NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull Hosted Its Third Annual Back-To-School Fest/Gun Violence Prevention Community Event
Woodhull distributed approximately 1,750 bookbags and school supplies to the community The event included live music, coloring sessions, balloon caricatures, NYPD K9 petting, practicing CPR with manikins and the FDNY, a tour inside a garbage truck with the City of New York Department of Sanitation, and more
Aug 24, 2023
Staff from NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull and backpacks filled with school supplies at the Third Annual Back-to-School Fest/Gun Violence Prevention Community Event
NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull hosted its Third Annual Back-to-School Fest/Gun Violence Prevention Community Event aimed at giving back to the neighborhood. Families waited in lines that extended around the hospital to collect school supplies and colorful backpacks for their children in preparation for the upcoming school year. As part of this initiative, Woodhull distributed approximately 1,750 bookbags and school supplies to the community. This opportunity was made possible, in part, through the generous gifts of school-supply-filled backpacks provided by compassionate hospital staff, elected officials, and local community organizations that collaborated in support of the event. Photos from the event are available here.
Partially inspired by the collective efforts of numerous individuals in the pursuit of building stronger communities and addressing gun violence, the event was attended by local organizations and elected officials who showed their support. Remarks were given by New York State Senator Jabari Brisport and Assemblywoman Maritza Davila. Tabling and giveaways were provided by over 45 community-based organizations. Woodhull’s Cure Violence/Wick Against Violence Program, funded by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, were also present.
“Every child deserves quality healthcare and an education so they can grow up to be healthy and successful. The Back-to-School event provides the children in our community with the resources they need to get started. NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull is appreciative of the on-going support from our elected and local organizations who collaborated on this event,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull CEO Gregory Calliste.
“We would like to express our gratitude for everyone’s contribution towards the Third Annual Back to School Fest/Gun Violence Prevention event at NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull. The collaboration of so many will help provide resources for disadvantaged children and families in our community, including the newly arrived children, who are also preparing for a bright start in their education. We thank everyone for making it possible. It takes a village to raise a child. Thank you for trusting Woodhull to be that village,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull Community Affairs Director, Jessica Arocho.
The event was well received by children, who enjoyed numerous fun activities such as coloring sessions, balloon caricatures, NYPD K9 petting, practicing CPR with manikins and the FDNY, a tour inside a garbage truck with the City of New York Department of Sanitation, and more.
The unique sounds of the electric violin played by Lorenzo Laroc, an electric violinist and composer who has performed at Carnegie Hall and toured with jazz greats and R&B legends, captivated everyone. Songs by Heydi Hurtado and Jillian Paige Platero, an eleven-year-old whose parents are Bushwick natives and who has been making her Broadway debut since 2022 by performing as Young Nala in The Lion King on Broadway, brought the summer event alive. There were also poetry readings with young local artists such as Lil Lexs, dancing with Crowd Control of El Puente, and drumming by the Blue Angels Alumni Drum Line.
As asylum-seeking families continue to arrive, New York schools anticipate an increase in migrant children enrolled in public schools this year. Providing supplies and backpacks, and connecting families to programs and clinics for healthcare, helps everyone in the community better prepare for when New York City schools open their doors for the first day of school.
###
Contact: Julissa Herrera (herreraj4@nychhc.org / 718-963-8629)
About NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull
NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull, part of the NYC Health + Hospitals health care system, is the major tertiary care provider in the borough of Brooklyn. It is a premiere health care organization for key specialties, including surgery, cardiology, women’s health, pediatrics, rehabilitation medicine, renal services, and behavioral health services. Last year, the hospital received close to 300,000 ambulatory care visits and close to 100,000 emergency room visits. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook.
About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest municipal health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city’s five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system’s trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlus health plan—all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 43,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.