East Harlem Students Raise $30K For Local Nonprofit

EAST HARLEM, NY — A group of students from an East Harlem Catholic school raised $30,000 for a local nonprofit that provides social services for neighborhood families by winning a social justice tournament.

Five students representing Cristo Rey High School, located on East 106th Street and Park Avenue, competed against students from five other New York City-based Jesuit schools in the second annual "Ignatian Social Justice Tournament." The team was tasked with persuading a panel of judges why their chosen charity — an organization called LSA Family Health Services — deserved the most funding.

Most of the students who made up Cristo Rey's team are part of the school's social justice club, junior Leslie Hernandez said. Cristo Rey didn't participate in the tournament last year, so students jumped at the opportunity when the school's principal brought it to their club.

"We were very excited because Cristo Rey works with a lot of nonprofit organization, and we do a lot of community service through our christian service project. So we were excited to advocate for an organization in our community," Hernandez said.

Students on Cristo Rey's team said that the week leading up to the presentation helped reinforce their public speaking skills. The students had to focus on hitting all their talking points while remaining within their allotted time. Competing in the tournament also helped students develop better time management habits because they had to balance preparation with their normal schoolwork.

Cristo Rey junior Noelia Garcia told Patch that before the competition she couldn't have imagined raising as much as $30,000 for a charity.

"What I take away from this whole experience is me knowing that I was able to help an organization. People are always looking for ways to help others, especially me," Garcia said. "I love to do community service. But this is a very big thing — I never thought I'd be able to provide an organization with so much money."

Students on Cristo Rey's team said they were nervous on the day of the competition because they were the only school competing for the first time. When results were being read and Cristo Rey was eventually declared the winner, they couldn't believe it.

"We all had shocked faces, it was really a great moment," Cristo Rey student Nathaniel Hinds said.

LSA Family Health Services is based in East Harlem and provides services such as benefits assistance, a food pantry, community health and wellness programs, nursing care and parenting and child development classes.