ARK’s Game Night to celebrate 12 scholars who are now in college
ARK Co-Founder Ayesha Vera-Yu with the scholars: Investing in young leaders through a comprehensive, fully-funded college scholarship program. ARK Photos
ARK’s Game Night will be held on October 19th at the Ukrainian Institute of America building on 2E 79th Street.
“ARK, a social impact innovator, partners with rural communities who want to invest in themselves and have the courage to go against the grain of handouts,” said co-founder Ayesha Vera-Yu. “This year, a partner community in the Philippines completed the 3-year award-winning ARK Lunch program and is now funding the program on its own.”
The organization is also celebrating the first batch of scholars who are graduating from college because of the ARK Lunch program. The program ends hunger and malnutrition, gets kids back to school, and creates a new path for communities to secure their food, schooling and income for life, according to a statement.
Jen Furer, ARK’s Chief of Scholars, said she is excited about this year.
“This year is a big deal for ARK’s scholarship program that’s why I believe Game Night is important,” Furer said. “We celebrate those who tirelessly support ARK because without their faith in the program, 12 college scholars wouldn’t have the opportunity to go and graduate from college. Most of these kids are the first in their family to go to college.”
Furer said the youth worked really hard to stay in school. Two of them will be graduating in March, and 10 are in their third year in college.
School boys from Mangoso Elementary School in Capiz province. The students enjoy going to school.
“I joined the ARK team three years ago after I met Ayesha at Makilala TV. What I love about ARK’s scholarship program is that it’s not a gift or hand-out. It’s a partnership, an investment. The scholars work hard and at the same time, they give back to the community,” she said.
Ayesha explained the ARK Lunch program and how it is different from the other programs.
“We believe that communities want to do it for themselves. We believe that they want to reclaim their dignity and they don’t want hand-outs. We have a partner community, Mangoso, that has proven to other people right now that they can do the ARK Lunch program. They’ve paid for it and they want to pay for it for themselves.”
On Game Night, ARK will also be honoring two supporters — Brad Tully, managing director at JP Morgan, and Miguel Gonzalez, managing director and co-founder of Cortburg Retirement Planning — who believed in the ARK mission and have been with the organization from Day One.
Proceeds from Game Night will bring the ARK Lunch to other communities throughout the Philippines and in other parts of the developing world.
“This will enable kids to achieve their dreams to go to high school and college,” said Ayesha.
Tickets to Game Night start at $95 and are available at gamenight.eventbee.com. Cocktails and bites start at 6 p.m., and games start at 7 p.m. Please contact Adrian Bonifacio at partner@ruralkids.org for any inquiries and partnership opportunities.
© 2017 The FilAm
