ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
April • 2022
Steve Nash’s Off-the-Court Legacy RAYE MOCIOIU
Sport has the power to change the world. Whether on the pitch or the court, sports bring together people from all across the globe around a common goal: the love of the game. That pursuit ignores cultural, religious, and even language barriers, focusing on developing friendships, commonalities, and participation. For South African-born Canadian Steve Nash, sports have proven an effective way to empower change and create opportunities for growth and development—not just for players, either. Founded in 2004 by Nash and his family, the Steve Nash Foundation (SNF) works to assist underserved children in their health, personal development, education, and enjoyment of life. Through a range of programs, the SNF focuses on investing in
research on what children need to grow, learn, and thrive, translating Nash’s legacy of assists to benefit underserved and vulnerable children worldwide. Children are impacted by their environments and experiences before they are even born. Developments in neuroscience have shared that there are many ways that a child’s earliest experiences can positively impact their growth and development as they age, from maternal and parental health to childhood development programs and services. Around the world, child health is an indicator of community health. The SNF brings research and actionable steps to vulnerable communities across the globe, focusing its efforts on attending to the critical needs of children. In doing so, they are changing the trajectories of underserved communities and, thus, changing the world.
STEVE WORKING WITH KIDS AT HENRY STREET © COURTESY OF THE STEVE NASH FOUNDATION
OFF-THE-COURT ASSISTS In 2006, the SNF established its first project, a post-operative pediatric cardiology ward in Paraguay, which treated over 2,000 patients within the first two years. In 2009, the hospital expanded to include a program designed to address mortality rates from cervical cancers in young girls. Since then, the foundation has expanded, taking its impact further and creating programs that support early childhood development science and literacy for both children and parents. “There’s nothing more powerful than watching a child have access to high quality early learning opportunities. There’s not a more worthwhile pursuit, not only for that individual, but for the community.” —Steve Nash
CELEBRATING WITH EDUCARE ARIZONA © COURTESY OF THE STEVE NASH FOUNDATION
THE LOVE OF THE GAME
Nash has made an incredible impact both on and off the court. The two-time NBA VIP was one of only ten players to win the award in back-to-back years and the first Canadian to do so. True to his passion, Nash ensures that sports play an important role in the foundation, especially when it comes to fundraising efforts. In 2008, NBA stars took to the Lower East Side to kick goals across the pitch instead of shooting hoops on the court. The match brought together soccer professionals and NBA favorites to raise money and awareness for the SNF. Since then, the annual charity
This is the sentiment behind the READy program, which increases diversity, equity, and inclusion through transformative social-emotional learning in public elementary schools. Launched in Brooklyn in 2021, the READy program uses teacher training, curriculum, and supplies to help students build their vocabulary
around feelings, fostering empathy and growth in pre-K to Grade 3 students. READy also offers grants to assist school libraries in increasing the diversity of authors, illustrators, characters, and stories available, with SNF-recommended booklists for readers of all ages. Through READy, the SNF has also worked with the Brooklyn Public Library, establishing a new Let’s Read! Book List and collection of children’s books, working with local teens to create a companion list for high school readers and funding back-toschool kits for local students. To kick off the start of the NBA season, the foundation teamed with Brooklyn-based Bookshop.org to celebrate World Teachers’ Day, filling public school classroom bookshelves around the country through a giveaway to increase the availability of READy-recommended titles. A father of five, Nash knows that fathers play an essential role in their children’s development right from the start. Let’s Talk Dads is the SNF’s collaboration with the TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health, focusing on fathers’ crucial role in supporting their children. Through Let’s Talk Dads, fathers can become
soccer match has become a tradition excitedly awaited by New York’s sports fans, featuring players from all 30 NBA teams (including 14 NBA Champs) and 12 World Cup soccer teams (including five World Cup champions). Though the event has been on hold due to changing health and safety regulations amid the pandemic, the anticipation has been building, and their return to the field will be worth the wait. “Being in a position to not only provide a voice for underserved children, but to put action toward it with an annual event is something I’m really passionate about,” Nash said in 2018.
what Nash calls “our children’s personal neuro-developer” by learning research-based strategies to promote their child’s cognitive development simply by talking and interacting with them. Studies show that at as early as two months old, babies whose dads were more present in day-to-day activities like bathing, changing, and feeding were more socially responsive than babies whose dads participated less. The benefits of fathers being present continue as the babies age, with higher developmental scores recorded by six months old and more resiliency under stress by the age of two. Bringing that science to dads in the community, Let’s Talk Dads provides weekly, small group classes in infant and toddler neurodevelopment for fathers— and soon, these sessions will be available in New York as well. “How empowering the realization that each of us can be our children’s personal neuro-developer, that the sheer quality of our interactions can impact the attitude of inquiry and health of our kids,” Nash said. “The practical application is limitless; as a dad, and as someone invested in early child development, I’m excited to see how far it takes us.”
STEVE NASH FOUNDATION SHOWDOWN © AMANDA WESCOTT
ADVERTORIAL
Guiding New Yorkers Homeward
© PEXLES/ KETUT SUBIYANTO
Tonight, 58,000 New Yorkers will sleep in the City’s shelter system. Two-thirds of those New Yorkers are mothers and children. Homeward NYC provides housing and wraparound services that empower homeless young mothers, LGBTQ+ young people, and older adults to live life forward. By obtaining housing first, homeless persons can find the stability they need to address trauma, build skills, and be active participants in their own care, goal setting, and achievement. The nonprofit began in 1989 with a mixed-age residence. Their Upper West Side site is a transitional family shelter for homeless mothers and children and long-term, affordable housing for low-income and homeless seniors. The relationships formed are rewarding for both seniors and young families. Mixed-age activities improve physical and mental health in older adults. The typical young mother they serve is age 22, with a child aged 23 months. These young women
are just starting adulthood—and doing so as parents. Homeward NYC supports and empowers these young women as individuals, young parents, and heads of household so that they may be successful when they move from shelter to permanent housing. “I went to every session— mommy and baby classes, business classes, CPR training, parenting, resume writing, job fairs… I didn’t want to miss anything,” says Quadriyah, a former resident, when asked about Homeward NYC’s skills-building programs. Like the young mothers the agency serves, LGBTQ+ youth start adulthood having experienced physical and emotional abuse for their gender identity or sexual orientation. Recognizing an unmet need, Homeward NYC opened the City’s f irst LGBTQ+-aff irming supportive housing site in 2011 in West Harlem. Although LGBTQ+ folks are estimated at just seven percent of the total population, an astounding 40 percent of all homeless young
Housing and wraparound services that empower homeless young mothers, LGBTQ youth & seniors to live life forward
adults identify as LGBTQ+. Supportive housing (affordable housing with social work and support services) is vital to ending chronic homelessness. Homeward NYC supportive housing residents must be 18 to 24 when they enter, but the housing is non-time limited. Young adults don’t age out on their 25th birthday, an innovation now considered a best practice in supportive housing. In 2015, the nonprofit opened its second LGBTQ+ housing site, this time in the Bronx. In 2021, they broke ground on a third site that will serve 50 LGBTQ+ young adults. Homeward Central Harlem is scheduled to open in fall 2023. Homeward NYC (formerly known as West End Residences and True Colors Supportive Housing) serves homeless and low-income New Yorkers from all f ive boroughs. In addition to suffering the trauma of homelessness, most of their residents have experienced family violence or rejection. At each site, Homeward NYC provides housing and support
including counseling, case management for residents to access f inancial and health care benefits, connections to community resources, group activities, and basic life skills (today known as “adulting”). These services work to prevent future homelessness through care, resources, and skills-building for housing stability. “We are committed to providing trauma-informed care,” says Jeannette K. Ruffins, Chief Executive Off icer. She adds, “‘trauma-informed care’ simply means we recognize your life experiences affect how you respond to different situations. We know that understanding trauma and learning to recognize your strengths helps young people understand who they are, what they really want, and helps them move forward to set goals and fulfill dreams.” You can learn more about Homeward NYC’s work or make a gift at www.homeward.nyc.
Learn more or make a gift at www.homeward.nyc
