2024 Grantees
In 2024, WSCF distributed 40 microgrants totaling $200,000 across two grant cycles for initiatives serving the west side of Manhattan. The grantees are making an impact in initiative areas such as the arts, community improvement, education and economic empowerment, food security, and health and wellness.
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Project: A collaboration with P.S. 111’s fourth grade class for a monologue writing program. Teaching artists will assess students’ literacy skills and guide them in writing a monologue, which the artists will then perform.
Website: 52project.org
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Project: AFA will host the community program, Healthy Aging & Community Screenings, in order to fill the gap that currently exists in understanding healthy aging and cognition issues.
Website: alzfdn.org
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Project: Funding to ensure the website remains a prolific source of information for the community.
Website: chelseacommunitynews.com
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Project: TRAP (Technology, Rhythm, And Passion) is designed to tackle the disproportionate rates of recidivism among young Black men, by offering comprehensive tech education, mental health support, mentorship, and job placement. The program is a 12 week learning experience that offers a spectrum of artistry cultivation, digital literacy, website development, and professional growth.
Website: emergentworks.org
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Project: Pass The Spatula (PTS) is a student-led culinary magazine and podcast at Food and Finance High School. Funding will elevate the quality and reach of PTS by providing critical resources for guest industry leaders and educators, design fees, photography and podcast equipment, and production costs.
Website: foodeducationfund.org
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Project: Daily meal service that supplies 1,250 sandwiches (500 breakfast sandwiches and 750 lunch sandwiches) each week to homeless individuals residing in the surrounding Chelsea neighborhood.
Website: heartystart.org
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Project: Hell’s Kitchen Community Cupboard will rescue food from local businesses every day of the week to redirect to members of the community who are food insecure and continue to provide fresh produce to the neighborhood through a mix of increasing partnerships and purchasing supplemental food.
Website: instagram.com/hkfridge
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Project: Manhattan Community Boathouse will upgrade the equipment needed to keep the public safe and to ensure the future of their free kayaking program.
Website: manhattancommunityboathouse.org
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Project: The MSCC Urban Farm will build additional infrastructure to enhance its capacity to distribute fresh produce, and to continue to provide healthy food to families, shelters, and the elderly.
Website: midtownsouthcc.org
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Project: Design League is Mouse’s signature STEM instructional program for in-school and after-school computer science enrichment. Teachers guide student teams as they create original apps and tech projects to address a social need in our shared communities.
Website: mouse.org
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Project: A photography program for high school students, introducing them to the art and craft of studio photography. Annie Liebovitz will facilitate a two-day workshop as part of the program.
Website: nycsalt.org
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Project: Open Hands will set up their Legal Aid Desk at Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen to deliver urgently needed civil legal aid. Staff and volunteers will serve clients by providing free onsite legal assistance, advocacy, and, in exceptional cases, representation in civil legal matters.
Website: openhandslegalservices.org
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Project: Connecting high school students from Bayard Rustin Educational Campus with six-week paid internships. PENCIL also includes pre-employment training, to cover skills like resume building, interviewing, professional communication and networking.
Website: pencil.org
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Project: Enhanced youth literacy programming at the PS 111 elementary school through the renovation, restocking, reopening, and operation of a decommissioned school library, as well as the development and deployment of a student- and parent-volunteer-run PS 111 community newspaper.
Website: ps111pta.org
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Project: Supplies for students living in the Chelsea-Elliot Houses and others living in shelters. Supplies will include clothing, shoes, coats, personal care and hygienic supplies, and basic household necessities for living. They will also include school and classroom supplies.
Website: ps33chelseaprep.org
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Project: Creighton’s Cafe, St. Paul’s House’s soup kitchen, provides 40-60 meals daily, and connects clients to the resources they need, such as affordable housing. Funding will go towards groceries and building upkeep/ maintenance.
Website: sphnyc.org
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Project: Vision Urbana NYCHA Tenant Association Emergency Food Security Network, which consists of 12 NYCHA Tenant Association presidents, will bring fresh produce to hundreds of residents each week due to the lack of affordable groceries in the Chelsea area for low income families living in Fulton Houses.
Website: visionurbana.org
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Project: Mental health program supporting Eurasian LGBTQ+ residents. Offerings include weekly support groups at the Pier 57 community classrooms with bilingual therapists; weekly community outreach; monthly peer support groups; and more.
Website: rusalgbtq.org
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Project: Xavier Mission’s Customer Choice Food Pantry offers fresh, nutritious, culturally appropriate produce to families experiencing food insecurity.
Website: xaviermission.org
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Project: Arts and tech programming at Facing History School (FHS) in Hell’s Kitchen, including computer science learning; an after school game design club where students will learn animation, sound design, narrative writing, and high level coding; workshops connecting students with professionals in the field; and field trips.
Website: urbanarts.org
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Project: A trauma-informed yoga program in partnership with New Alternatives, an organization dedicated to assisting LGBTQIA+ youth experiencing homelessness.
Website: threeandahalfacres.org
Fall 2024 Grantees
In May 2024, $100,000 was distributed to 19 organizations serving the west side of Manhattan.
Spring 2024 Grantees
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Project: Collaboration with the P138M@33 staff to complete a list of 50+ adaptations of varying complexities that would benefit 50 students across 7 classrooms.
Website: https://www.adaptivedesign.org/
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Project: Robust music education program that incorporates literacy, math, history, and geography, to be implemented in schools in Community Board 4.
Website: https://www.bfany.org/
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Project: Startup NYCHA is an initiative to bring social entrepreneurship programs and business development resources to NYCHA complexes. Funds will support a pilot program at Fulton Houses.
Website: https://www.cambiolabs.org/
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Project: Teen Talent Show to celebrate the artistic gifts of young people in the Elliott-Chelsea Houses and promote community engagement.
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Project: Bigger than the Block is a digital literacy and work readiness program training youth impacted by mass incarceration in a variety of tech skills such as audio engineering and coding.
Website: https://www.emergentworks.org/
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Project: Pass the Spatula is a food media production program where students create culturally informed content about the culinary and hospitality industries, engaging in valuable career experience and networking opportunities.
Website: https://www.foodeducationfund.org/
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Project: An immersive Latin social dance class tailored to seniors, offered twice a week for twelve weeks.
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Project: Quarterly resource fairs connecting the newest New Yorkers and all families in temporary housing to food assistance programs, immigration services, health insurance registration, and more.
Website: https://www.fundavenyc.org/
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Project: The Protect and Preserve Affordable Housing (PAPAH) Project educates vulnerable Community Board 4 residents on their rights, tackling subjects like maintaining an affordable unit, advocating for repairs, and other crucial services.
Website: https://www.hcc-nyc.org/
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Project: Staffing youth counselors for City Sail, a public summer sailing camp that aims to narrow the achievement gap between students from under-resourced schools and their more affluent counterparts by providing social-emotional learning, workforce preparation, diverse mentors, and a sports-based activity that provides access to NYC’s unique marine environment.
Website: https://www.hudsonsailing.org/
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Project: Identifying Chelsea-Elliot and Fulton Houses residents with a vision for community improvement and bringing their projects to life.
Website: https://www.infirnity.org/
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Project: The Urban Farm Program addresses food shortages and encourages nutrition by distributing fresh produce and leading community-building event programming.
Website: https://www.midtownsouthcc.org/
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Project: Bringing in a Design League teacher at the High School for Environmental Studies who will lead students in creating original apps to address community needs.
Website: https://www.mouse.org/
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Project: Funds will go towards increasing and diversifying PS/IS 111’s free family-friendly events and ensuring student families in temporary housing can fully participate.
Website: https://www.ps111pta.org/
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Project: PS 33 will provide students with after-school programs, school-day enrichments, extended enrichment programs during school breaks, parent workshops, academic support, counseling support services, clothing, warm food, and weekend meals.
Website: https://www.ps33chelseaprep.org/
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Project: Connecting young female high school students of color with Fortune 500 companies in the beauty, tech, and finance industries to gain career experience and access to networking opportunities.
Website: https://www.seedsoffortune.org/
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Project: The Restored Translatinx Network Nutritional Support Program provides a food pantry in Chelsea with gender-affirming hygiene products three days a week.
Website: https://www.translatinxnetwork.org/
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Project: Funding will go to professional development of women, trans, and gender expansive playwrights and production of their plays.
Website: https://www.parityproductions.org/
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Project: Customer Choice Food Pantry in Chelsea will provide nutritious and culturally appropriate produce, allowing families in need to choose quality food options.
Website: https://xaviermission.org/
Read about WSCF’s 2023 grantees here!
