People In FYI

About the Board
FYI believes that young people should have decision-making powers at the highest level of the organization. In its bylaws FYI stipulates that at least 3 of its Board members are young people.

In addition, FYI utilizes ''Special Youth Advisors'' who are younger program participants receiving training at the board level. In this manner, the ideas and energy of youth participants inform FYI's overall direction and policies. FYI Board Members have received training from Youth on Board (in Boston) in order to maximize the effectiveness of youth voices on the Board.

FYI has increased the size of its board slowly over time, moving from its original 3 members in 1993 to 9 members in 1995; to 12 members in 1997; up to 15 in 2003, and now 17 members for the 2007-2008 fiscal year. This growth mirrors that of FYI as a whole, with the bottom line always being effective stewardship and leadership of the organization.

FYI's Board developed its own fundraiser, the Community Action Heroes Awards. Starting in 1999, this annual event has been held at Morris-Jumel Mansion, DR-K Restaurant, and in 2007, FYI's New Community Meeting House and Youth Center.
Diversity of the Board is also important in terms of skills, contacts, professional experience, gender, and time availability, in addition to ethnicity and culture. We also value having a healthy number of Board members who either work or live here in Washington Heights.

Robin Henry, Chair The Rau Foundation New York, NY	Ed Lehmann, Vice-Chair Citi Hedge Fund Services North America, Inc. New York, NY	Anne Marie Rotan Treasurer Executive Vice President DNB NOR Bank New York, NY	Judd Henry Secretary Attorney Paul, Weiss, Rifkind New York, NY
Mindee Barham Senior Associate Jeanne Sigler and Associates New York, NY	Mona Lisa Fermin* FYI Program Alum Lifespire Job Readiness Program New York, NY	Tal Golomb Attorney Fried, Frank, Harris New York, NY	Harold Malone, Jefferies & Co. New York, NY
Mark Levine* Executive Director Center for After School Excellence-TASC New York, NY	Heidi Lopez* FYI Program Alum Program Leader Harlem Children's Zone New York, NY	David Payamps* FYI Program Alum Merkeley & Partners Graphic Arts New York, NY	Ruben Perez* FYI Program Graduate Lehman College New York, NY
Ziandry Peralta*, FYI Program Alum SUNY - Old Westbury	Rebecca Rosenthal Sale* Columbia School of Public Health New York, NY	Steve Silver Helios Consulting Group New York, NY	Luis Tapia* FYI Program Alum St. John's Univ. New York, NY
Lisa Bennett JP Morgan Chase New York, NY	Simon Chuk Goldman Sachs New York, NY

New York, NY* lives/works in Washington Heights

The Staff
The past year at FYI has been one of solid work and achievement, and also much change, as we have finally moved into our new site on 171st Street.
The staff team is led by Associate Executive Director Esteban "Steve" Ramos, who has been a member of the staff since 1999. Steve started at FYI as an intern, rose through the ranks to become the director of Helping Hands Food Pantry (our satellite site where the food pantry is based), and has the vision, communication skills, knowledge of youth development, and experience to help FYI continue its organic growth.
This growth in the past year saw 3 new excellent staff members join the FYI family.

Please follow each staff member's link to learn more about them and their role at FYI.

Andrew Rubinson* Executive Director, FYIer since '93

Esteban "Steve" Ramos, Associate Executive Director, FYIer since '99

JoAnn Santiago*, Administrative Director, FYIer since '96

Dahlia Perry*, Senior Group Ldr. & Parent Coordinator, FYIer since '96

Amauri Torres*, Group Leader, FYIer since '96

Carlos Cepeda, Group Leader, FYIer since '05

Edward Baca*, Group Leader, FYIer since '08

Jeremiah Roman, Group Leader, FYIer since '06

Massiel De La Rosa*, Group Leader, FYIer since '06

Jackeysi Benitez, Group Leader, FYIer since '06

Maria Herrera*, Project Specialist, FYIer since '05

Yesenia Lantigua*, Group Leader, FYIer since '04

* Upper Manhattan Resident

The Participants

Youth Timeline
In thinking about the time line for the young people at our organization, we need to be clear in our thinking and approach to youth development, and redefine what it means for a participant to move forward. The central idea for FYI's youth development model must be Cultivation and Retention.
The Incentives

The Reward For Giving Your Time
Trip USA
Other Incentives

May 2008 Participant Hours
November 2008 Partcipant Hours
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The Youth Leaders
After becoming a Neighborhood Service Leader, the next step is Youth Leader. This person is aged from 14-18. They are of working age and receive a higher stipend than an NSLer and have more responsibility. Not only do they get to create a group by the end of the FYI semester, they are automatically inserted into certain incentive trips. They must help the staff in everyday activities. They may also run the regular service group if the staff member is needed elsewhere. They are the extra help to staff members and must attend similar meetings as the staff. They receive youth leader t-shirts at the end of a semester at FYI and should wear them at any event.

Graduating Seniors (6) 2007
Graduating Seniors (2) 2008

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The Neighborhood Service Leaders
Neighborhood Service Leaders is a program for FYI participants from the ages of 12 to 18, who want to start their own community service projects. Through NSL, participants have an opportunity to organize other youth and address problems they have identified in Washington Heights. Projects are created and run by the participants, who are selected through a competitive application process. Each participant receives a monthly stipend based on his or her performance in effectively carrying out the service project. Applications will also recruit and supervise younger youth to help do the service work with the project.

Current NSL
Imalay Cabrera
Adonis Acosta
Jose Polanco
Pricilla Canela
Moises Torres
Sholanlly Ferreira
Mirka Quinones
Paola Acosta

Neighborhood Service Leader Training 2008
After a great NSL training experience in 2007, this years NSL training has new components and has been extend to be a year long process. With these new changes we are preparing our NSLers to be more knowledgeable about what it means to be a youth leader. We are not only training them on how to create and run community service activities, but also on how to be a leader. We are very excited about this years NSL training and are looking forward to the new ideas these groups of leaders will bring to F.Y.I.

The Corps Members
After another two years, the participant will be 16 – 17 years of age. The next step will be to no longer focus on the organization internally, but rather focus on the organization externally. These individuals will now be in an FYI Corps training program where they will focus on putting together large-scale service events, and perhaps even a small fundraiser.

They will have the titles of junior staff, and will also receive a stipend on a monthly basis. They will shadow NSL groups, collaborate with the Board of Directors, and will get exposure to college, and professional readiness. The goal is to prepare and enable them with the proper tools to be successful outside of FYI. At the end of this journey the goal is that the individual is ready to go to college or some form of higher education.

At this point in time the participant will be asked to take a year off of FYI. They will still be associated with the organization, by attending events and maybe even being board members themselves. The most pivotal thing is to allow them the time to transition into the adult world.
Current Corps Member: Alexis Canela.

The Mentors
Beginning in early 1994, Fresh Youth Initiatives (FYI) introduced a Mentor Program for youths in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan. FYI is an organization in Washington Heights which supports youth-led community service projects and other activities to help young people maximize their potential.
FYI's Mentor Program is a logical extension of its ongoing community service activities. Designed to pair youths in the community with positive adult role models. The program provides enrichment opportunities for these young people with particular emphasis on social, cultural and educational experiences and exploration.
FYI works closely with other youth organizations in the community, including the Explorer Post 280 "Dreamers," and the Ivy League and recruits youth for the Mentor Program from these and other FYI programs.

To be eligible for our mentoring program potential mentors must: be at least 21 years of age; be a New York City resident for at least one year; have a least eight hours a month to spend with a youth; be able to attend fun large group mentoring activities and commit to be a part of the mentoring program for at least one academic year.

For more information on the mentors and the mentoring program: The Mentors

The Community

Children's Art and Science Workshop

181st Street Beautification Project

Other Washington Heights agencies which are influential and who work with larger numbers of youth through beacon schools are:

Alianza Dominicana

Association of Dominican Progressives in the Community (ACDP)

Children's Aid Society

Other Washington Heights organizations which have distinct youth programming pieces include:

Community League of 159th Street

RENA-COA

Dominican Women's Development Center

Washington Heights-Inwood Coalition

Funders/Financials

Current Supporters 2006

Annual Report 2007(.pdf)

IRS Form 990

You

Your Time

Mentor a youth

Host an FYI youth on special career days; e.g. Take Our Daughters/Sons to Work

Host a group of older FYI youth on a Career Awareness Day

Volunteer in one of FYI's weekly community service groups.

Volunteer at one of FYI's one-shot volunteer opportunities

Your Money

Choose the Calendar Donation Program (a $25 donation)

Send E-Cards to friends and family (a $5 tax deductible donation)

To become a day sponsor, please click here to donate now

Your Resources

See if you or your company can provide equipment, such as computers, which can be donated

Pro-bono services, such as photocopying our newsletter

Summer internships for FYI youth

Our "Wish List"
Monetary donations -- which we will use to fund both specific FYI programs as well as behind the scenes administrative costs

A Corporate Partner -- who will commit to working together with FYI in a structured manner that helps both organizations. Examples would be setting up summer job placements and year-round internships for FYI youth at the company; having FYI organize community service opportunities for the employees of the company -- all helping to better understand and realize how FYI defines a Corporate Partner.

Companies and Individuals -- who will help FYI with specific expenses such as underwriting the printing costs for our newsletter or a brochure; the equipment for a large-scale community service project; hosting a party to reward FYI youth participants for their efforts.