Previous | Next
Session: 1 Page 123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100 of 100
agency, in the sense of buying equipment and things that the children need.
But it is a very good thing, really. It means involvement on their part, which is what we try to develop. They're all very poor. Most of them are on welfare.
How do you see the impact of the community of Northside Center, Harlem?
The impact?
The impact on thewhole community of Harlem of Northside? or even beyond that?
I think the agency has had a tremendous impact on the community. Now, it's hard for me to say that without giving you specific examples, but certainly, it was the first, and it still is the only fulltime facility of its kind in Harlem. You know, it's one of the stable institutions in Harlem, and it's an institution of which there aren't any more, I mean, they have loads of recreational programs, and churches and settlement houes and centers and so on, but no resources like this. I think certainly we must have made the community more aware of the need for this kind of service, and indeed, the whole attitude of community problems, immensely, since we started. We have actually almost a status kind of aura, to come in here, now. I mean, really, it's kind of like a reward, that you get in here. And the children who come are very proud to come here. So are the parents. They're very proud of this place.
© 2006 Columbia University Libraries | Oral History Research Office | Rights and Permissions | Help