Tuesday, May 23, 2023 | 6:00p - 8:00p
The 2023 annual helpNYC Garden Party was a huge success. Over 62 people attended and helped raise money for the work of helpNYC. We are deeply grateful to those who donated and the partnerships we built to support our work.
Special thanks go to the 2023 Garden Party Sponsors and our gracious host St. John's in the Village.
But, we can't stop there!
Please consider donating monthly or giving a one-time donation to our Summer 2023 fundraising goal of $10,000. Any amount that is right for you is deeply appreciated!
NEIGHBOR OF THE YEAR
MARIA TERESA WALLES
Founder of the July is Homeless Rights Month in NYC Coalition
The helpNYC Neighbor of the Year honor is given to an individual or organization that reflects the values of helpNYC and is a powerful advocate for New Yorkers.
Maria Teresa Walles accepted the 2023 Neighbor of the Year Honoree for her work in founding the "July is Homeless Rights Month in NYC" Coalition of advocates and organizations that elevate the challenges of homelessness in New York City.
Maria Teresa Walles is a passionate advocate for unhoused New Yorkers since 2004. Using her lived experience with homelessness, food insecurity, and mental health recovery, she advocates for the rights of New Yorkers that are experiencing street and shelter homelessness in New York City.
She has worked with a wide range of organizations such as Community Voices Heard, Picture the Homeless, Safety Net Activists at Urban Justice Center, Theatre of the Oppressed NYC and the City of New York’s Continuum of Care, Persons with Lived Experience (PWLEx) Committee.
ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR
VALERIE REYES-JIMENEZ
New York City Advocate and Community Organizer, Housing Works, Inc.
The helpNYC Advocate of the Year honor is given to an individual or group that aligns with the mission of helpNYC and advocates for underserved New Yorkers.
Valerie Reyes-Jimenez accepted the 2023 helpNYC Advocate of the Year for her 30+ years of advocacy work for those who are unhoused and affected by HIV & AIDS.
Valerie is a native New Yorker, mother, grandmother, community organizer, and activist. She is a full-time staffer in the advocacy department at Housing Works, Inc., and a leader in her community.
Valerie applies over three decades of experience and skill working with others in the ongoing AIDS crisis and an unflappable attitude of goodwill to advocate for those living with HIV and AIDS and those who have experienced homelessness, substance use, and mental health challenges.
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
STACEY ROSE-BLASS
A helpNYC Volunteer since 2021.
Stacey Rose-Blass, pictured with J. RueMel Parkin and Richard Perkins, Board Members of helpNYC, accepting the helpNYC Volunteer of the Year Honoree for her commitment to the mission of helpNYC through her volunteerism at helpNYC, Mandala Cafe, and Fountain House.
The helpNYC Volunteer of the Year honor is given to a helpNYC Volunteer that advances the work of helpNYC through their own actions.
Stacey Rose-Blass accepted the helpNYC Volunteer of the Year Honoree for her commitment to the mission of helpNYC through her volunteerism at helpNYC, Mandala Cafe, and Fountain House.
Having been involved in social justice work since a teen in high school, Stacey comes to helpNYC with a keen desire to affect positive change in all her interactions. She spent the majority of her adult life in the Washington, D.C. area, professionally at the (former) U.S. Information Agency and the U.S. Department of State primarily in international exchange programs.
She also served as Union President of the American Federation of Government Employees, Local 1812 from 1993-1996, a critical time of “the reinvention of government” under the Clinton Administration. More recently Stacey was a founding member of the renewed Social Action Steering Committee at Congregation Romemu, NYC.
MISSION PARTNER OF THE YEAR
LINKNYC
Intersection Media, City Bridge, ZenFi Networks
Nick Colvin, Chief Executive Officer of CityBridge, LLC, the consortium behind the groundbreaking LinkNYC program, pictured with J. RueMel Parkin and Richard Perkins, Board Members of helpNYC, accepted the honor on behalf of LinkNYC.
The helpNYC Mission Partner of the Year honor is given to a helpNYC Mission Partner that advances the work of helpNYC through their own actions.
LinkNYC is the 2023 Mission Partner of the Year Honoree for their commitment to connecting underserved New Yorkers through technology.
Nick Colvin, Chief Executive Officer of CityBridge, LLC, the consortium behind the groundbreaking LinkNYC program, accepted the honor on behalf of LinkNYC which provides free public Wi-Fi used by millions of residents, commuters, and visitors to New York City, as well as providing free phone calls, access to government and social services, and public service messaging. Nick is responsible for external affairs, community support and engagement, product, engineering, and all operational aspects of LinkNYC.
Previously, Nick was an Associate Partner at Control Group, where he worked with global brands and nonprofits to bring to life innovative projects at the intersection of digital and physical spaces.
Nick has over 20 years of experience building and supporting human-focused technology with organizations including ACLU, Apple, AT&T, Google, and Ralph Appelbaum Associates. He holds a Bachelor of Music from Western Carolina University.
LISTING PARTNER OF THE YEAR
NEIGHBORS TOGETHER CORPORATION
A nonprofit organization providing hot meals, housing assistance, and empowerment services to the people of Brooklyn since 1982.
Nathalie Smythe, Director of Programs and Human Resources, pictured with J. RueMel Parkin and Richard Perkins, Board Members of helpNYC, accepted the honor on behalf of Neighbors Together, Inc.
The helpNYC Listing Partner of the Year honor is given to an helpNYC Listing Partner that has gone above and beyond to serve New Yorkers in need.
The Neighbors Together Corporation is the helpNYC Listing Partner of the Year Honoree for their advocacy in bringing justice and equity to housing by providing direct support to New Yorkers who are experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness.
Nathalie Smythe, Director of Programs and Human Resources, accepted the honor on behalf of Neighbors Together, Inc.
“On behalf of Neighbors Together’s board, staff, and over 10,000 low-income members who participate in and lead our programs each year, we are so honored to receive helpNYC’s 2023 Listing Partner of the Year Award! Thank you for this special recognition of our housing advocacy work, which aims to secure safe, permanent, affordable housing for very low-income New Yorkers experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
We stand in proud solidarity with helpNYC as we work towards our collective vision to build a just and equitable city where all New Yorkers have access to the resources they need to live stable, healthy lives and to thrive.” Denny Marsh, Executive Director of the Neighbors Together Corporation.
Since 1982, Neighbors Together has fought hunger and poverty with three integrated programs: Community Café, Empowerment Program, and Community Action Program. They provide emergency food to 10,000 men, women, and children annually, and connect our members to vital life-stabilizing resources beyond food (such as housing and health care) and address hunger at its root by organizing our members to advocate for hunger and poverty-ending public policies.
OUTSTANDING GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL
COUNCIL MEMBER ERIK BOTTCHER
New York City Council Member, District 3
The helpNYC Outstanding Government Official honor is given to an elected or appointed Federal, State, or Local Government Official that is a strong advocate demonstrated by their voting records, actions, and positions to help underserved New Yorkers in New York City.
Council Member Erik Botcher is the 2023 helpNYC Outstanding Government Official Honoree for their commitment to underserved communities in his district across the city; commitment to ensuring there is equitable access to city services; the "Rat Pack" to end the rat infestation in New York City; and Intro 522 bringing mental health services to families in the NYC Shelter System.
Erik is a dedicated public servant and activist who has devoted his life to progressive causes and to the betterment of the community he loves. In 2021, he was elected to represent City Council District 3, which includes the neighborhoods of Greenwich Village, Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, Hudson Square, Flatiron, Times Square, the Theater District, and the Garment District.
Growing up in a small town in the Adirondack Mountains, Erik was the only gay person he knew, and his personal struggles with depression and isolation sparked in him a lifelong dedication to helping the most marginalized members of our society. His career in public service began in 2009 as the LGBTQ & HIV/AIDS Community Liaison in the City Council’s community outreach unit, where he organized grassroots campaigns on issues including hate crimes, transgender rights, housing for people with HIV/AIDS, and marriage equality.
Erik then served as the statewide LGBTQ Community Liaison in the governor’s office, where he helped organize the fight for marriage equality in New York State, working with activists from Buffalo to Montauk in an unprecedented grassroots campaign to garner support for the Marriage Equality Act. New York State subsequently made history as the largest state to legalize same-sex marriage.
Council Member Erik Bottcher was not available to accept the honor in person at the event.
The amazing St. Benedict Courtyard Garden before the 2023 helpNYC Garden Party on May 23, 2023, at St. John's in the Village in New York City. Photo by Justin Abisror.
helpNYC Volunteer Marco Fiallos welcoming guests at the 2023 helpNYC Garden Party on May 23, 2023 in the Saint Benedict Courtyard Garden at St. John's in the Village in New York City. Photo by Justin Abisror.
helpNYC Volunteer and 2023 helpNYC Volunteer of the Year honoree Stacey Rose-Blass at the 2023 helpNYC Garden Party on May 23, 2023, in the Saint Benedict Courtyard Garden at St. John's in the Village in New York City. Photo by Justin Abisror.
helpNYC Founder J. RueMel Parkin welcoming guests 2023 helpNYC Garden Party on May 23, 2023, in the Saint Benedict Courtyard Garden at St. John's in the Village in New York City. Photo by Justin Abisror.
Richard Perkins, Secretary of the helpNYC Board of Directors welcomed guests to the 2023 helpNYC Garden Party on May 23, 2023, in the Saint Benedict Courtyard Garden at St. John's in the Village in New York City. Photo by Justin Abisror.
Valerie Reyes-Jimenez, Community Organizer at Housing Works and the 2023 helpNYC Advocate of the Year Honoree at the 2023 helpNYC Garden Party on May 23, 2023, in the Saint Benedict Courtyard Garden at St. John's in the Village in New York City. Photo by Justin Abisror.
Frances Bates, Manager Community Affairs, Intersection Media; Nick Colvin, Chief Executive Officer of City Bridge, Intersection Media; and Nicole.Robinson-Etienne, Director of External Affairs, Intersection Media. Nick Colvin accepted the 2023 helpNYC Mission Partner of the Year Honor on behalf of LinkNYC, a partnership between Intersection Media, City Bridge, and ZenFi Networks at the 2023 helpNYC Garden Party Charity Raffle on May 23, 2023, in the Saint Benedict Courtyard Garden at St. John's in the Village in New York City. Photo by Justin Abisror.
Janice Ollivierre, Member, Midtown South Community Council at the 2023 helpNYC Garden Party on May 23, 2023, in the Saint Benedict Courtyard Garden at St. John's in the Village in New York City. Photo by Justin Abisror.
A huge thank you to City Winery Grand Central Terminal for sponsoring the Wine Bar at the 2023 helpNYC Garden Party on May 23, 2023, and Father Graeme Napier and Hunter Jordan for hosting the Garden Party again in the Saint Benedict Courtyard Garden at St. John's in the Village in New York City. Photo by Justin Abisror.
helpNYC Volunteer Alex Moctezuma welcoming guests at the Wine Bar sponsored by City Winery Grand Central Terminal at the 2023 helpNYC Garden Party on May 23, 2023, in the Saint Benedict Courtyard Garden at St. John's in the Village in New York City. Photo by Justin Abisror.
Marin Correa, Development Manager, Xavier Mission; J. RueMel Parkin, Executive Director, helpNYC; and Timothy Au, Assistant Director of Support Services, Apicha at the 2023 helpNYC Garden Party on May 23, 2023, in the Saint Benedict Courtyard Garden at St. John's in the Village in New York City. Photo by Justin Abisror.
Althea Matthews celebrating winning the signed Johnathan Adler Large Gilded Door Marr Vase at the 2023 helpNYC Garden Party Charity Raffle on May 23, 2023, in the Saint Benedict Courtyard Garden at St. John's in the Village in New York City. Photo by Justin Abisror.
Althea Matthews celebrating winning the signed Johnathan Adler Large Gilded Door Marr Vase at the 2023 helpNYC Garden Party Charity Raffle on May 23, 2023, in the Saint Benedict Courtyard Garden at St. John's in the Village in New York City. Jonathan Adler signed the vase, especially for helpNYC. Photo by Justin Abisror.
helpNYC Executive Director, J. RueMel Parkin with (L to R) Maria Teresa Walles, Founder July is Homeless Rights Month in NYC Coalition and helpNYC 2023 Neighbor of the Year Honoree; Garden Party guest Althea Matthews; Nathalie Symthe, Director of Programs and Human Resources, Neighbors Together, the 2023 helpNYC Listing Partner of the Year Honoree; Valerie Reyes-Jimenez, Community Organizer at Housing Works and the 2023 helpNYC Advocate of the Year Honoree; and Joel Gill, Housing Specialist, Neighbors Together the 2023 helpNYC Listing Partner of the Year Honoree at the 2023 helpNYC Garden Party Charity Raffle on May 23, 2023, in the Saint Benedict Courtyard Garden at St. John's in the Village in New York City. Jonathan Adler signed the vase, especially for helpNYC. Photo by Justin Abisror.
helpNYC Volunteer Joseph Artates selling Charity Raffle Tickets at the 2023 helpNYC Garden Party on May 23, 2023, in the Saint Benedict Courtyard Garden at St. John's in the Village in New York City. Photo by Justin Abisror.
If you have any photos that you would like to see included in this gallery please upload your photos here.