my sister.
My world is me trying to be a better person for myself and my family.
My world is me being positive.
My world is me not giving up on myself.
My world is me knowing what’s wrong and what’s right.
My world is me believing in myself.
My world is me depending on myself.
My world is me writing poems to cope with my feelings. 

Photo of the Month: Our Client Speaker at The Child Center of NY’s inaugural immersive play at Lincoln Center, “Outside In”

May 31, 2024  |  Leave a reply
Child Center Residential Treatment Facility (RTF) client Jonah with Talia Banks, RTF creative arts coordinator, at Outside In at Lincoln Center
Child Center Residential Treatment Facility (RTF) client Jonah with Talia Banks, RTF creative arts coordinator, at Outside In at Lincoln Center

Photo credit: Anthony Artis

Meet Jonah, our brave, smart, funny, and insightful client who shared their story with more than 200 Child Center of NY friends and supporters on May 7—National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day—at “Outside In.”

Instead of celebrating with a traditional gala this year, The Child Center of NY joined forces with the Emmy award-winning minds at Giant Step and the Emmy-nominated team behind Disney’s “Growing Up” at SoulHouse to create “Outside In,” a unique immersive play at Lincoln Center that explored mental wellness with an engaging interactive performance. “Outside In” highlighted The Child Center’s progressive approach to mental well-being by inviting audience members to be an integral part of the experience.

There were three shows during the night, and each was filled to capacity. Each one was a dynamic adventure where guests influenced the narrative, making each performance a unique reflection of its audience. The night offered an intimate look at the challenges facing our youth, in no small part because of clients like Jonah, who chose to tell their story.

Jonah is a client at The Child Center Residential Treatment Facility (RTF), a place where youth who have had multiple psychiatric hospital stays, as well as juvenile justice-involved youth with psychiatric disorders, can get the support and fresh start they need to address their mental health challenges and begin to build the lives they see for themselves. At “Outside In,” Jonah spoke candidly and movingly about their mental health journey. They ended with wisdom beyond their years by saying to the audience, “There’s a lot I would like you to know, but because of time I can give you this one thing: Be kind, be sensitive, and try to listen.

Link to the RTF creative arts video

See the RTF creative arts program in action in this powerful video.

This Photo of the Month features Jonah with Child Center team member Talia Banks, the RTF’s creative and therapeutic arts coordinator. As Jonah confided in the audience, Jonah finds their glimmer in being able to express themselves through art, writing, and drawing. Jonah has even merged these passions into a comic book they are creating. You can see in this photo the rapport that Talia has developed with Jonah, who is building confidence in their own abilities every day with the help of Talia and the rest of the team at the RTF.

Also featured in this photo is the night’s vocal talent, FCBC Worship Ensemble Choir of Hope Center Harlem, led by Tamish Bates, and Nina Grae, musical director and composer for “Outside In.”

Jonah is a powerful reminder of why we do what we do here at The Child Center: provide more than 58,000 New Yorkers each year with the support they need to build the healthy, fulfilling lives they are capable of.

“There are many things ‘Outside In’ meant to me,” Jonah said. “One thing it meant to me was that it was insightful and it was uplifting. I hope that the audience took from the experience that whatever demons you’re facing inside are not stronger than the light outside.”

While “Outside In” was a one-night-only experience, there is still ample opportunity for people to join us in making mental health history. The Child Center began in 1953 as a children’s counseling center, and a commitment to mental health remains at the heart of everything we do. In our post-COVID reality, this commitment has never been more important, and the need for innovative solutions has never been more urgent. That is why The Child Center is launching the groundbreaking Innovation Collaborative, which will convene the brightest minds in mental health, technology, art, community work, and science and serve as an incubator for a new paradigm in mental well-being solutions—one that is dynamic, inclusive, and revolutionary.

Learn more in our press release, and see all the fabulous photos from the event in our Facebook album.

Eudora’s Story

February 27, 2024  |  Leave a reply

Eudora is a participant of The Child Center of NY’s Cash+Community Works (C+C), a groundbreaking neighborhood-based initiative that invests in under-resourced families, trusts them with power, and connects them with peers so they all can rise together. C+C works on the premise that families are the experts on what they need to achieve their goals, and our job is to act as investors, advocates, and partners.

At The Child Center’s 70th anniversary gala, Eudora spoke powerfully about her experience as a promising entrepreneur. Watch the above clip to see how she was able to start a marketable business through C+C—and pay it forward.

Supporter Spotlight: Ming Szeto

December 21, 2021  |  Leave a reply
Ming Szeto and his family
Ming Szeto and his family

Ming Szeto with his daughter (left) and wife (center)

The Child Center of NY is fortunate to have supporters who feel a special connection to The Child Center based on a variety of factors, from their own childhood to their confidence in our results-based approach — and, always, their belief in our guiding principle: that every family and community deserves access to the skills, opportunities, and emotional support they need to build healthy, successful futures. In this Q&A, supporter Ming Szeto, president of US Pacific Transport, talks about how and why he has become one of The Child Center’s most dedicated supporters. Continue reading →


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