REV LINNETTE C WILLIAMSON MEMORIAL PARK ASSOCIATION INC

Programs

1. Homeless Families in Harlem Domestic Violence Shelter: We supported single-parent families and their children in the Rose House shelter operated by the Safe Horizon nonprofit organization. It is the largest victim services nonprofit organization in the United States. Safe Horizon staff provide services to victims of abuse and violent crime. The Rev. Williamson Park Association supplemented the shelter services by assigning a spending budget for each of the maximum 53 shelter families with 3 or less children. The families shopped in a department store for new clothes, shoes, sweaters, jackets, etc., as well as school supplies and merchandise for the bedroom, bath, kitchen, etc., while living in one of the apartments in the shelter. The range of merchandise provided much needed assistance to the families when making the transition to life without violence in the home or elsewhere.

   $20,580 spent$18,560 earned by the program
   62% of program spending

2. Operation of Harlem Parks, Playground, and Big-City Farming Program: The volunteers in The Rev. Williamson Park Association built in the 1990's and have stewarded ever since three vest-pocket parks and one playground of grass for preschool children and community activities. These four open-space properties are named as follows and located at the indicated addresses: Edward P. Bowman Park at 52 West 129th Street; Unity Park at 53-57 West 128th Street; Linnette C. Williamson Park at 65 West 128th Street; and the Harlem Village Green playground at 54 West 129th Street. Our first accomplishments as a Harlem land trust were to build these properties in a neighborhood that had an insufficient number and quality of parks and playgrounds. Many Harlem residents have a cultural and family heritage of farming. All four of the properties we built have opportunities for agricultural and horticultural activities. There are close to 50 families that grow their own vegetables and herbs. The families also take an active role, as volunteers, in contributing to the maintenance of the parks and playground as well as keeping the parks accessible for community use.

   $9,661 spent$8,410 earned by the program
   29% of program spending

3. Community Events and Activities: There is sufficient open space on three of the four properties we built 30+ years ago to host gatherings of 30 to 40 of our Harlem neighbors and park visitors. The warm weather season begins in mid-to-late spring and lasts through part of the fall. This period offers many opportunities for The Park Association to provide a diversity of events and activities. They have included such popular offerings as a book swap, cooking demonstrations, cultural events, fall festival, literacy classes, meditation lessons, yoga classes, etc. The choices are unlimited with many residents and their families looking forward to taking an active role. As volunteers, we are privileged to be hosting such valuable and popular activities at no charge to the public thanks to the generosity of our funders.

   $1,195 spent$850 earned by the program
   4% of program spending

4. The Rev. Linnette C. Williamson Memorial Park Association, Inc., as a nonsectarian, nonprofit Harlem land trust and community service provider, has succeeded in accomplishing a variety of public services since we were founded 32 years ago in 1994. Without the Board of Directors and Membership working together, we would be unable to offer these services to the people of Harlem and New York City. To keep The Park Association functioning as a nonprofit, we need to pay for insurance ($857), dues and a donation to the Land Trust Alliance ($410), cover expenses to operate our website ($354), invest in advertising and promotion ($112), and pay the annual fee to file the Charities 500 form with the New York State Attorney General ($275).

   $2,008 spent$1,500 earned by the program
   6% of program spending

The 4 programs described on its FY2025 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $33,444.