On Saturday October 24, 2009 Union Settlement Association will host non-profit Free Arts NYC and East Harlem children for a fun, exciting day of creative arts. The event is one in a series of rallies promoting the importance for afterschool programs in Manhattan and across the country.

Sponsored by Victoria's Secret, the Free Arts Day will include diverse urban-inspired arts activities throughout the day. Seventy-five children, each paired with a volunteer mentor, will participate in theme-based art stations and interactive entertainment, including a workshop by acclaimed New York City-based break dancing ensemble, BREAKS KRUE.

At 12:00 pm Free Arts will present Afterschool Hero awards to District 8 City Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito and Victoria's Secret for their continuous support of community-based afterschool programs.

The event will take place from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, Saturday, October 24, 2009 at Union Settlement Association, 237 East 104th Street.

About Free Arts NYC
Free Arts NYC is a premier non-profit organization which provides under-served children and families in the New York City area with a unique combination of educational arts and mentoring programs to help foster greater self-confidence and resiliency. Founded in 1998, Free Arts NYC has provided over 25,000 individuals in the New York City area with programs that aim to empower disadvantaged youth by helping to increase the capacity to learn and to self-express. The organization offers hundreds of afterschool and weekend arts programs in collaboration with schools and social service agencies. Lizbeth Hopfan, Executive Director and founder of Free Arts NYC, is just one of 19 Afterschool Ambassadors around the country, named this year by the Afterschool Alliance.

About the Union Settlement Association
Union Settlement Association has been working with and for the residents of East Harlem since 1895. A community mainstay, Union Settlement seeks to foster leadership and self-sufficiency by helping local residents build better lives for themselves and their families. As one of East Harlem’s largest social service agencies, Union Settlement responds to issues that affect the entire community, serving more than 13,000 low-income residents annually through effective programs in education, childcare, nutrition, senior services, counseling, the arts, job training, and economic development. Union Settlement is a large local employer with programs operating in 18 different sites, and thereby also serves as an important contributor to the economic vitality of East Harlem.

Union Settlement Association

Union Settlement Association

Since 1895, Union Settlement Association has been dedicated to working with the predominantly immigrant community of East Harlem. A community mainstay, Union Settlement seeks to foster leadership and self-sufficiency by helping local residents build better lives for themselves and their families. As one of East Harlem’s largest social service agencies, Union Settlement responds to issues that affect the entire community, serving more than 13,000 low-income residents annually through effective programs in education, childcare, nutrition, senior services, counseling, the arts, job training, and economic development. Union Settlement is a large local employer with programs operating in 18 different sites, and thereby also serves as an important contributor to the economic vitality of East Harlem.

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