Community Lifestyle, a Hoboken nonprofit that runs an eight-week summer camp, is thanking the local GOP for sponsoring a literacy workshop for kids this month.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“On behalf of our entire organization, we extend our sincerest gratitude to Joseph Branco Chairman, Pavel Sokolov Secretary, and the Hoboken Republican Party for their generous sponsorship of our reading and writing sessions with Leah Mermelstein,” Community Lifestyle CEO Louis Quinones said in a statement.
Mermelstein is also a renowned literacy expert with over 25 years of experience, dedicated to translating literacy research into successful classroom practice.
Last month, Quinones set up a GoFundMe page with a goal of $18,500. They are almost there, raising $17,706 from 97 donations as of this afternoon.
While he didn’t say it outright, Quinones spoke at the June 21st Hoboken City Council meeting and indicated that their CBDG funding from the city had been cut by approximately 25 percent.
“This summer, we have the ambitious goal of providing our campers with seven exciting field trips. Be someone’s hero and considering sponsoring one child with a donation of $206, which would cover admission, transportation, and meal expenses,” Quinones wrote in the GoFundMe description.
Those locations include the Liberty Science Center, the Bronx Zoo, and the Museum of Natural History.
“We are proud that the funds we raise as a party are able to support wonderful Hoboken organizations such as Community Lifestyle that make a genuine and lifelong impact on our city’s children,” said Hoboken GOP Chair Joe Branco regarding the $1,500 donation.
“As an organization, we’re proud of their hard work and remain steadfast in our mission to ensure every child receives the tailored instruction needed to learn to read and write. Together, with the support of our community and Leah’s expertise, we’re making a tangible difference in these children’s lives. Thank you for standing with us in this vital cause!”
Branco is also the Republican nominee for the District 5 Hudson County Commissioner race where he looks to unseat Board Chair Anthony Romano, which will be a heavy lift in a solidly blue district that hasn’t gonna red in nearly four decades.
Community Lifestyle was founded in 2017 and serves Hoboken Housing Authority children between the ages of 6 and 15.