Photography by Matthew Sussman. Wow, what a night! Thank you to everyone who made  LINC’s 2024 Spring Gala  a huge success.  We raised over $775,000 and counting  to continue helping thousands of young children become lifelong readers! Watch the video we shared at the gala, featuring our incredible volunteer and LINC Very Involved Parent (VIP), Sandra Patricio. We were joined by friends, colleagues, and supporters old and new to celebrate and present the Mimi Levin Lieber Legacy Award to  Jeanine Nadler . A special thanks goes out to   PIX 11 Anchor  Dan Mannarino,  our 2024 Gala Emcee, and his buddy, LINC Very Involved Kid (VIK) Ethan Figueroa . The room was inspired by our Voices of Literacy in Community  participants and our incredible Very Involved Parent (VIP)  Sandra Patricio  - all of whom truly exemplify what literacy in community looks like in action.  Finally, we were so proud to premiere an original spoken word poetry performance by  Shanelle Gabriel ! You can read her beautiful poem celebrating LINC below.  LOVE AND LEARNING IN COMMUNITY by Shanelle Gabriel When was the first time you wandered Within the pages of a book When the story tickled the warm places within you When the characters served as answers To the silent questions your hid inside of yourself Maybe it was Goodnight Moon calling your pillow to your head The Little Engine that Could refusing to be confined To the bottom of a mountain Or Dorothy having the power to save herself from OZ the entire time Remember feeling like finishing a cement block of a Harry Potter book was your biggest accomplishment Or Maya Angelou singing our resilience from within a bird’s confinement The ability to find residence in the safety of reading The joy of reading Should not be a privilege But a priority With disproportionate reading proficiencies Impacting the most vulnerable within Diverse racial and ethnic communities We know pouring literacy into early development Concretizes the most equitable society Reading comprehension can determine future economic security So, Close your eyes with me And imagine a toddler perched on his mother’s lap Listening to colorful stories Eyes lit with laughter Imagine a mother learning to read English alongside her young daughter Connecting kids in parks with books as another form of play See families in white tees in a cluster on the A train Singing loudly Reading books that bring to life their trip on the subway Imagine easing the transition from learning to read To reading to learn These are the moments Literacy in Community works to weave into our world Manifesting the goal of Mimi Levin Lieber That language and early learning are levers Lifting all into higher levels of achievement That there is power in collective building Crafting environments Where community and empowerment Live on the same page in our thesaurus With a focus on the child as the heart The parent the body We generate the energy of Literacy in Community Centering on quality and consistency of access Crafting programs with special intent To increase educational success and making a movement To awaken dreams for the next generation Where diverse populations have the tools To build foundations in both homes and schools Planting the minds of newborns to age five in literacy-rich soil Watering their parents and guardians Making countless NYC neighborhoods their garden Bringing radical joy so they can bloom LINC advocates for our children By bringing those who have been Traditionally undervalued and underresourced Into the room And when all are dedicated to Unlocking our children’s potential Transforming futures and creating lasting change Becomes more than just a goal It becomes inevitable Thank you, everyone. We are already looking forward to next year!