Victoria Foundation

🎉 Victoria Foundation received the Special Friends to the University Award during New Jersey Institute of Technology's Celebration 2024! Pictured from left is NJIT President Teik C. Lim with Victoria Foundation Executive Officer Craig Drinkard. Thank you to NJIT for this special recognition!

⭐ Victoria Foundation was proud to support the New Jersey Consortium for Immigrant Children at the October 25 “Finding Solidarity Through Scarcity” convening on immigrant children and families in Newark. This event brought together statewide advocacy and organizing groups with local multi-service agencies for a day of learning and relationship building. Pictured from left: Victoria Foundation Senior Strategy Officer for Economic Justice stephanie greenwood moderated a panel featuring Peter T. Rosario, executive director, La Casa de Don Pedro; Luis Ulerio, director, Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services, City of Newark; Marisol Diaz, director of bilingual education, Newark Public Schools; and Khaatim Sherrer El, executive director, Clinton Hill Community Action; on how community groups are working together across lines of difference to support all children and families in the community. Other grantees and partners presenting or co-sponsoring included New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice , BRICK Networks, FOCUS Hispanic Center for Community Development, Inc., Ironbound Community Corporation, ASPIRA, INC. OF NEW JERSEY, Essentially Yours from the Heart, MANTENA GLOBAL CARE, St. James Social Service Corporation, and Rutgers Law School.

This past Thursday, ICC celebrated the opening of the ICC 55 Library Archive at the Newark Public Library NJ. We had an incredible turnout for our exhibit and staff impact panel. Thank you to everyone who attended and participated. This was a great moment of celebrating Ironbound history and the legacy of changemaking at ICC. The exhibit is free to all to view at the Newark Public Library - Main Branch through December 2025. Thank you to the Victoria Foundation for sponsoring this event. #ICC55 #Changemakers #Ironbound #IronboundCommunityCorporation

🎉 Victoria Foundation grantee Clinton Hill Community Action recently launched Our Community Grocery Store, located at 393 Hawthorne Avenue in Upper Clinton Hill! Victoria Foundation’s Strategy Officer for Youth Self-Determination Brianna Suarez attended the opening and said a few words on behalf of the Foundation. Congratulations to CHCA for developing this wonderful concept and space for the community! Pictured from left: Khaatim Sherrer El, Brianna Suarez, Jaydeen DeCambre, and Rhenotha O. Whitaker. #NewarkNews #OurCommunity #OurFuture

For Hispanic Heritage Month, La Casa de Don Pedro, FOCUS Hispanic Center for Community Development, Inc., ASPIRA, INC. OF NEW JERSEY, the Newark Public Library NJ, and the New Jersey Hispanic Research and Information Center recognized the need to commemorate the Newark rebellion that occurred 50 years ago and honor the excellence that has risen from the community. "From Rebellion to Excellence: Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Newark's Puerto Rican Rebellion of 1974" featured a panel discussion, as well as an art exhibit and tour that are still ongoing. The commemoration was funded in part by Victoria Foundation through a grant to La Casa de Don Pedro to host a community event in honor of the Foundation's centennial anniversary. Read more about the commemoration below! #NewarkNews #NewarkHistory #Rebellionof1974 #HispanicHeritageMonth #OurCommunity #OurFuture

Last month, the NJ Vote 16 Youth Summit was held at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. Victoria Foundation was a proud sponsor for this event, which served as a follow up to the recent passing of Newark's vote 16 legislation, which lowered the voting age for School Board elections to 16. Two Foundation grantees, New Jersey Institute for Social Justice and The Gem Project, Inc., were instrumental in getting this legislation passed. The summit was a great success and aligns with our commitment to Promote Youth Self Determination! #NewarkNews #Vote16 #OurCommunity #OurFuture

“Celebrating Newark’s Milestone: American Planners Association's 2024 Daniel Burnham Award for Excellence I am honored to extend heartfelt congratulations to the City of Newark, led by Mayor Ras J. Baraka, and its dynamic residents on receiving the prestigious American Planners Association's 2024 Daniel Burnham Award for a Comprehensive Plan. This accolade is a testament to the years of dedicated effort behind the master plan, Newark 360: Shaping Our City Together. During my rewarding tenure as Newark’s City Planning Officer, I had the privilege of orchestrating this transformative plan alongside a dream team in the Office of Planning and Zoning. Their unwavering belief in the vision of Newarkers shaped this reality, and I am profoundly grateful for their partnership. Newark 360 is built on the pillars of Mayor Baraka’s Newark Forward agenda, launched in 2018, which champions Newark as an empowered, safe, educated, equitable, and collaborative city. This city-wide master plan is the embodiment of our collective aspiration for a community that thrives on health, equity, and resilience. The planning process was comprehensive and inclusive, marked by: Over 10,000 interaction touchpoints, including 7,000+ website visits, 10 in-person workshops, 12 city-wide virtual meetings, and extensive community surveys. Contributions from city planners and a coalition of consultants and community partners who translated the voices of Newarkers into actionable goals. These discussions informed crucial amendments to the Newark Zoning and Land Use Regulations (NZLUR), ensuring that every aspect of urban life from parks and sustainability to housing and economic development was addressed. I extend my gratitude to all consultants and partners involved, especially WRT, ARUP, and the numerous advisory bodies and community organizations that contributed their expertise and insight. This award is a celebration of Newark’s community spirit and the collective vision for its future. “This is your plan, Newarkers. You should be most proud of the journey we have traveled to shape our city together. A future Newark that is stronger as it moves FORWARD.” CONGRATULATIONS to all involved! Pallavi Shinde, Olivia Rokotuiveikau, Woo Kim, Aisha Browne Glover, Anthony Smith, María Elisa Ortiz Simon, AICP, City of Newark, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Murphy Schiller & Wilkes LLP, The Newark Museum of Art, Victoria Foundation, Audible, Amanda Burden

Thank you all for an unforgettable 11th Annual Young Men's Leadership Conference in partnership with Rutgers University - Newark Office of Community/University Partnership Vice Chancellor Diane Hill and Jeffrey A. Robinson, Ph. D. Interim Chancellor of Rutgers University-Newark. To our primary sponsors: Layla Andrade M&T Bank, Victoria Foundation ShopRite guillermo garcia students, community members, dynamic speakers and presenters, THANK YOU! Elvis Santos, M.Ed. George Guzman, Jr., Danny "Bookem" Rivera, Davion Delgado, Shahod Augustin, Newark Bravest -FireFighter Angel Maisonave, Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity, Inc. Noemi Velazquez Jersey City Public Schools PATERSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS Enmanuel Mercedes, Ph.D. Hudson County Haledon Police Dept Your support is the backbone of our mission to inspire, motivate and empower young men, guiding them toward becoming the leaders they are meant to be. Our success is truly your success. Through your generous contributions and shared commitment, we've created a space for young men to connect with leaders who look like them and understand their journeys. A HUGE shout out to our Youth Ambassador in Northern Virginia, Kelvin and his Principal, Heber Paredes both trailblazers and inspirations. We did it together! Can't wait to see you all next year as we continue to build futures. #YoungMensLeadership #InspireMotivateLead #SeeYouNextYear #CommunityPower #boystoleaders Board Members: Enmanuel Mercedes, Ph.D. Dr. Reinaldo Santiago,Ed.D. @Janet Pena @Maria Maya Torres yesenia lopez Diane Hill Miguel Cardona Goldin Martinez Milagros Peralta Keith H. Green Lazaro Valdes Fraga Amod Field Michael Jay Plata

Hundreds gathered at the Paul Robeson Campus Center on Saturday, Oct. 12, for the Newark Future Forum! Presented by Victoria Foundation, in partnership with Rutgers University - Newark, the symposium featured Majora Carter, who delivered the keynote address, as well as local and national experts, residents, philanthropic organizations, and community leaders who discussed a variety of topics that touched upon the Foundation's areas of focus: strengthening community power, fostering economic justice, and promoting youth self-determination. Read about the day's events below!

📣 New blog post! As part of its centennial celebration, Victoria Foundation distributed $5,000 grants to several community-based organizations in Newark to support the event of its choice. FOCUS Hispanic Center for Community Development, Inc. received a grant and used the funds for its annual Back to School Celebration. Read all about it below! 📰 #NewarkNews #LowerBroadway #OurCommunity #OurFuture