Be A Waymaker: Young Center New York Virtual Benefit
Thank you so much for attending Be A Waymaker: Young Center New York Virtual Benefit. Your generosity means more children will have a Child Advocate to fight for them, more children will be reunified with their families, and we will be able to continue defending the rights of children at Capitol Hill, at the border, and beyond. Thank you! We are also grateful to the Young Center-New York staff for their tireless advocacy and to the New York Benefit Host Committee for their commitment to this event and for raising invaluable support for our work.
Lastly, we would like to thank our event host Eduardo Placer, our yoga teacher Navi Gill, and our guest speakers and performers, Ilana Glazer, Ximena Sariñana, Isabel Allende, Mariachi Sirenas, Maaza Mengiste, Valeria Luiselli, Nicolas V. Sanchez, Maricarmen Betancourt and Argelia Arreola from the Ballet Nepantla Dance Company, Nestor Gomez, and Young Zheng Sullivan, for participating in our event. You made our evening so special, thank you.
Please join us for our first virtual event to support our work with unaccompanied and separated immigrant children featuring a special line-up of performers, authors, storytellers, and speakers that includes:
Comedian, director, producer, writer, and Broad City actress Ilana Glazer
Singer-Songwriter Ximena Sariñana
Award-Winning Author Isabel Allende
Award-Winning Author Maaza Mengiste
Award-Winning Author Valeria Luiselli
Artist Nicolas V. Sanchez
Storyteller Nestor Gomez
Young Center Founder and Executive Director Maria Woltjen
Young Zheng Sullivan, after whom the Young Center is named
and more.
If you’re unable to attend the event, please consider donating to support our work with immigrant children. Donations and ticket purchases will be matched up to $125,000 through the generosity of Michael Becker and Tee Scatuorchio, Joan and Michael Frankel, the Young Center Board, and an anonymous donor.
As part of our benefit, we've launched an online auction with proceeds supporting our work. Auction items include invaluable art, autographed books, and more. Click here to start bidding on items.
For check donations, please mail to:
Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights
2245 S. Michigan Ave, Suite 301, Chicago, IL 60616
Issues our New York team is tackling right now:
Reuniting immigrant children in government custody with their families. Here’s a story of recent success.
Advocating for an end to the unlawful turnbacks of immigrant children at the border, including supporting relevant litigation.
Fighting to prevent the deportation of children to danger.
Story of the Waymaker: Years ago, the Young Center had the honor of serving a girl from West Africa. When she was successfully released from custody, settled in, and enrolled in high school, she sent a letter to her Child Advocate, thanking her for being her Waymaker. We love that word. Today, as many children continue to be separated from their families at the border and those who arrive on their own are at risk of being deported to danger, we need more Waymakers than ever.