In 2018, a church fundraising ministry, located at the Christian Love Center in the New Haven West River area was organized with a mission to recognize and award its church member’s youth who presented exceptional grades. Annual banquets, gifts, and certificates were presented as a way to show the children they were appreciated and recognized by the church for their efforts to do good in school. Affected by the pandemic in 2019, all activities ceased and the ministry was dismantled.
During the pandemic, while children were not able to attend school in person, Umbrella Impact was created and organized as a 501c3 non-profit organization based in West Haven to address children in low to moderate income families in West Haven and New Haven, who keep their grades up so that they can have better futures. We offer extracurricular incentives based on proof of family income and positive progress reports from school. Students accepted in the program may attend an extracurricular activity of their choice, free of charge -whether sports, martial arts. Dance lessons, or acting classes, to name just a few. Through fundraising campaigns and donations, we have been able to assist several children this year. We have assisted children by financially funding them to attend West Haven’s female soccer away games and Tia Russell Brockington’s Arts Institute in the New Haven area.
Umbrella Impact has expanded on the idea of inspiring achievement and developed a curriculum addressing the persistent and chronic wealth gap. Our grass roots level work to affect this wealth gap addresses character building, community partnership and financial literacy for children ages 9-16. This Umbrella, if you will, includes from a programmatic standpoint:
• Enhance students’ self esteem by coaching , recognizing, and navigating them through self-awareness
skills.
• Collaborating with professionals, schools. Community organizations , and parents for guidance and village partnership
• Acquainting children with savings, debts, investing, and debt.
By improving these skills in youngsters and providing incentives, it is our goal that an improved skill set will lead to better opportunities and thus greater wealth generation and brighter futures. To that end, we are gearing up for our Annual banquet to honor the young people who have shown dedication throughout the pandemic and beyond, with rigor in their studies and courage in the mist of turmoil. We are holding a PAINT AND BRUNCH fundraiser on Saturday August 20, 2022 at Picasso Parties, 944 Ocean Avenue, from 11- 2P. Support from community members and donations means a great deal to those we serve. Please do not hesitate to contact Nasiyra Clayton at 203-809-1342. Our website is