Niles-2/24/10-Catherine Green Meeting

Today, I met with one Catherine Green.  She is the executive director of ARTS East New York a organization that helps stop gun violence.  Her organization uses the arts to raise money to stop gun violence in her community.   She runs a youth program that teaches the kids about the negative things involving gun violence.  By getting community leaders and workers to help change the neighborhood as it is.   Her aim is to empower the kids to stay off the streets and stay on the path to success.  She does this by doing Career Pathfinding and getting professionals to talk to the kids about finding alternatives to gangs and gun violence.  She wants to service the kids by getting them something to do after school hours.  In her community the children outnumber the adults by far.   Her number one goal is to raise money to get a building and consistent afternoon programs to help the community.  She wants more political help and proactive activities and support because there are the people who are willing to help.  So, without a community center and with murders and gun violence on the rise, Ms. Green pushes forward and fights to get support. So far, there have been 3 murders in East New York in just two months.  Last year there were 24 murders, 678 robberies and 700 grand larcenies.  We want to help these people fight on and will help the organization get noticed.  She was a great person and we are going to schedule many events in the future with this organization.