The Greens Gives Back
The Greens—Pier 17’s ultimate outdoor dining venue—returns with another summer season this month, and a key element of the experience is giving back to our local community here in Lower Manhattan. Ever since The Greens launched in Summer 2020, a portion of the reservation fee for mini lawns—and, in the winter, dining cabins—has been donated to a local charitable organization.
Helping our neighbors in NYC has always been a priority for The Howard Hughes Corporation—now more than ever as we all face the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. The inaugural season of The Greens provided a much-needed respite for New Yorkers after months of lockdown—and raised $20,525, which was donated to The Bowery Mission, an organization that provides services and assistance for homeless and hungry New Yorkers.
When The Greens transitioned into a winter retreat, with alpine-style cabins on The Rooftop, increased donation amounts from each reservation helped raise $82,970 to support a different charitable beneficiary each month. Here’s a look at how those donations translate into real-world assistance, based on the work of each organization.
Henry Street Settlement’s mission is to open doors of opportunity for Lower East Side residents and other New Yorkers through its more than 50 social services, arts, and health care programs. This includes Meals on Wheels delivery, job-readiness training, mental health counseling, and a community helpline established at the onset of the pandemic, to help address residents’ most urgent needs.
The Girl Scouts of Greater New York, Troop 6000 provide shelter-focused services for youth and adults across New York. The funding provided by The Greens donations “will help ensure the hundreds of Girls Scouts of Troop 6000 have the same opportunities as other Girl Scouts—to be part of a community of Girl Scout sisters, building courage, confidence, and character, and making the world a better place,” says Meridith Maskara, CEO of Girl Scouts of Greater New York.
One of the hardest-hit industries during the pandemic has been restaurants, so Howard Hughes was happy to be able to support ROAR: Relief Opportunities for All Restaurants via donations from The Greens. ROAR, in partnership with Robin Hood foundation, supplies financial aid to unemployed NYC restaurant workers. As co-founder Camilla Marcus explains, this translates into “direct cash assistance to restaurant workers in New York City who continue to face unprecedented economic hardship as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.” Assistance from the Seaport District “really stands for the power of community, when we come together,” she adds.
Home-delivered pantry support is another area that received support from The Greens, with donations to Vision Urbana, a group that serves elderly residents across the Lower East Side. The pandemic forced the organization to pivot from an on-site pantry service to a home-delivery option they call “Pantry Express,” explains Eric Diaz, the organization’s Executive Director. Increased funding was crucial to this effort: “Staff and volunteers were able to take critical provisions right to the door of hundreds more families and older adults than pre–Covid, keeping them in the safety of their own homes,” says Diaz. “The continuing demand is high particularly for our seniors and their caregivers.”
Donations to Futures & Options helped their career-service mentor program to support the city’s underserved minority youth. “Every donation helps us provide the career-readiness training they need to compete for and succeed in jobs,” says Patty Machir, Executive Director. The group’s programming addresses not just an immediate need, but “can make a lasting impact on economic and racial equity in the workforce. Businesses can connect to a pipeline of diverse, promising, motivated young talent that impacts their efforts to engage a more diverse environment and develop the leaders of tomorrow.”
We encourage you to click through to each of the featured organizations’ websites to learn more and get involved with the vital work they’re doing here in our community. The Greens will continue its give-back initiative during the upcoming spring/summer 2021 season. Please visit TheGreens.Pier17NY.com for weekly hours, reservations and to see this month’s charity organization beneficiary.
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