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Newark's Mayor's Office
Pictured (From Left) are: Briana Anderson, Marley Dias, Tai Cooper Chief Policy Advisor for Mayor Ras Baraka, (From Right) are: Amina Anekwe, Dr. Janice Johnson Dias, Co- Founder of Grassroots Community Foundation.
Newark- On Wednesday, May 4, The Grassroots Community Foundation and The YMCA, Youth Emergency Service (YES) Program honored, Briana Anderson for her #RoomForChange Project at the YMCA in Newark. Briana who had a opportunity to spend time with various young people in the youth crisis program (YES) in Newark during her time learned more about the young people and their living conditions. She learned that children lived there without parents or caretakers.
Knowing that having a place to stay that is mentally comfortable can impact an individual’s life made Briana wonder “What can I do to help make their lives a little easier”? Thus, Briana created the #RoomForChange project with the support of the Grassroots Community Foundation which is a public health and social action organization particularly for women and girls, under the guidance of Co- Founder Dr. Janice Johnson Dias.
The redesigned five rooms each had an animal as well as a color theme incorporated in each room; two rooms for girls, two for boys and one unisex room. Briana was full with joy for the launching of the highly new redesigned rooms. Briana seeing the young faces bursting with excitement of the redesigned rooms was overjoyed. When asked, “What impression does she hope the young people will leave with”? Briana simply answered, “Peace”. “A peace of mind letting them know there are people who love and support them no matter the situation”.
Briana along with her B.A.M. social network friends, Marley Dias and Amina Anekwe thanked all who came out to support the event. Drawing to a closing to the evening remarks were given and stated. Before departing Chief policy advisor for the Mayor of Newark, Ras Baraka, Tai Cooper whom of several people in attendance at the event stated, “When you invest and have faith in young women and girls change happens,” according to Cooper, “and because of that aspect some child or family will sleepy tonight having a place that can at least make them feel at home.”
