Senate Resolution No. 5784

BY: Senator MONTGOMERY

HONORING Dorothy Stoneman upon the occasion of her
designation as recipient of the 2018 Carol Lamberg
Visionary Award by Settlement Housing Fund Inc. on
May 31, 2018

WHEREAS, From time to time this Legislative Body takes note of
certain extraordinary individuals it wishes to recognize for their
valued contributions to the success and progress of society and publicly
acknowledge their endeavors which have enhanced the basic humanity among
us all; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Dorothy
Stoneman upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of the 2018
Carol Lamberg Visionary Award by Settlement Housing Fund Inc. celebrated
at its Spring Benefit on Thursday, May 31, 2018, at Tribeca 360 in New
York, New York; and

WHEREAS, This award is named in recognition of Carol Lamberg,
Settlement Housing Fund's former Executive Director of 30 years, who had
the vision to realize quality affordable housing coupled with community
programs was essential to creating strong, sustainable neighborhoods;
Dorothy Stoneman is truly deserving of this prestigious award for her
unwavering commitment to young adults in New York City and around the
globe; and

WHEREAS, Four decades ago, Dorothy Stoneman worked with a group of
young people to rehabilitate an abandoned East Harlem tenement building
and then transform it into the Youth Action Program; after its success,
she was prompted to establish a citywide coalition of 500 organizations,
and to persuade the City Council to replicate the program; and

WHEREAS, In 1988, Dorothy Stoneman and Leroy Looper founded the
National YouthBuild Coalition to advocate for replication nationwide; in
1990, the duo formed YouthBuild USA to coordinate quality assurance and
scaling of the program as a proven innovation to break the cycle of
poverty; and

WHEREAS, Today, there are 260 YouthBuild programs in 46 states,
Washington, D.C., the Virgin Islands, and in 21 countries; since its
inception, this vital organization has served approximately 160,000
young people; and

WHEREAS, YouthBuild USA provides education and counseling to
unemployed young adults; young people ages 16-24 work full-time for 6 to
24 months toward their general equivalency or high school diplomas while
learning job skills by building affordable housing in their communities;
when they have completed the program, participants are placed in
college, jobs, or both; and

WHEREAS, Settlement Housing has been a proud partner of DREAMS
YouthBuild in Brooklyn for the last decade, and New Settlement
YouthBuild in the Bronx since last year; and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that those who
enhance the well-being and vitality of their community and have shown a
long and sustained commitment to excellence certainly have earned the
recognition and applause of all the citizens of this great Empire State;
now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Dorothy Stoneman upon the occasion of her designation as recipient
of the 2018 Carol Lamberg Visionary Award by Settlement Housing Fund
Inc. on May 31, 2018; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Dorothy Stoneman.