So much to catch you up on

We had our first benefit and it went well. For those who did not make, we plan on doing it again soon.

Xpand meets De La Vega

I had the amazing opportunity to meet artist and activist De LaVega. I was moved beyond words by his work and commitment to community. If you are in New York City, you must check out his store on St. Marks between 1st and Avenue A in the East Village. I like going back to his shop to buy things to share his message with friends and my kids.

For an Xpand program, he agreed to open the shop for the boys and spend time with them. He talked to them about his life, his work, and his passion. He also gave them each a t-shirt. Another moment to be inspired and great opportunity to learn from a community leader….

“Become Your Dreams”….De La Vega

Become Your Dream Mual with De La Vega

East Side Community Mural Project

And there was no rain…

At the end of the day, I gathered with my teacher-friends and we stood in awe of the work these students had created and the messages of hope that spoke to their potential. And where was the press? Had there been guns, knives or any other forms of violence in at the school…no doubt these kids would have been all over the news. Next time, maybe we will shoot off guns to get their attention.

Thank you De La Vega for your friendship and support of our kids.

Welcoming 2007

“Humility says someone was here before me and I am here! I have something to do; I too have my responsibilities and there will be someone coming behind me who I must prepare the way for.”
- Maya Angelou

Well, we did it. After all the paper work and questions and anticipation, we finally have our own 501c3 organization, Teen2Teen…and the question Dina and I keep asking ourselves over and over again is…”Are you crazy?”

It feels like it sometimes, as we struggle with the differences of our kids and the passion that we both have for the potential of these talented young people. In the fall of 2006 we found a lot of support from Broadway Cares Equity Fights Aids. We decided to implement an AIDS/HIV awareness program to Teen2Teen and our first performance was with the Broadway cast of RENT in the Gypsy of the Year Competition. Check out the photos from the event. Dina, of course, was crying. I did not cry…in front of the kids.

Thank you to the Broadway community for welcoming them and taking lots and lots and lots of pictures with them backstage.

I look forward to the challenges of starting a non-profit and creating a place for young people to expand the possibilities of their lives.

My best….

Philip

Teen2Teen at Broadway Cares Gypsy of the Year

Happy Holidays from Teen2Teen

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This site has been a labor of love and hard work for the past 2 years.
Thanks to everyone for their support and especially the staff at Jungle 8
for helping bring our vision to life. We have so much to share with you
and look forward to updating you on the growth of Teen2Teen.
Take a look at the site, test our donation button < hint, hint ;) > and
support the dreams and goals of these talented young people.