HomeFront’s Women’s Initiative, a group of 1,000 caring and committed local women, hosts two-time Pulitzer Prize Winner Andrea Elliott, New York Times investigative reporter, Princeton University professor, and author of “The Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival & Hope in an American City,” at its annual reception on Thursday, April 27, at 4:30 p.m. at the Westin in Princeton Forrestal Village.
Elliott was granted unprecedented access into the life of Dasani, a child experiencing homelessness in New York City, and followed her journey as a teen and now young adult. In 2013, Andrea published a series of essays in the New York Times that made Dasani the face of homelessness in New York for years to come. “Invisible Child” is an accumulation of Andrea’s decade-long investigative reporting on poverty, homelessness, the power of resilience and the cost we all pay for inequality. She will be joined on stage by Chanel Sykes, Dasani’s mother, as they discuss the systems of poverty, the importance of keeping families together and the need for agencies like HomeFront.
HomeFront’s Women’s Initiative was founded nearly 15 years ago with the goal of mobilizing a cadre of 1,000 women of all ages who lend their expertise and support to help alleviate family homelessness in the community. Each member donates $100 annually with the goal of contributing a collective $100,000 towards HomeFront services that urgently need support due to increased need and unbudgeted expenses.
“This special night will remind us of the power of community to inspire change — the change that Andrea and Chanel have created through the power of their story and words and the change that we can create together to build a world where all families can succeed,” said Sarah Steward, HomeFront’s chief executive officer. “The women and men who support HomeFront’s Women’s Initiative give us hope for a better tomorrow.”
The April 27 reception will benefit HomeFront’s critical work in the community addressing basic needs through their Resource Network. This year has been exceptionally hard for so many due to inflationary pressure and significant increases in local rents. HomeFront is currently welcoming nearly 1,800 households a month to their food pantries for groceries, period products, and baby formula. Last month, they distributed more than 146,000 diapers and wipes — an 87 percent increase from this time last year — and they are on track to distributing more than 2 million diapers and wipes to local families this year.
Tickets range from $200 to $300, and each ticket includes dinner and a copy of “Invisible Child.” Sponsorships are available as well. Call 609-989-9417 x107 or visit www.homefrontnj.org for more information.
