Boerum Hill

HeartShare’s Cornerstone after-school site gets makeover

December 22, 2017 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Ouadra CEO Robert Sablic (left), and Wyckoff Gardens Cornerstone Program Dir. Regina Mitchell (second from left) celebrate the newly renovated space with HeartShare St. Vincent Services VP Brooke Rosenthal, Habitat for Humanity Dir. Briana Fullwood, and Nicole Haworth and Nicole Bootza of Quadra (left to right). Photo courtesy of HeartShare St. Vincent’s Services
Share this:

Children enrolled in an afterschool program in Boerum Hill sponsored by HeartShare Human Services of New York are enjoying brand new amenities, thanks to a renovation of the program site that was made possible with donations from Habitat for Humanity and a furniture store.

The Wyckoff Gardens Cornerstone Program, operated by HeartShare St. Vincent’s Services, opened on Wyckoff Street in Boerum Hill last fall, but has been badly in need of a renovation for months, officials said.

Coming to the rescue were the nonprofit organization Habitat for Humanity and Quadra Furniture & Spaces, a well-known furniture rental business.

The renovation included refurnished classrooms, a new computer room and a new lounge, as well as a fresh coat of paint. Quadra donated the furniture.

The newly renovated space now boasts mobile workstations, flat screens and the latest gaming systems.

Quadra also worked with the nonprofit arts organization Chashama and artist Kristin Reed to give the site a whole new look. Reed painted a mural featuring expressionistic use of light and color along with geometrical symbols.

“HeartShare St. Vincent’s Services is thrilled to be selected as a recipient of this generous donation made possible by Quadra and Habitat for Humanity, who referred us for the project. Our Wyckoff Gardens Cornerstone Program is now freshly painted, and has two newly furnished classrooms, a computer room and lounge. It looks like a completely different space,” said Brooke Rosenthal, vice president of youth development and community programs for HeartShare St. Vincent’s.

The renovation is more than just cosmetic, according to Regina Mitchell, director of the Wyckoff Gardens Cornerstone Program.

“Youth learn a lot about who they are and what they deserve from their environment. With this donation, our children and teens will want to spend more time at Wyckoff Gardens after school and during summers. They can be proud of the community they belong to, and feel even more encouraged to reach their academic and personal goals,” Mitchell said in a statement.

The Wyckoff Gardens Cornerstone Program offers afterschool activities for children ages 5 and older.

The program works in partnership with the Wyckoff Gardens Community Center, a facility that is used by many senior citizens in the neighborhood, officials said.

“The Cornerstone program model is a unique one that cultivates an intergenerational community from elementary school students to senior citizens who utilize the Wyckoff Gardens Community Center,” Rosenthal added.

Karen Haycox, CEO of Habitat for Humanity New York City, said the organization, which builds homes for low-income people, was pleased to offer assistance in the renovation project.

“We are so thankful for our partners at Quadra for their generous donation of new furnishings to the Wyckoff Gardens Community Center and for volunteering their time to help improve a cherished neighborhood meeting place,” Haycox said.

Quadra, a New York-based furniture rental and staging company, has a longstanding partnership with Habitat for Humanity.

“We always press ourselves to create intelligent spaces that inspire. Today, the people who live and who’ve grown up in these spaces inspire us. An amazing multi-generational tapestry of Brooklyn lives here and we enjoyed helping them re-imagine their space to serve generations to come,” said Quadra Founder and CEO .Robert Sablic said in a statement.

HeartShare St. Vincent’s Services operates Cornerstone programs all over Brooklyn, including the McKinley I.S. 259 Beacon Program in Bay Ridge; the P.S. 102 One World COMPASS Program in Bay Ridge; the P.S. 288 Shirley Tanyhill Beacon Program in Coney Island; and the Surfside Gardens Cornerstone Program in Coney Island.

The program offers students tutoring, recreational activities, creative arts lessons and sports.

 

Subscribe to our newsletters


Leave a Comment


Leave a Comment