A New Venue Celebrates the Sounds of the Bronx
The 250-seat music performance space that is opening tonight in the Melrose section of the Bronx began with a cassette recording that was played at a staff meeting of a nonprofit organization. This was in the early 2000s, when cassette Read More …
The Bronx Music Hall Opens to the Public
There is a new music venue in the city. The Bronx Music Hall has officially opened to the public. The more than $15 million, 14,000-square foot venue is the first newly constructed performance venue in the borough in more than Read More …
Bronx Music Hall opens in Melrose, ushering in a new era for the neighborhood
BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) — One neighborhood was the hardest hit when the South Bronx burned in the 1970s. Melrose. Now, Melrose residents are celebrating another step in the rebirth of Melrose with the opening of the Bronx Music Hall. Opening Read More …
Bronx Music Hall opens in Melrose section
Link to video: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/video/bronx-music-hall-opens-in-melrose-section/
New Bronx music venue set for grand opening, celebrating arts and cultural heritage
A new music hall in the Bronx will have its Grand Opening celebration this weekend showcasing music, art, theater, dance and the legacy of the Bronx. The new venue, located in Melrose and called the Bronx Musical Hall, is 14,000 Read More …
Bronx Music Hall: The borough’s first new music venue in over 50 years is now open
For the first time in over 50 years, a new independent music venue has opened in the Bronx. The Bronx Music Hall on Friday celebrated its grand opening, introducing a new 14,000-square-foot performance hall and community cultural center committed to promoting music, Read More …
The New Bronx Music Hall Preserves a Legacy That Was Almost Burned Away
Link to story: https://hellgatenyc.com/bronx-music-hall-grand-opening/
Bronx Music Hall to Open in Melrose This Weekend
News 12 got an early look at a new performance venue opening in Melrose this weekend, that organizers say will uphold the legacy of our borough that’s sometimes forgotten. The new Bronx Music Hall comes complete with 250-person theater, a Read More …
The Much Anticipated Bronx Music Hall Inaugural Weekend Programming Announced!
The Bronx’s first newly constructed, independent music performance venue in more than 50 years, the Bronx Music Hall (BMH), will open tomorrow in the Melrose neighborhood of the South Bronx, kicking off a weekend of events celebrating the grand opening. The $15.4 Read More …
Bronx Music Hall Launching in Grand Fashion This Weekend
The boogie down continues in a new concert venue. The $15.4 million and 14,000-square-foot Bronx Music Hall hosts its grand opening weekend beginning this Friday. The venue in Morrisania includes a performance theater that can host 250 people, a lobby and exhibition Read More …
Therapy Dogs Help Teach Bronx Kids How to Better Understand Their Feelings
Therapy dogs are helping teach kids how to better understand their feelings at a Bronx summer camp. A Fair Shake for Youth and the Women’s Housing Economic Development Corporation youth summer camp teamed up to teach middle schoolers social and Read More …
Therapy Dogs Teach Valuable Lessons at WHEDco Youth Summer Camp in the Bronx
Kids at WHEDco’s Summer Arts Day Camp in the Bronx have made some new friends, but Lucy, Penny and Buster aren’t fellow kids — they’re trained therapy dogs who visit twice a week for lessons in dog handling and social-emotional growth. Read More …
WHEDco unveils plaques at Bronx Music Hall
The Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco) unveiled over 40 stainless steel, brass and rose gold recognition plaques on the façade of the Bronx Music Hall on Thursday, June 6, acknowledging individuals and organizations who have played meaningful roles in the Read More …
NYC Ponders Giving Manhattan Students Admissions Boost At Some Borough High Schools, Sources Say
New York City education officials are weighing a plan to give students from Manhattan admissions priority at several of the borough’s most competitive high schools, according to four people familiar with the plan. The list and number of schools that Read More …
NYC Day Cares Struggle To Retain Staff, Paid Less Than DOE-Employed Child Care Workers
New York City’s child care centers say it’s increasingly difficult to hire and retain workers because they make thousands of dollars less than their counterparts employed by the city’s public schools, who often work fewer hours. The disparities are so Read More …
Bronx Middle School Helps Support Students With Interest In Art
A South Bronx Charter middle school is helping and supporting their students who want to go to art specialized high schools. Faculty at the South Bronx Early College Academy noticed many of their students were interested in the arts. They Read More …
Davon Russell Named 2024 Nonprofit Trailblazer
Congratulations to our President, Davon Russell, on being named a 2024 Nonprofit Trailblazer. The list, presented by City & State and New York Nonprofit Media, recognizes visionary leaders in the nonprofit sector who play an integral role in American society, Read More …
Bronx students Win Big With ‘Life-Changing’ Garden of Dreams Foundation Scholarships
Several Bronx students were among those recently awarded scholarships from the nonprofit Garden of Dreams Foundation, which works with MSG Sports, MSG Entertainment and Sphere Entertainment to build community and support youth and families experiencing hardship. Of the 13 students Read More …
Bronx Borough President Proclaims May 18 “WHEDco Childcare Provider Appreciation Day”
To celebrate National Childcare Provider Appreciation Day, WHEDco held a special event at the Andrew Freeman Home to honor 150 local childcare providers who receive training and other support from WHEDco’s Home-Based Childcare program. The event celebrated Bronx Borough President Read More …
De Estudiante a Educadora: El Impacto de una Joven Hispana en la Educación Sexual del Bronx
En el condado del Bronx, una joven educadora de tan solo 18 años se destaca como líder local por informar y empoderar sobre temas de educación sexual a estudiantes de secundaria transicionando entre la preadolescencia a la adolescencia. Esta dedicada Read More …
WHEDco Receives Grant Support from Citi Foundation
WHEDco is honored to be a part of the fourth cohort of the Citi Foundation’s Community Progress Makers initiative! This unrestricted grant support will help us unlock access to resources for Bronx residents, including sustainable and affordable homes, high-quality early Read More …
Highbridge Students Learn About the Ins and Outs of Cannabis
Students in Highbridge got a lesson in cannabis as part of an after-school health education program. The Just Ask Me program is part of the Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco). It helps students learn about sexual and reproductive Read More …
Bronx Program Helps 8th Graders Prepare For High School Application Process
NEW YORK — Eighth graders across New York City have received their offers from high schools, and for students who got offers from more than one, Friday is their deadline to decide. CBS New York visited a program in the Bronx Read More …
At this South Bronx magnet program, kids get schooled in cannabis
By CAYLA BAMBERGER | [email protected] | New York Daily News March 11, 2024 at 7:30 a.m. Middle school students at an after-school health education program in the South Bronx start the session by sharing what they already know about cannabis. Read More …
Una escuela de NYC que advierte a sus estudiantes sobre la marihuana
Redacción LTH Los estudiantes de séptimo grado de la Escuela Intermedia 218 Rafael Hernández Magnet de Lenguaje Dual, entienden que proviene de una planta. Huele, dicen, y puede resultar adictivo. Han oído que puede afectar sus pulmones. Sus compañeros, que Read More …
Bronx high school senior gives back to community by leading sex ed workshops
By Emily Swanson High school senior Richeiny Pimentel-Soto does not have a typical after-school job. Instead of flipping burgers or ringing up customers, she’s busy answering questions like “What’s a vulva?” “Can people choose their sexual orientation?” and “What if a Read More …
Rangers star welcomes kids to the ice in after school program
After school sports can be pricey, with the cost of lessons and gear. One program in the Bronx is giving kids the chance to hit the ice free of charge. News 4’s John Chandler reports. Link: https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/rangers-star-welcomes-kids-to-the-ice-in-after-school-program/5108124/
Bronx business owners give each other a boost with cross-promotion initiative
by: Amy Yensi Posted: Jan 22, 2024 / 05:04 PM EST Updated: Jan 22, 2024 / 05:04 PM EST THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) — William Bryan is short-staffed. On some days, there’s no one to help him at his store Juice Ade in Read More …
New program encourages Bronx businesses to work together
ByEliot Force DEC 27, 2023 Greater collaboration between South Bronx businesses may be on the horizon. The Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corp. (WHEDco) recently began a program focused on helping Bronx-based businesses by putting them into contact with each Read More …
After-school program preps Bronx eighth graders for high school success
ByJanna McPartland and Diana Escamilla NOV 29, 2023 Most middle schoolers worry about making new friends and remembering their locker combination. But New York City’s eighth graders are faced with another challenge: getting into a competitive high school. The complex Read More …
Some NYC families struggle to use pandemic food benefits, as millions of dollars remain unspent
By: Julian Shen-Berro Myrna Mangual, a parent coordinator at P.S. 35 in the Bronx, hears from at least 10 parents a week who are confused about how to access pandemic food benefits. The benefits — known as the Pandemic Electronic Read More …
OPEN: Stressful High School Admissions
OPEN Host Daren Jaime sits down with the Program Director of WHEDco, Nicole Jennings, and the Academic Program Director at New York Junior Tennis & Learning, Raiyan Nafee who talks about how the organizations are helping students and their families Read More …
8th Grade NYC Public School Students Confront High School Application Challenges
By: Doug Williams NEW YORK – November can be a stressful month for eighth graders in New York City public schools as they prepare to apply to high schools. Some students in the Bronx and Brooklyn are taking steps to make informed decisions Read More …
Meet Sunshine and Bernie: Therapy Dogs Help Campers Unwind, Improve Self-Esteem
Two organizations are helping students relax this summer after a long school year by bringing therapy dogs to their summer camp. Sunshine and Bernie are two pups from the nonprofit organization A Fair Shake For Youth, which helps kids build Read More …
Bronx Summer Camp Pairs Kids With Therapy Dogs, Teaches Social Skills
BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) — A Bronx summer camp is helping kids learn emotional intelligence thanks to some special therapists — therapy dogs. “If you are nervous about the day, how it’s been. If it is like a test, and it’s Read More …
Bronx Series Highlights Congolese Influences in Caribbean Music and Dance
The Bronx Music Heritage Center (BMHC) will present a series of music performances, a film screening and moderated conversations exploring the many Congolese influences in Caribbean music and dance this summer. The programming will be presented across three events in Read More …
Bronx Nonprofit Working to Address Youth Mental Health Crisis
A nonprofit in the Bronx is working to address the youth mental health crisis through a new after-school program. The program, called I Have a Purpose, was made by WHEDco to help students find a way to cope with stressors Read More …
Is the Bronx OK? It Had the Highest Rate of Psychiatric Hospitalizations Across NYC Even Before COVID-19
By: Robbie Sequeira Long before the pandemic, the Bronx had its share of mental health challenges and lacked sufficient resources to address those hurdles. Prior to COVID-19— which health experts told the Bronx Times ushered in long overdue conversations about Read More …
WHEDco and The New Marijuana Landscape for Kids and Teens
With legalization of marijuana, easier access and more open usage among adults, the cannabis landscape has also shifted dramatically for children and teens. Davon Russell, President of the Bronx-based Community Development Organization WHEDco, talks marijuana perception and access for young people, Read More …
How One South Bronx Organization Moved From Affordable Housing to Job Creation
By Sasha Jones – Reporter, New York Business Journal Economic development is created through much intersectionality, with public and private organizations partnering to support businesses. The Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corp. (WHEDco) in New York City is one such Read More …
Mayor Adams, Union Leaders Rally For Working People’s Agenda, Including Expanded Earned Income Tax Credit And Child Tax Credit
NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today was joined by labor leaders, other elected officials, and working New Yorkers to rally state lawmakers to double down on their support for the Child Tax Credit and a further Read More …
More Cannabis Means More Kids Using Cannabis
The excitement surrounding New York’s new cannabis industry is at a fever pitch. The first licensed dispensaries are finally opening. For the first time ever, adults aged 21 and older can legally purchase cannabis in New York for recreational use. Read More …
Mission BX: WHEDco: Building a Greater Bronx
WHEDco is an organization that features affordable housing, including Bronx Commons, and arts and culture programming through the Bronx Music Heritage Center.
News 12 Takes a Look at New After-School Class Focused on Educating Kids About Cannabis
A new after-school program aims to educate kids about cannabis and its impacts, and those behind the program say it’s needed now that the legal marijuana market is up and running in New York City. At P.S./I.S. 218 Rafael Hernandez Read More …
City Watch With Davon Russell
On the January 29, 2023 episode of City Watch on WBAI 99.5 FM, Host Jeff Simmons focused on how the legalization of recreational use of marijuana has impacted youth with Chalkbeat New York Reporter Michael Elsen-Rooney and WHEDco President Davon Read More …
Educating Kids About the Dangers of Drugs
FOX 5 covers WHEDco’s JAM marijuana lesson, which teaches kids about the harm marijuana causes to developing brains, and helps kids make informed decisions.
Bronx Students Practice Mindfulness
By Mrinalini Nayak and Yi Liu / January 2, 2023 Adriel Cruz, 12, sat in a busy classroom one afternoon with a metal bowl in his hand, eyes closed, listening intently to the striking of the bowl and aligning his Read More …
New Childcare Assistance Available for Eligible Families
If you need assistance paying for child care, you may be eligible to apply today. Contact NYC ACS or your local county Department of Social Services for more info. Si necesita ayuda para pagar su cuidado de sus niños, podrá Read More …
President Davon Russell Named Crain’s Notable Black Leader
WHEDco is proud to announce recognition of our President, Davon Russell, as a notable Black leader and executive in New York. In celebration of Black History Month, Crain’s New York Business selected Davon as one of 105 Notable Black Leaders Read More …
WHEDco Receives $2.5 Million Grant from Mellon Foundation
WHEDco has received a $2.5 million grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to complete construction of the Bronx Music Hall. The 14,000 sq. ft. music hall will be the first newly constructed music performance venue to open in the Read More …
WHEDco Letter Regarding Bronx Building Fire
Dear WHEDco Family, We are grieving the heartbreaking loss of at least 19 community members, and many more who were injured in the fire at 333 East 181st Street on Sunday. The anguish of this tragedy touches all of us. Read More …
WHEDco Year in Review
As another year of meaningful work comes to an end, we are proud to reflect on all that we have accomplished – together – throughout 2021. Watch our Year-End Video to learn more about the ways in which WHEDco has Read More …
President Davon Russell Makes Bronx PowerList
WHEDco is proud to announce recognition of our President, Davon Russell, as one of the most influential and impactful people in The Bronx. Davon was selected as part of Schneps Media’s inaugural Bronx PowerList and was honored for his commitment Read More …
Bronx Commons Fitness Center Opens For Residents
On December 1st, WHEDco hosted an Open House for our brand new Fitness Center at Bronx Commons, our recently completed mixed-use affordable housing development in the Bronx. Residents of the building got their first view of the Fitness Center through Read More …
The Safe Spaces Project: Now Online
WHEDco is proud to present a new website to showcase our Safe Spaces project, a research initiative in partnership with NYU from our flagship After School Program at PS/IS 218. Over the course of a six-week period, Mario Ynfante, WHEDco Read More …
Child Care Stabilization Grant
The Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) is thrilled to announce that the Child Care Stabilization Grant application is now open! This funding opportunity is available through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Read More …
Mayor Bill de Blasio Visits Bronx Commons
WHEDco was honored to host Mayor Bill de Blasio, Deputy Mayor Vicki Been, NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Louise Carroll, and Council Member Rafael Salamanca at our Bronx Commons development yesterday for the City’s announcement that Read More …
Community Champions: Nike Spotlights WHEDco’s Impact on Young People in the Bronx
Nike, a new funding partner to WHEDco through their 2020 Black Communities Commitment, featured WHEDco’s President, Davon Russell, and two of our Youth Programs alumni, Kevin Contreras and Natalia Baez, in their Community Champions video series. The videos and accompanying Read More …
An Award for All of Us
A Note from Davon Russell, WHEDco’s President I am humbled and honored to share that I have been selected as a recipient of the inaugural 2020 Empire Whole Health Heroes Awards, granted by Empire BlueCross BlueShield and Crain’s New York Read More …
WHEDco’s COVID-19 Survey
In order to better understand how COVID-19 has impacted the communities WHEDco works with, WHEDco’s Research, Policy and Evaluation Department, in collaboration with WHEDco’s program areas, designed and administered a survey to WHEDco clients, participants, families, tenants, childcare providers, and Read More …
WHEDco’s Statement on the Death of George Floyd
We are angered, saddened and disheartened by all the blatant acts of violence, hate and racism perpetrated against Black people and other people of color by police and individuals in New York City and across the country. The recent death Read More …
COVID-19 Response
June 4, 2020 Help Save Our Summer Camp WHEDco has operated our Summer Arts Day Camp every summer since 1998, providing thousands of Bronx children with academic and arts enrichment and access to cultural institutions across NYC. For the first Read More …
Building a Greater Bronx with Citi Community Progress Makers
A new public art installation that addresses the community’s need for safer, more vibrant, and more welcoming public spaces; increased outreach and small business support to local merchants at risk of displacement in the South Bronx; continued professional development opportunities Read More …
Back-to-School Giveaway
WHEDco partnered with Garden of Dreams Foundation to Donate School Supplies to South Bronx Families Standing under the blazing sun, hundreds of people formed lines that looped around the street, into the parking area, and into the yard at the Read More …
Bronx Music at Melrose 2019 Recap
On Saturday, July 27, 2019, WHEDco and its Bronx Music Heritage Center celebrated Bronx Music at Melrose, a FREE, full-day event featuring live performances by Bronx musicians, arts & crafts, games for the whole family, free food & refreshments, and Read More …
Boogie Down Booth Celebrates Bronx Music, Enhances Public Space
WHEDco unveils public installation bringing music, solar-powered lights, seating, and community art to underutilized South Bronx space On Friday, June 14, 2019, WHEDco unveiled a colorful new public installation bringing Bronx music, solar-powered lights, seating, and community art to an Read More …
2018 Community Needs Assessments
Crotona Park East/Morrisania and Wakefield/Edenwald Neighborhoods WHEDco recently conducted community studies in two Bronx neighborhoods: Crotona Park East, home to our Intervale Green affordable housing development, and Wakefield/Edenwald, a northern Bronx neighborhood. These Community Needs Assessments help us develop a Read More …
Southern Boulevard Community Clean-Up
On Saturday, May 11, 2019, WHEDco and Crotona Park East community members gathered to clean up Southern Boulevard, from Westchester Ave to E 175th Street, collecting a total of 15 large trash bags. The Southern Boulevard Clean-Up was organized in Read More …
Congrats to our Inspire Scholarship Recipients!
Four Teen Program Participants Awarded Renewable Scholarships to the College of their Choice We know our students are superstars but, this year, a talented, hardworking group of teenagers really took the cake! High school seniors Monserrat Ambrosio, Melkyn Acosta, Natalia Read More …
Celebrating National Social Work Month
Reflections from our Family Support Team March is National Social Work Month, which provides us an opportunity to reflect on the important contributions of our dedicated team of case managers, school social workers, family support workers, and counselors. We asked Read More …
Small Business Resource Fair 2019
With support from the NYC Department of Small Business Services, WHEDco held a Bronx Small Business Resource Fair on February 26, 2019 to create a one-stop-shop for Bronx Small Businesses to learn about various opportunities to help their businesses succeed. Read More …
When Legalizing Marijuana, Our Youth Should Come First
Opinion Piece by Davon Russell, President of WHEDco New York State is on the verge of legalizing marijuana for recreational use, a move that has been applauded by many. Reasons for supporting the bill abound, including hundreds of millions of Read More …
WHEDco Super Star: Natalia Baez
Natalia Baez is no stranger to adversity. Born to immigrant parents who hailed from the Dominican Republic, she was raised in the Bronx by her single mother. Her father had passed away when she was only nine years old, leaving Read More …
Bronx Commons Topping Out Ceremony
WHEDco and BFC Partners Celebrated Topping Out of Construction on New Affordable Housing and Cultural Center at Bronx Commons On Friday, January 11, 2019, WHEDco and BFC Partners celebrated the topping out of construction of Bronx Commons, a mixed-used development Read More …
Bronx Families in Focus
Nueva Bronx: 21st Century Families It was all about Bronx families on September 29, 2018, when community members gathered at Railroad Park in Melrose to celebrate the culmination of an arts residency project with photographer David Flores that aimed to Read More …
Home-Based Childcare Services
Empowering Women while Improving Quality of Childcare Bernadette Lamboy found her real calling as a childcare provider thanks to WHEDco. Fourteen years ago, her position at the FDNY was eliminated, and she found herself without a job and without childcare Read More …
What’s Next for our Teens?
High School and College! The school year may be over but, for many of our teen students, a new journey is just about to begin. Gianney Ledesma has been a student at PS/MS 218 in the Bronx since her elementary Read More …
Remembering 1968: Children of the New Age at Columbia University
Nancy Biberman, 16 July, 2018 We were an optimistic and righteous generation, many of us conceived and raised by men and women who had survived World War II. My dad was an Army combat vet who fought in the South Pacific Read More …
Bronx Music at Melrose
On Friday, July 13, 2018 WHEDco held its annual Bronx Music @ Melrose on East 161st Street between Melrose & Elton Aves. This FREE outdoor street festival provided fun for the whole family, while connecting community members with local resources Read More …
WHEDco boosts small businesses along Southern Boulevard in the Bronx as part of Commercial Corridor Challenge
WHEDco, LISC NYC, Citi Community Development and the NYC SBS team up to carry out targeted improvements to increase economic vitality in Crotona East/Morrisania in the Bronx Many urban neighborhoods that have experienced under-investment for generations are finally seeing signs Read More …
WHEDco to Receive $10,000 Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts
Funding will partially support WHEDco’s Bronx Music Heritage Center Special Concert Series National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu has approved more than $80 million in grants as part of the NEA’s second major funding announcement for fiscal year Read More …
WHEDco Selected by Citi Foundation as one of its 2018 Community Progress Makers
$500,000 Investment in core operating support will enable WHEDco to increase opportunities for Bronx residents to participate in economic changes and new investment coming to the borough The Citi Foundation announced that WHEDco was selected as the recipient of a Read More …
March is National Nutrition Month!
Spotlight on WHEDco’s Early Education and Afterschool Healthy Eating Initiatives Healthy eating habits instilled at an early age encourage both parents and children to make sound eating choices. WHEDco’s early childhood education and afterschool programs ensure that students are not Read More …
Sustainability in Action
CoGen Open House at Urban Horizons After nearly 5 years in operation, WHEDco is reaping the energy-saving benefits of the Cogeneration System at its Urban Horizons affordable housing development in the South Bronx. The combined heat and power system, also Read More …
Busy Season at WHEDco’s Rooftop Urban Farm
130 pounds of produce and 15 educational activities… Building residents reap the benefits! That’s a wrap! The 2017 farm season may be over, but residents of WHEDco’s Intervale Green affordable housing development in the South Bronx can continue to apply Read More …
Matching Gift Challenge
Please support WHEDco’s mission to create healthy, thriving communities and critical opportunities for Bronx families. Thanks to a generous donor, all gifts raised between now and December 31st, 2017 will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $100,000! Giving is easy! Read More …
Announcing Changes to Bronx CookSpace!
New year, new services! Bronx CookSpace, WHEDco’s commercial kitchen incubator, has announced that, beginning in 2018, it will expand its services to streamline the kitchen experience for its tenants as part of a new program model. Bronx CookSpace is also Read More …
Ready for the Next Big Step
WHEDco’s 15th Annual High School Fair Connects Hundreds of Students with Top High Schools Ella Calzada walks up to the Cardinal Spellman High School table at WHEDco’s 15th Annual High School Fair. She already knows that she’s interested in this Read More …
Nancy Biberman Steps Aside as President of WHEDco; Davon Russell Named as Successor
Biberman to Serve as Senior Advisor for Housing Development & President Emerita The Board of the Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco) has announced that Nancy Biberman is stepping aside as the organization’s president, a position she has held Read More …