ABC's partnership with OnPoint featured in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle

ABC’s East Harlem Echo Park location is opposite OnPoint NYC, a harm reduction and safe injection site. Many opponents of OnPoint argue that its location so close to the school makes the area more dangerous for the students, but ABC views this as an opportunity to work together to better help the residents of East Harlem. ABC's partnership with OnPoint was recently featured in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

“OnPoint didn’t bring the substance abuse problem to our neighborhood. They came in and saved lives,” said Gretchen Buchenholz, ABC’s Executive director. “I want them to continue doing what they are doing, which is being the best neighbors they can be.” 

Gretchen and ABC have been continuously working with parents and OnPoint to make the situation as safe and comfortable as possible for everyone. Soon after OnPoint opened in 2021, ABC hosted a community meeting, where parents and ABC community members brainstormed ways to make their neighborhood feel safe. These ideas included keeping needles off the sidewalk and parking the NARCAN vehicle on the other side of the street, which OnPoint began doing the very next day. 

ABC’s partnership with OnPoint started there, and it’s only grown stronger through the years. Because of OnPoint, security guards now patrol the street outside Echo Park, making it a more protected area than most streets in East Harlem. And earlier this year, OnPoint provided a COVID-19 vaccine clinic for parents of ABC, helping to familiarize them with the organization and dispel their concerns. We are looking forward to continuing to collaborate with OnPoint to make our neighborhood a safer and more equitable place for our kids. 

ABC featured on CBS News

On September 8th, CBS aired a segment which showcased the meaningful work being done at our beloved Echo Park location—a focal point for much of our programming – on one of the first days of the school year. Many of the children featured only recently arrived in New York City and are living in asylum shelters. Despite only being a few minutes long, you’ll see plenty of familiar faces: ABC Executive Director Gretchen Buchenholz, who provided a few words as to why she co-founded ABC, and Jessica Casanova, Youth Services Director, who emphasized how comfortable children felt after experiencing the various services provided by Echo Park. We also heard words from other members of the ABC community, including parents and staff like MaryEllen Rooney and Zaida Villavicencio, who’s worked at ABC for over ten years after going through ABC’s programs herself. It was a special moment for all of us at ABC, and we thank CBS for sharing some of our work with the wider public. 

ABC named finalist in NYC Imagine Awards for third consecutive year

ABC’s Co-Founder and Executive Director Gretchen Buchenholz was again honored as a finalist in the NYC Imagine Award’s leadership category. As described on the Imagine Award’s website, these leaders display “innovation in driving organizational change and social impact.” 

Over the past four decades, Gretchen has exemplified innovation and dedication as she changed state and federal policies to better protect children. She has established replicable and scalable models to provide all children and all families with high quality education, family support services, and health and mental health care.  

With nearly 250 applications submitted for consideration in 6 categories, including Innovation, Leadership Excellence, Rising Star, Social Impact, Arts & Culture and DEIA, Gretchen is one of four finalists in the Leadership category. Finalists were chosen by NYC business and nonprofit professionals during preliminary judging, and each organization will receive a $1,000 grant provided by Webster Bank.

This marks the third NYC Imagine Awards, and each year ABC has been nominated as a finalist. In the inaugural awards, ABC was honored in the social impact category, and for the past two years, Gretchen has been a finalist in the Leadership category.

“The Imagine Awards honors the best of the best, so being named an Imagine Award finalist is a big deal,” said NYC Imagine Awards founder Ken Cerini of Cerini & Associates. “All of the finalists are incredible with extremely effective, innovative, and impactful operations … they are truly making a difference for all of us.”

ABC celebrates the lives and legacies of David and Joyce Dinkins

On June 22nd, ABC hosted a dinner and photography exhibit at the June Kelly Gallery in tribute to the lives and legacies of the Honorable David N. Dinkins and Joyce Dinkins. David Dinkins was a longstanding member of ABC’s board of directors and both he and Joyce were staunch supporters of our mission to defend the right of every child to a joyful and nurturing childhood. The exhibit, ‘Their Love of New York’, featured the work of Nicole Buchenholz and Pierre Hauser that combined to capture the joy and grace of our kids, as well as the unique beauty and resilience of New York.

The Honorable David Paterson, who chaired the event and made a moving toast, was joined by ABC staff, board members, long-time supporters, and friends of David and Joyce Dinkins. Sharing stories and fond memories throughout the night, everyone agreed that they felt the enduring presence of David and Joyce in the room. Thank you to all the generous donors who made this event possible and to all the attendees for creating such a special atmosphere.

ABC Board Member Rose Styron releases new memoir

The New York Times recently published an article about Rose Styron, one of our cherished board members and longtime supporter of ABC, in advance of her new memoir, Beyond this Harbor: Adventurous Tales of the Heart. Rose’s memoir follows her extraordinary life as a poet, activist, and friend to politicians, authors, movie stars, and legends. Click below to read the full piece!

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/12/books/beyond-this-harbor-rose-styron-memoir.html

(Photograph by Cole Barash for The New York Times)

Watch our 2022 NYC Imagine Awards video honoring Gretchen's years of social impact

In late October, ABC’s Co-Founder and Executive Director Gretchen Buchenholz was honored at the NYC Imagine Awards for her social impact in the nonprofit sector for 5 decades. The video looks back at Gretchen’s legacy and focuses on the importance of ABC’s current programming. We hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed filming it.

Although Gretchen didn’t win on the night, we are so proud that we could share ABC’s mission and vision with leading nonprofits from across New York City on a very special night. You can find out more about the NYC Imagine Awards here and discover how you can create your own lasting impact here.

ABC's Gretchen Buchenholz Gives a Congressional Testimony in Favor of Greater Gun Control

My name is Gretchen Buchenholz, and I’m proud to be in the Leadership Council of 24/7 The People’s Filibuster. I am the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Association to Benefit Children (ABC). Our mission is to champion all children. ABC creates compassionate programs in urgent response to the needs of New York City’s most vulnerable families. I bring greetings and gratitude to the members of the United States Congress from ABC’s children.

I will be brief. You already know from authoritative evidence that there is a critical gun crisis in America. Gun violence is the leading cause of death for American children. This is a new harvest of the grapes of wrath devastating vast numbers of children on our streets in our schools and even in our nurseries, destroying our nation’s most valuable resources: our children’s optimism, their hope, and their faith in the basic goodness of our country and the wisdom and fairness of its lawmakers. It’s time to act. It’s time to end the gun violence. It’s time for common sense gun-safety legislation.

Some of you are hesitant. I know it’s complicated, far from perfect, full of gaps and loopholes, “a sticky wicket.” The truth is, it’s also eerily simple. Our children know the truth.

The children who attend our programs live in the most marginalized communities, mainly in East Harlem and the South Bronx and are amongst the most vulnerable in the nation. They also have the greatest aspirations and the biggest dreams. They asked me to give you vital information so you will want to act quickly to change the structures that support gun-violence and its attendant cruelty and misery.

One of our children… he’s really cute… only eight and a half, wants you to know that he can’t go to sleep at night because he hears gunshots every night outside his window, a window he’s afraid to go near. If somehow, he does fall asleep, he wakes up to gunshots in the morning. He’s afraid to leave the house to go to school, but he risks it. At school he meets up with a friend who tells him about the time his brother was shot in the head.

An eleven year old of ours had to transfer to a new school this week because some kid in the hallway told her that he put a hit out on her because she refused his advances.

Our children know what sticky is! Sticky is your best friend’s blood on you, on your hands, on our hands!

Angelyh, a really kind, determined and gentle student of ours just turned sweet sixteen. She was leaving her school with her best friend; the two girls were jubilant; they had aced their exam. Angelyh was gunned down and killed by a seventeen year old child in some random shooting.

I know that these are not nice things to report. It’s a heartbreaking picture, a pervasive picture. There’s such urgency here! Our children, marching on under the Metro North Railroad tracks, carry placards that say “STOP THE SHOOTINGS. WE WANT TO SHOOT FOR THE STARS.” For our children’s sakes, we implore you to act now to pass robust gun safety legislation in both houses before the recess, so that on July Fourth we will feel safe opening our windows to hear fireworks and we will take the children down to the riverside to see the glorious bursts of red, white, and blue light up our spacious night sky.

Thank you for this opportunity to bear witness on behalf of all children who live on this slippery edge of fear and hope.

ABC receives the highest rating from Charity Navigator for 13 consecutive years

Association to Benefit Children is proud to announce that it has received 4 out of 4 stars from Charity Navigator for 13 consecutive years as of March 2022, an accomplishment that places it in the top 1% of charities nationwide.

Charity Navigator is the largest independent charity evaluator in the U.S., and it uses objective, data-driven analysis to identify charities that are fiscally responsible, transparent, committed to accountability, and have good governance.

“This is our highest possible rating and indicates that your organization adheres to sector best practices and executes its mission in a financially efficient way” wrote Charity Navigator President and CEO Michael Thatcher, “This exceptional designation from Charity Navigator sets Association to Benefit Children apart from its peers and demonstrates to the public its trustworthiness.”

The 4-out-of-4-star designation from Charity Navigator is the latest accolade received by ABC, which has been delivering the highest quality services to vulnerable children and families since 1986.

ABC named a finalist in the Inaugural NYC Imagine Awards

ABC was named a finalist in the social impact category in the Inaugural NYC Imagine Awards. The NYC Imagine Awards were created to offer formal acknowledgement to some of NYC metro’s most effective and innovative nonprofit organizations.  The success of the Long Island Imagine Awards, now in its 10th year, inspired founder Ken Cerini, CPA, Cerini & Associates LLP, to bring this innovative and inspiring event to NYC to shine a spotlight on the incredible nonprofits in and around the city.  The Inaugural NYC Imagine Awards nonprofit competition will take place on Tuesday, October 19, 2021 at The Edison Ballroom, 6-10pm.  

More than 270 entries were submitted for consideration in 5 categories, including Innovation, Leadership Excellence, Rising Star, Social Impact and Arts & Culture. ABC is one of four finalists in the social impact category.

Finalists were chosen by NYC business and nonprofit professionals during preliminary judging. Members of the Awards' Distinguished Judging Panel selected the NYC Imagine Awards winners from among the Finalists during final judging.

“Being named a Finalist in NYC Imagine Awards is an important achievement,” said Ken Cerini, Founder of the Long Island and NYC Imagine Awards.  “It means that the Organization has been identified as a leader in the NYC metro area, exhibiting impactful and innovative operations.  Congratulations to all of the Finalists on their achievement.”

Details about NYC Imagine Awards and the list of finalists in all categories are available at https://nycimagineawards.com/.