Community League of
the Heights
Newsletter, April 2016
Tech Center Success Story
New Clinic Director
Merchant Organizing Event Success
801 St. Nicholas Ave Re-opens
Get involved
The CLOTH Technology
Center Changes Lives.
This month, our Technology Center, located at
2113 Amsterdam Avenue, is pleased to report
full enrollment in both of the dual Basic
Computer/ESL classes!
Taught by Technology Center director Daniel
Mercado, these courses are a perfect example
of CLOTH’s creative response to community
needs. By combining these two essential
topics into one class, we deliver urgent
information needed by our community in the
most comprehensive way possible. But don’t
take our word for it:
Tech Center
My name is Augustina and I wanted to
write to express how joyful and
appreciative I am that the Technology
Center exists. I am in the ESL/Computer
classes offered in the morning. For many
years I have tried to learn English, but this
is the first time I can say that I am
actually learning real and useful English.
The professor is great and is patient with
all students. The staff at the Technology
center are also so very helpful and open to
any questions and needs I and the other
students have.
I was an accountant in my home country
of Ecuador and I look forward to doing the
same type of work in New York soon. I
know that the study of English and
Computer at the Technology Center will be
the greatest Aide in accomplishing that.
Thank you so much,
Augustina P.
Community League Health Center welcomes a new
director to the team!
Lissa Southerland hails from Atlanta,
Georgia, though you’ll have to hang around to
catch the accent. She has been here in New
York for over 10 years. She comes to us from
The Callen Lorde Health Center, where she was
the head of Patient Administrative Services.
When I asked how she ended up working in
healthcare, she told me that both of her
parents had careers in the field and it was there
that she too found her passion.
When she’s not taking care of all our health
center needs, Lissa runs TWO of her own small
businesses, one called Chief Mommy Officer
and a candy/dessert station called Candy by
Lissa Southerland.
We are blessed to have her join our team at
Community League and are looking forward to
her work at our clinic. Welcome, Lissa!
Welcome Lissa Southerland
Washington Heights Broadway Business
Improvement District (WHBBID)
Threw a cocktail event to launch Phase Two of this Merchant
Association development process.
We began our Outreach Phase
with a well-attended cocktail
party for neighborhood
merchants.
Thanks to the hard work of
Maximo Javier, Ingrid Amparo,
and the WHBBID steering
committee, we were able to sign
on the owner of two buildings in
the corridor and begin discussions
with two more owners.
We are very close to our 50%
participation goal!
BID Cocktail Event
801 St. Nicholas Avenue Re-Opens
In 2009 the building was vacated due to infrastructural problems.
After a third party transfer to CLOTH, we performed a complete gut
renovation. Now the building is finished and families are moving
back in!
Hardwood floors, new
appliance and a refurnished
lobby are just a few of the
amenities that building
residents will enjoy.
So far, 30 families have
moved into the building,
including 10 who were
displaced when the building
was closed.
Affordable Housing
CLOTH supports Councilman Rodriguez
In his initiative to make Earth Day, April 22nd, a car-free day in New York
City! We are looking forward to participating in the street closure on
Wadsworth Avenue from 177th Street to 173rd Street in Upper Manhattan,
and encourage you to join us!
CLOTH fully supports this measure and wants to encourage our
staff and supporters to participate by walking, biking or taking
public transit to work on April 22nd!
Car Free NYC!
Want to be involved in CLOTH?
Here’s what we have this month:

Volunteer with us on our garden clean up day – we want our garden
clean for Earth Day on April 22nd. Date TBA

Adult Education classes have openings for students in the High
School Equivalency courses at Community Health Academy. Spread
the word!

We are HIRING for the position of Afterschool Program Director
◦ Send an email to [email protected] for job description and details

Donate: The nature of CLOTH’s programming means working
dynamically to respond to the needs of the community! Your
donations help us respond in real time and serve our constituents in
the best possible manner. Thank you for your support!
CLOTH Opportunities