By: Urban Upbound’s Staff Members Like many, Jefferson Houses resident George Aviles’s life turned upside down when the pandemic hit in March of 2020. At the time Mr. Aviles had just secured a new job and was looking forward to beginning the next chapter of his life with stable employment…

Written by Felix Alarcon, Programs & Partnerships Manager As New York City comes to grips with how to approach the growing mental health crisis, some city programs and organizations like Urban Upbound have begun to lay the foundations for a possible solution — increasing access to mental health with wraparound…

With nearly a million people out of the labor force, no other city in the United States has been hit as hard as New York during the pandemic. While all New Yorkers are still recovering from the pandemic, the impact was even greater for public housing residents. New York City’s…

In 10 days we will celebrate the birth of one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our history, Martin Luther King, Jr., and honor his achievements on MLK Day. Dr. King’s fight against racial inequality brought the end of segregation and opened the doors to opportunities that had…

On the third floor of a corner building on Mott Avenue, a young man overlooks the neighborhood below, the teeming construction sites and developments that promise to bring resources and jobs to the community. Khaleel Anderson, 25, is the youngest Black Assembly Member in New York State history. Khaleel, who…

by Stephanie Kalele, Donor Relations Manager ELL B had passed Urban Upbound’s Queensbridge location a few times while in the neighborhood to care for a couple of seniors at Queensbridge Houses. Determined to rebuild her life and finances, eLL B walked into our office and asked about our financial counseling…

by Urban Upbound’s staff members Within the span of a few months, Queensbridge Houses, which is home to thousands of public housing families, has begun to make leaps in their revitalization efforts with a ‘boots on the ground’ approach and by employing their own. The residents. One way the city…

On Tuesday, October 19th, Urban Upbound celebrated our 17th anniversary with the Relighting the Torch gala. To keep everyone safe, we took out the large crowd component associated with a gala and kept the dining element. Sponsors of this year’s gala received gift cards to fabulous restaurants — thanks to…

by Urban Upbound’s staff members This summer, Urban Upbound takes part in the largest youth employment program in the nation, the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). Organized by NYC’s Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), this program helps level the playing field for many young New Yorkers who otherwise…