Some of the toys, including a stroller presented to COPE. (L to R) Joe Namy, Keith Aaron, Stephanie Power, Alma Riley, Leslie Lewis and Erica Monroe.
Atlantis Cricket Club – NY last week made another record donation of Toys for Tots to the COPE program at Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, NY. It was the sixth year that the New York based cricket club has made a contribution to the program, aimed at helping struggling parents cope with earning an education, while raising their children.
On hand to assist with the hand over of some 150 toys on behalf of Atlantis, was former West Indies women’s cricket captain and assistant women’s cricket coach, Trinidadian-born Stephanie Power, who’s also an Honorary Lifetime member of Atlantis and an inductee into the Cricket Hall of Fame in Hartford, CT. Ms. Power was recently inducted into the Trinidad & Tobago Sports Hall of Fame.
Stephanie Power hands over some of the toys to COPE’s Alma Riley, while Atlantis’ liaison officer Leslie Lewis, looks on.
The toys were collected from an outreach to Atlantis members, their families and friends and donated in time to be wrapped by the COPE staff, for presentation to the needy youngsters at a holiday party held last Friday on the campus of the Brooklyn community college.
Also on hand witnessing the presentation were Keith Aaron, Atlantis’ Treasurer and Leslie “Tulu” Lewis, the club’s Liaison Officer. Accepting the toys on behalf of COPE was COPE’s Administrative Officer Alma Riley, Tutor, Joe Namy, and a COPE student Erica Monroe.
Next year Atlantis Cricket Club – NY celebrates its 50th anniversary and is planning an even bigger Toys for Tots community event.
A holiday happy family
About the COPE Program
COPE is an acronym for College Opportunity to Prepare for Employment and was established in 1993 to provide a high level of support and employment services to current or former CUNY students or applicants who receive public assistance benefits (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, Safety Net, or Food Stamps) by the Human Resources Administration of New York City (HRA) as they transition into self-reliance and financial independence.
COPE’s mission is to foster a student-centered atmosphere conducive to self-empowerment, which embraces diversity and ensures that every student is treated with respect, courtesy and professionalism. Congruent with the mission of Student Affairs, COPE offers a wide array of services and resources designed to support students both inside and outside of the classroom.
COPE support services also include: academic and personal counseling, assistance with registration and scheduling, academic tutoring, childcare referrals, and preparation for social service appointments to help participants meet college and HRA workfare requirements in order to graduate. The COPE program also offers career development services such as job readiness, job preparation, referrals to interviews, apparel support, and part-time or full-time employment, commuting assistance, as well as post-employment counseling and incentives to promote retention. A key goal is to obtain meaningful employment that will lead to long-term economic self-sufficiency.
One happy recipient and his mom.