AiNYC Students Give Back to the Community

The Art Institute of New York City has “adopted” the Hearts of Gold charitable organization as a focus of the school’s community involvement. Hearts of Gold (HoG) is an organization which benefits mothers and children while they are in shelters, helping them to prepare for independent lives.

At the end of April, a group of nineteen Interior Design students under the guidance of instructor Tory Jones visited the space destined to become a new thrift shop whose profits will support the organization. Preparations were underway for a fundraiser in early May. Students studied the still-empty space, brainstorming to come up with a design concept mirroring the evening’s colorful logo.

There were two Project Managers, Jonathan Cheng and Alexandra Winokur, President and Vice President, respectively, of the Student Chapter of NSID. They listed the needed materials and had them purchased with help from Rebekah Chow, Roz Palmer, and Dilys Shiao in the Education Department. The team worked through the weekend, doing prefabrication work. They were in classrooms and in hallways, anywhere they could spread out their materials. They designed, drew, cut out foam core, and created tissue paper collages, all inspired by the vivid multicolored logo.

On the day of the event, they transported the material in a student’s truck. They worked feverishly to install their designs before guests arrived.

The results of their efforts were awesome. The organization founder, Deborah Koenigsberger, was delighted. Comments were heard all evening about the beautiful designs adorning the walls, and hanging from the ceiling.

According to Project Manager Jonathan Cheng, “It’s very rewarding to work for a non-profit, especially one for homeless families. It’s also rewarding to be part of a project for the real world, especially working as a team with fellow students. We had a great flow. Everyone multitasked and was proud of the outcome.”

From Alex Winoker, “I was extremely excited to work with a great organization like Hearts of Gold to help raise awareness and support for homeless mothers and their children in the city. It was great to collaborate with the Interior Design students to create an Installation piece for the opening event of “Thrifty HoG,” whose proceeds will support this charity and also will provide job training for these struggling women. The experience not only gave me a real world opportunity but also allowed me to lend a hand for this wonderful cause.”

Students who participated in the Hearts of Gold project:
Alex Winokur
Jonathan Cheng
Zachary Vitelli
Ryan Fleming
Tamara Belgrave
Lauren Perez
Ronald Guardado
Maritza Hevia
Elif Ozturk
Erlita Berisha
Terressa Maisonet
Angely Alvarez
Chattele Pinelle
Sara Simpson
Sandy Thevenim
Renee Riddick
Brian DiPaolo
Glori Ovalle