I hope that this message finds you in a place of openness and receptivity to all that is shifting and changing in our world right now. As a small grassroots non-profit and historically Black organization we stand with all those who are protesting, organizing, rallying, marching, speaking out against racism, police brutality and many other social injustices and atrocities that need changing. 

We believe The movement for Black Lives is everyday. The work is everyday. Every day in our interactions, in our listening, in our self care, in our capacity and ability to reflect. What/whose voices are we listening to? Whose haven’t been heard nor centered? Who are we choosing to be in community with? How are we embracing, welcoming & coping with discomfort? Who are we seeking out for guidance, visioning and support because we ALL need that! How are we contributing each day to change state violence against Black lives in ALL or ANY of these systems?! How are we prioritizing the work of Black organizations with support, funding, and other resources? How do we stand in integrity and spiritual obligation to love each other without conditions?! This is all of our work. We know that everyday we get up to do this work; to network, plan, and contribute energy to this organization, we are a part of the solution and the healing that needs to happen. 

Last month we launched a gofundme to raise $2000 to begin painting and landscaping the outside facade of The Carver Community Center. We are happy to say that we exceeded our fundraising goal in just a week! Thank you to MVP Healthcare for donating $1000 towards our Art Project and being supportive of our work in the past! We are set to begin Painting the outside of The Carver Community Center this month! A local artist, school district employee, who is also our board member and someone very special to me: Rae Frasier will be leading the art project with help from students at Schenectady City Schools. If you would like to help volunteer with landscaping or paint scraping outdoors, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We can’t wait to get started!

We launched our Mommy To Be Initiative for Mother’s Day. This initiative aims to support first time and experienced moms by providing them with gifts to support their transition into motherhood. We all know that too often moms are not supported enough through the transition into motherhood and also that the baby gets all the gifts at the baby shower! Disparities in premature births, infant mortality, mother mortality, and birth complications are exacerbated in communities of color. This is a small way to uplift and hold all our mother’s sacred in their important and significant experience as a mom. If you are interested in purchasing a gift for a Mommy To Be please visit our Amazon list and purchase through the link HERE. You can also make a donation to purchase multiple gifts for moms by sending a check made out to Miracle on Craig Street (Memo: Mommy To Be) at PO Box 357 Schenectady NY 12301. Please Note** That by shopping at smile.amazon.com or using the Amazon Smile App you can also donate 5% of your purchase price to Miracle on Craig Street now! You can do this while shopping on smile.amazon.com at any time. This is a quick way to support our organization without spending any additional money! Please consider this when doing your Amazon Shopping. 

We want to give a BIG Thank you to two of our newest Pave The Way Sponsors! Thank you to Leah Akinleye and Sheila Rivera for purchasing a total of three bricks to support our renovations at the Carver Community Center. This is an example of what cooperative economics and collective responsibility look like. We appreciate y’all so much not just for supporting us with your dollars but for your contributions and work in the Schenectady Community. Thank You for leading by example! If you are interested in supporting our renovations at The soon to be Historic Carver Community Center in Schenectady, please visit our donor site HERE to become a Pave the Way Sponsor. 

I want to give a big, warm, welcome, to our newest board member Georgina Parsons. Georgina joined our board in February. Georgina R. Parsons was born and raised in Schenectady, New York where she attended Schenectady Public Schools.  After graduating high school, she attended Utica College, receiving a degree in Journalism and Sociology. Georgina started her career as a program specialist with Girls Incorporated of the Greater Capital Region. She also worked at Trinity Alliance and was a contributing writer for Go Indie TV.  Georgina continues to stay connected to the community. She has over 10 years’ experience working with nonprofits and community based organizations. Her experience and passion in community work, journalism, and writing has led her to work with the NYS Senate. She is currently the Deputy Press Secretary for the NYS Senate Majority. When Georgina is not reading she enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Help us welcome Georgina! We are so thrilled and grateful to have you on our board Georgie! Thank You!

I’m honored to be in community with you all and to be doing this work together. We are here at this important time in our lives where the universe is calling for deep shifts in our collective consciousness. The universe is asking us to prioritize our self care, nourishment, and love for each other. The universe is asking us to prioritize humanity and have each other’s back in this struggle for liberation, sustainability, creativity and self preservation. At this time our work is more important than ever. If you would like to take the universe up on this call by supporting our work and/or our organization in a deeper way, we encourage you to do so. The time is now. 

Thank you for all that you are and remember whatever you do, you are enough and if you feel fear that’s a calling to love harder.

10,000 Blessings, 
Rosa E. Rivera