Christy Mansell testifies on Beacon programs as community anchors in Sunset Park
Christy Mansell, Division Director for Center for Family Life in Sunset Park, testifies about operating two Beacon programs since 2003. She calls for funding rates that reflect true costs, stipends for youth interns, and community voice in new Beacon design.
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Good afternoon and thank you Chair Stevens and members of the New York City Council for the opportunity to provide testimony today.
My name is Christy Mansell and I am a Division Director for School-Based Programs for the Center for Family Life in Sunset Park.
I'm here to speak about the critical role that Beacons and Cornerstone programs play in our communities and about the need for the city to protect and adequately fund these models as true community building programs.
I've been working in or overseeing beacon programs for the Center for Family Life since 2003.
We operate two DUI City Beacon programs in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and I believe they are vital resources to our neighborhood.
Our beacon programs are anchors in the community, serving people across age groups and building trust over many years.
Our beacon programs are places where many people find belonging and connection with their community, which combats isolation in these challenging times.
Community members not only learn about and access resources from the Beacon staff, they also become resources for each other, strengthening the fabric of our neighborhood.
The Beacon model allows providers to create unique community spaces that are both reflective of and responsive to the community we serve.
They are welcoming spaces for new New Yorkers, long-time residents, young people, families, and older adults.
They are not solely after-school programs.
From ESL instruction and Know Your Rights workshops to soccer.
leagues, dance troops, and family cooking classes, there is something for every member of the community.
And if there isn't, there is flexibility to create, host, or partner with neighborhood groups to bring new programming to life as new needs emerge.
Our programs are being asked to meet real community needs while operating within funding structures that do not reflect the current cost of the work.
Rates need to reflect what it actually takes to run high-quality, safe, responsive programs today.
This means investing in the workforce that makes this work possible.
The jobs are hard with late nights and weekend hours, and programs are often asked to extend hours, pivot quickly, and respond to urgent community needs.
Staff, the majority who are community members and former participants in the Beacon themselves, rise to those requests, so the city must recognize that what is being asked of these programs and invest resources to support them.
The city should also support the leadership pipeline within Beacons.
Many participants volunteer their time as counselors in training or as youth coaches because the program has been meaningful in their lives and they want to contribute to their community.
That commitment is powerful, but they should not have to work for free.
We should be able to provide stipends for interns and create paid career readiness pathways for young people who want to give back to their communities.
Finally, community voice must be central in any new beacon design process.
Families, participants, and school partners should have a real voice in describing the value of their beacon and shaping its future.
Thank you.