OBT Annual Gala - "Moving Forward Together"

Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow (OBT), NYC’s leading youth employment and training organization based in Sunset Park and Bushwick, Brooklyn, celebrated its annual gala on Thursday, May15th at the Historic Grand Prospect Hall. This
year’s theme, Moving Forward Together, highlighted a monumental year of achievements for the organization that was founded in 1983 by the late Sr. Mary Franciscus,
RSM.

This year’s honorees were Eileen Holmes Morris, Vice President Retail Market Manager for Commerce Bank, and Councilwoman Sara M. González of Sunset Park.
Councilwoman Gonzalez has been a champion for adult literacy funding city-wide. Richard Ferrara of De La Cour & Ferrara Architects, and a long-time OBT Board
member, received the Sr. Mary Youth Builder Award. The Sr. Mary Youth Builder award is given to outstanding individuals who have devoted much of their life to helping
young people succeed.

Over 300 guests came out to support OBT this year, including Kathryn Wylde, President and CEO of the Partnership for NYC, and Jeanne Mullgrav, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Youth & Community Development. This year OBT also held a silent auction and gave away "OBT branded" chocolate bars, detailing the organizational mission and programs. OBT also included some of its
program participants in the ceremony, having two students introduce this year's honorees. Sponsors of the event included Commerce Bank, Lutheran HealthCare, NY Presbyterian Community Health Plan, Ikea, ConEdison, Industry City Associates, Sims | Hugo Neu, Health Plus, TMI, Time Equities, 8th Ave. Improvement Association & Connors & Sullivan, P.C.

This year OBT celebrated many new initiatives, including a young adult internship program funded through the Mayor’s Commission for Economic Opportunity and Red Hook Works, a program funded by the Ikea Corporation which has been providing job training and placement assistance to
residents of the Red Hook community. OBT also expanded its adult literacy programs this year, providing English Language instruction and basic literacy classes to over 200 adults annually.