BronxConnect UYAI

Did you know that it costs $247k annually to keep someone at Rikers, but only $11k for BronxConnect to support them? As a $1 million Communities Thrive Challenge grantee, we can provide even more care for our youth and help them build brighter futures. communitiesthrivechallenge.org.

New York is spending up to $1 million a year to incarcerate one young person. We’re overfunding systems that harm and underfunding solutions that heal. The Youth Justice & Opportunities Act is about shifting that reality.

Honored to be in community with organizations committed to violence interruption, healing, and long-term change. 📸 gunsdownlifeup_jimbo569

We may not control the future, but we can shape how our young people walk into it. That starts with real support and real opportunities.

What does this bill do? It guarantees that no child is questioned by police without first speaking to an attorney. It's simple, necessary & long overdue. 🎥 right2remainsilent_

We can’t keep funding what harms and calling it safety. It’s time to invest in what actually builds strong communities.

Shoutout to @arivaimpact for showing up and pouring into our young people. Financial literacy is not just information, but also access, confidence, and long-term stability. 📸 arivaimpact

What would our communities look like if we invested in healing instead of harm? We don’t have to guess, we can build it.

Before anything else, our young people need to feel safe. In a world that can be unpredictable, moments of support matter more than we know. 📸 melocorp

An early arrest does not just impact a day. It can shape a future. Too often, young people are met with systems that traumatize instead of support, increasing the likelihood that they will face the same system again. What would it look like to respond with care instead?

Strength looks like this. Walking together. Showing up for each other. Growing up side by side. 📸 lettyabad74

Imagine being a child in a room with authority and not knowing what is real. That moment can shape everything that follows so we have a responsibility to ensure young people are informed, not misled.

Support, guidance, and time together make a difference. Moments like these remind us how community helps shape the next generation.

If we believe in second chances, our systems should reflect that. Pay gaps for formerly incarcerated people are part of a larger cycle we have the power to break.

Care, trust, and presence it the kind of support every young person deserves. 📸 melocorp

This is a reminder and a call. To move beyond surface level solutions and fight for real justice in our communities.

The Bronx in full color. A reminder that our communities hold beauty, strength, and possibility all at once. 📸 lettyabad74

How many more years do we wait for change that should have already happened? 2 years later and the fight continues. Our youth deserve protection. Pass #Right2RemainSilent

When our youth are at risk, our community shows up. Until meaningful protections are in place, we will continue meeting with legislators so to pass policies that safeguard the future of our young people. It's time to pass #Right2RemainSilent (S.878C).

True leadership makes room for others. We believe in using our voices to amplify the needs, experiences, and hopes of our communities. Lasting change happens when everyone has the opportunity to be heard.

During Women’s History Month, we gathered at Parkchester Library with women leaders committed to strengthening the Bronx. Through honest conversation we affirmed the importance of women’s voices and experiences shaping the future of our communities. 📸 cmamandafarias