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** We Keep Rising Together:
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** Oyate Group’s 2024 Rewind
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Happy belated New Year, Oyate friends and family!
Thank you so much for another incredible year. Your support and involvement helped us provide more critical resources to communities here in New York City and internationally in the Dominican Republic. 2025 is already off to a great start with some exciting announcements and community updates. To top it off, 2025 will also mark Oyate Group’s five-year anniversary!
🎉 So, as we step into the new year and celebrate new milestones, we wanted to take a moment to shine a light on some of our biggest wins of 2024:
Beyond Rising Featured in ABC Tiempo, New York Daily News and Univision
* Our amazing director of programs, Augustina Warton, joined Joe Torres on ABC Tiempo ([link removed]) to speak about Beyond Rising’s impact on more than 100 undocumented high school and college students.
* Beyond Rising was also featured in the New York Daily News ([link removed]) and on Univision New York ([link removed]) !
* We want to give a special thank you to our 2024 partners for their continued support and contributions to our community!
Launch of Rising Restaurateur Program 🍽
* In partnership with Grubhub and the New York State Latino Restaurant, Bar & Lounge Association, Oyate Group proudly launched the Rising Restaurateur ([link removed]) program, awarding nearly $200,000 in microgrants to 30 Latino, Black, Indigenous and AAPI restaurateurs across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and Westchester County to support their growth.
Richard Lloyd and Isabella Reyes-Famous Announced as 2024 Brandon Hendricks Scholarship Recipients
* We selected Richard Lloyd and Isabella Reyes-Famous as the 2024 Brandon Hendricks Scholarship recipients, each receiving $20,000 toward their college education. This scholarship honors the legacy of Brandon Hendricks by empowering Bronx youth to pursue higher education and achieve their dreams.
* Applications for 2025 are open now here ([link removed]) !
Launch of Global Rising Scholarship Program 🎓
* We launched the Global Rising Scholarship ([link removed]) to provide two full-ride scholarships for high school seniors in the Dominican Republic to attend The City College of New York (CCNY) for four years. Students can still apply here ([link removed]) until January 31!
Launch of Taste of Mott Haven Program Generates Over $1.6 Million for the Local Business Community
* We introduced the Taste of Mott Haven ([link removed]) program to revitalize Mott Haven’s community and local businesses through three events that showcased the area’s rich culture and cuisine. Taste of Mott Haven generated over $1.6 million in local economic impact in just three nights!
* Oyate Group, in partnership with local business leaders and organizations, provided thousands of visitors with free dining vouchers to support 12 local restaurants, creating an economic growth opportunity in one of New York City's most underserved neighborhoods.
Expanded Roll Out of Our Caribbean Arts Series
* We expanded our Caribbean Art Series initiative by hosting three events that celebrated the vibrant culture, creativity and heritage of the Caribbean, ranging from a film screening to an art exhibition. You can view our past events on our website here ([link removed]) .
Hosted Your Community Events
* Oyate hosted a range of external partners in our event space this year, including Build On, Center for Court Innovation, Coro NY, Council of Urban Professionals, Earl the Pearl Monroe High School, Kipp NYC and La Finca del Sur.
* We look forward to more partnerships and continuing to open up our space to the community this year! To learn more about our guidelines and reserve space for your event, visit our website here ([link removed]) .
Oyate Group Program Coordinator Alexander Reyes Published Op-ed in NYN Media
* Alexander Reyes, Program Coordinator for Oyate Group, penned his first op-ed in NYN Media, ([link removed]) acknowledging the migrant crisis and how programs like Beyond Rising foster a safe space for undocumented youth and their families to thrive.
* Thank you for your advocacy, and congratulations on your op-ed, Alex!
We Speak Courses
* During the spring, we partnered with We Speak NYC to offer English courses during which participants learned about immigrant rights.
Annual Backpack Giveaway and Vans Distribution 🎒
* We gave away over 700 backpacks filled with school supplies and over 500 pairs of Vans sneakers to elementary school students during back-to-school season.
* Watch us work in real-time in the BronxNet interview here ([link removed]) .
Rise Leadership Participants Expand Their Horizons in Panama and Costa Rica
* Thanks to our partnership with Global Glimpse, rising high school seniors in our Rise Leadership program traveled to Costa Rica and Panama to get a renewed sense of global citizenship that will help them become the leaders of tomorrow!
* Learn more about Rise Leadership through this BronxNet interview ([link removed]) with our director of programs, Augustina Warton.
Obrian Rosario and Kyra Patterson Announced as the Inaugural Recipients of the Rising Law Scholarship 🎓
* Oyate Group partnered with the Dominican Bar Association to launch the Rising Law Scholarship for two recipients dedicated to public service, social justice or community advocacy. Obrian Rosario and Kyra Patterson will receive $3,000 annually for the next three years and mentorship, networking and career development opportunities to help advance their legal careers.
Turkey Distribution for Thanksgiving 🦃
* We distributed 2,000 turkeys for our fifth annual turkey drive to households affected by food insecurity in New York City during the Thanksgiving holiday through our partnerships with local organizations and elected officials.
* The turkey drive was even featured on PIX11! You can watch the segment here ([link removed]) .
Over 200 Toys Given Away during Holiday Toy Distribution 🎁
During the holiday season, Oyate brought joy to families by donating over 200 toys to children and families in need, spreading holiday cheer and joy to our community!
Shoutout to the Oyate Team Members Recognized in 2024 for their Outstanding Contributions!
* Founder, CEO and President Tomas Ramos was honored with the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award ([link removed]) and multiple City & State recognitions, including the Bronx Power 100 ([link removed]) , Power of Diversity: Latino 100 ([link removed]) and Above & Beyond: Social Services ([link removed]) .
* Director of Operations and Outreach Lymarie Francisco was honored as part of City and State’s Responsible 100 ([link removed]) , recognizing her outstanding leadership and contributions.
In 2024, Oyate Group welcomed incredible new team members. You can learn more about them on our website: oyategroup.org/our-team/
* Kimberly Troncoso, Program Coordinator
* Juan Abad, Facilities Manager
* Iris Munoz, Program Coordinator
* Marissa Charlemagne, Business and Entrepreneurship Facilitator for Oyate Group’s Rise Leadership
* Nan Eileen Mead, Lead Facilitator for Oyate Group’s College Access Program
Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our mission. Your generosity makes all of our programs and services possible. Help us create a lasting impact across our city by donating here ([link removed]) .
Donate ([link removed])
Let’s keep rising in 2025!
Oyate Group
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