Co-founder and President
Frances Lucerna
welcomes El Puente’s new Executive Director
Marco A. Carrión
El Puente’s Executive Team
As El Puente's Co-founder and President, it has been and continues to be my honor to guide, nurture and ground the next generation of El Puente leadership to continue our powerful living legacy and pave the way for our organization and movement's next chapter.
Since the passing of my life partner and our beloved Founder Luis Garden Acosta in 2019, I have been working diligently with our Board of Directors and senior staff to expand our executive capacity, ignite new energy and proactively prepare for the evolving and very challenging times ahead.
It is in this spirit that I am pleased to announce that we are bringing on Marco A. Carrión as our new Executive Director. He will be joining Asenhat Gomez, Deputy Director for Programs, Helen Colon Director of Administration and myself to inaugurate the new Executive Leadership Team of El Puente.
Marco is a deeply community-rooted, experienced and committed social justice leader who shares El Puente's principles and honors our mission and living legacy. Having served in the roles of Commissioner of New York City’s Community Affairs Unit for Mayor Bill de Blasio, Political and Legislative Director of the New York City Central Labor Council and Deputy Legislative and Political Director for the UFT where he began his career, Marco brings a unique set of skills, insights and relationships across various sectors to his new El Puente leadership role.
This is a profound moment that marks a new and important chapter in El Puente's history. In light of the unprecedented times we are living in and the daunting challenges we face locally and globally, El Puente is steadfast in our resolve to continue serving and empowering our most vulnerable communities. We remain committed to forging new frontiers of equity and justice, and nurturing the next generation of leaders who will bravely create a safer, more sustainable and peaceful world for all.
I invite you all to join me, our Board of Directors and Executive Team in welcoming Marco A. Carrión to our El Puente family.
¡Pa’lante siempre Pa’lante!
The Legacy Continues...
In honor of Luis, El Puente has established the Luis Garden Acosta Legacy Fund.
We invite you to visit our Legacy page to learn more about how you can support El Puente’s global leadership efforts.
Thank you!
What's Current
Wellness and Resource Hub
El Puente’s Wellness and Resource Hub continues to help families throughout Brooklyn. We have been able to secure food through various partnerships and made them available to these families. We have also re-started distributing at Taylor Wythe in collaboration with Los Sures. To date, we have distributed over 15k meals. Please stay connected on our social media for future food distribution dates.
Click here to read more about our Wellness and Resource Hub.
Our Air! / ¡Nuestro Aire!
El Puente's Green Light District Campaign for clean air and community wellness, Our Air!/ ¡Nuestro Aire! has launched a petition: COVID-19: OUR AIR EMERGENCY CALL TO ACTION, calling on our elected officials to address the urgent environmental and health inequities in the Southside of Williamsburg that have put our community at risk for decades and have now made us fatally vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus. The time to act is now!
Please read our five point CALL TO ACTION and sign our Petition today!
Click here to sign the petition
“Essentially Brooklyn"
"Essentially Brooklyn" is a moving public art project by Los Muralistas de El Puente led by director Joe Matunis with the generous support of Two Trees and Domino Park. The project will highlight 60 portraits of “essential” Brooklyn residents from all walks of life who we honor as vital although they may not fall under the official category of "essential” The message is- In a caring community we're all essential! The portrait exhibit is on the walls in Domino Park.
Contact joematunis@gmail.com for more information.
Holistic Programming and Services
Our staff are facilitating all programming and services via remote learning and digital platforms to support our young people and families at home. We are providing performing, visual and media art classes, tutoring and college prep support, mentoring and health/wellness workshops daily for our school age and high school members. We are also making weekly wellness calls to every family and providing referrals as well as direct relief support.
EL PUENTE PUERTO RICO
Our El Puente LCAN team in Puerto Rico continues their efforts to support the people and communities impacted by the earthquakes and now the pandemic. From resources for COVID-19 to remote learning about climate change and sustainable living as well as ongoing digital organizing and mobilizing regarding the electrical system (PREPA), our LCAN team continues to be on front lines of support to address the many challenges facing the people on the island and advocacy for a sustainable
Puerto Rico.
Follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
Census 2020
Make sure we all count and bring our communities the resources we need. Click here to Fill out the 2020 census today
Graduation 2020
El Puente salutes our graduating class of 2020.
El Puente Events
El Puente News
On December 17, 2020 Frances Lucerna, Co-founder and President, and Mark Colon, Board Chair were panelist in the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Webinar Series: Board Leadership in a Shifting Landscape. link
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El Puente’s response through the Wellness and Resource Hub throughout the summer wrapped up mid-September. Every child in the cohort of families from early childhood through college age was equipped with appropriate and abundant supplies to start the school year. The connecting to resources has continued as well as the wellness assessments and helping families…
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Leadership Centers
Bilingual comprehensive skilled based programs that include academic enrichment, visual and performing arts, sports, health and wellness, and one on one leadership coaching
Green Light District
Flip the disempowerment of gentrification and put the power of transformation in the hands of the residents and stakeholders.
Global Justice Institute
The Global Justice Institute is the hub for training, development, research and convening at El Puente.
El Puente Puerto Rico
El Puente's Latino Climate Action Network (LCAN) is the expression of our commitment to environmental justice in Puerto Ricoights in the U.S.
Ways to Support
El Puente is using the peer-to-peer fundraising platform, Classy to create opportunities for supporters, alumni, and friends to donate directly, or set up a fundraising page or team to help us reach our larger goal.