New York Liberty Complete 3rd Annual “Season of Giving” Community Giveback Campaign

The New York Liberty completed their 3^rd annual “Season of Giving” community giveback campaign this holiday season, with the help of 16 corporate sponsors. Together, they provided gifts and experiences for community organizations encompassing the Liberty’s social responsibility pillars BEUP in the following ways: 

BASKETBALL 

The Liberty hosted a free basketball skills clinic for 300 youth at Basketball City in Lower Manhattan. Participants were coached in basketball fundamentals and received t-shirts, tote bags, Wise chip bags, and Shake Shack vouchers. Liberty Forward, Nyara Sabally, surprised the attendees during the clinic. 

The Pride Basketball League of New York City provides a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for members of the LGBTQ+ community and our friends to play basketball and build camaraderie. BSE Global staff packed 250 holiday gift bags for athletes in the Women’s+ division with items from NYX Cosmetics, Hero Cosmetics, Wise chip bags, and Shake Shack. Liberty staff visited the Women’s+ gameday at The Post BK to hand out the gift bags and informational materials from RMA.  

EMBRACE 

The Brave House, an organization supporting immigrant women and gender-expansive youth through leadership development, legal counsel, and social support, watched the Brooklyn Nets game at Barclays Center from a luxury suite hosted by Ticketmaster. Preceding the game, 18 members and staff of the Brave House shopped at the Brooklyn Fanatics Team Store, toured the Liberty’s Locker Room Compound, and took photos with the WNBA Championship trophy.  

The Liberty and Anthem hosted honorees from their long-standing ShineLoudSunday program at the Barclays Center 40/40 Club to celebrate women changemakers form the local community. The event centered around networking and personal development and included a panel, sip n’ paint, and exclusive gifting supported by Kickstarter and Lyft. The Liberty invited members of NYC Celebrates Women to join the honorees and learn about each other’s business initiatives. NYC Celebrates Women amplifies women of color entrepreneurs through mentorship to end the generational wealth gap. Anthem made a donation to NYC Celebrates women to celebrate and grow their work.

UNITY 

Olipop and the Liberty partnered to provide gifts for kids and teens through the Coalition for the Homeless Holiday Toy Drive. The Coalition for the Homeless strives to end mass homelessness in New York through 11 frontline programs which provide immediate crisis support. 

Nyara Sabally also volunteered at the Bowery Mission’s emergency shelter to serve dinner to residents. Shake Shack helped give back by donating 200 meals for the dinner service and joining the volunteer session. The Bowery Mission serves New Yorkers facing hunger or homelessness by meeting their immediate needs. 

XBOX gifted a brand new Series S console to two community organizations in each borough to support their youth programming. 

• Manhattan
  • Dunlevy Milbank Community Center has been a community support system in Harlem for generations. 
  • Apex for Youth mentors youth from underserved Asian and immigrant communities in New York city. 
• Queens:   
  • Woodside Houses Community Center is part of Sunnyside Community Services and strives to enrich lives through services, beginning with those most in need.
  • Elmcor fosters positive life change in community members through self-sufficiency skills development and a strong empowered community. 
• Brooklyn:  
  • Cornerstone at Ingersoll is part of University Settlement, a resource hub for people to connect with each other and explore new interests. 
  • RiseBoro Youth Center aims to unleash the potential of communities to thrive, no matter the odds.
• Bronx:  
  • Kingsbridge Heights Community Center embraces and empowers community – from cradle through career – to develop passions, potential, and durable pathways to well-being.
  • Southeast Bronx Neighborhood Centers develops and provides plans to turn their participants into leaders of community service.  
• Staten Island:  
  • Pride Center of Staten Island strives to enhance the lives of LGBTQ+ and allied participants by cultivating community and advocating for LGBTQ+ interests.  
  • Goodhue Community Center provides a space for youth and families t o engage in community activities and athletic programming. 

Liberty Forward, Nyara Sabally, visited pediatric patients at Hospital for Special Surgery’s (HSS) Lerner Children’s Pavilion and provided gifts for all the patients. As the official hospital of the New York Liberty, HSS provides top orthopedic and musculoskeletal care to the team, while also partnering with the organization for various community giveback events that offer memorable experiences and impactful resources to local communities in the Tri-State area. 

PRIDE 

The Ali Forney Center is the nation’s largest provider of shelter and wrap around services dedicated to homeless LGBTQ+ youth. New York Liberty staff volunteered to assemble holiday gift bags for the center’s residents. Items in the gift bags included portable chargers and water bottles provided by Barclays, Flamingo shave kits, and assorted Wise chip bags. 

The Center received 30 connected health monitoring products including smart scales, blood pressure monitors, and thermometers donated by Withings, a global leader in connected health. The Center is a cornerstone for community resources and organizing for LGBTQ+ New Yorkers, including providing physical and mental health services.