Gracie Cedres, President and Chair of G.R.A.C.E. Inc., appeared on 102.6 The Situation Radio January 17, 2022

On Tuesday, January 18th at 8:30AM EST on 102.6 “The Situation” Gracie Cedres was the special guest that graced the airwaves. Gracie is an entrepreneur focused on community engagement and development, and she is also one of the winners from @earnyourleisure Pitch, Hustle, and Grow competition for EYL learners. She discussed her transition into entrepreneurship, and the development and mission of G.R.A.C.E (Granting Resources And Community Enrichment) Inc. To hear more, tune in to www.1026thesituation.com. To stay connected, follow @harlemsgrace on all social media platforms. 

One of the iniatives of G.R.A.C.E Inc., was a clothing and footwear drive to benefit families of Grenada. The objective became imperative to provide the working class men with the proper equipment; as they were working in hazardous conditions. There efforts not only serviced internationally but locally as well providing for those in need in Brooklyn and The Bronx.

This was all made possible by wanting to assist others and the outpour of support was tremendous. The Harlem Self Storage allowing their space to be utilized as the drop off location was a great gesture in itself. Pooling resources together, spreading awareness and showing humanity to make the change you want to see and community better was accomplished.

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2nd Annual Kick Back Against Bullying sneaker drive November 8, 2018

What measures success? Accomplishing a task in a said time frame that exceed your expectations or is it the mere notion of putting action behind a vision. It is indeed both parts. The simple thoughtful act was executed with a well thought out strategy. In result, it benefited others, involved the community as we came together to tackle the issue of a common issue at hand. This past Saturday, November 3, 2018 the foundation of iSmileForAngele hosted its 2nd Annual Kick Back Against Bullying sneaker drive at Bakery HNY (1457 Amsterdam Avenue).

During the span of 10 days with donations from the community and sponsors we were able to collect over 400 pairs of footwear to allocate to local Harlem shelters. This feat measures SUCCESS as the mission was to service children within our communities and school system who maybe homeless or living in shelters.

As we provide new or gently used sneakers and socks in order to prevent bullying. The reassurance of confidence starts within our children knowing they are important and valued. It is important to recognize people in need as small gestures and consideration goes a long way. Papa John’s provided pizza for children in attendance. They are very active in activities and causes geared towards the betterment of the community.

Finishoes were the perfect match to bring on board as the aesthetic encourages individuality and the brand is an advocate of no bullying which is the mission of the sneaker drive. Finishoes is a versatile shoe that can be transformed into a total of 6 customized styles via attachable zippers. Finishoes can be purchased at https://www.finishoes.com and 10% of sales are donated to ‘no bully’ to support the fight against bullying around the world.

The simple idea that demonstrated acts of selflessness, giving back to those in need withthe main objective being inclusion was accomplished. This achievement would not have been victorious without every single person who found it in their heart to donate, the organizers and all of our sponsors.

Special thank you to Finishoes – Dami Adepoju, Robert Rose, Papa John’s (1709 Amsterdam Avenue), Timberland, Gracie Cedres (CEO/Founder of G.R.A.C.E – Granting Resources And Community Enrichment) non-profit, Latoya Wyman of (Divine Elegance Designs) and the owner of Bakery HNY Cheo for being apart of a vision that assists parents as well as children in the Harlem community.

Flashback to Year One. Every year we will continue to get better!

1st Annual Kick Back Against Bullying Sneaker Drive October 3, 2017

The Mayor of NYC Bill Blasio awarded the #iSmileForAngele campaign efforts in the 1st Annual Kick Back Against Bullying Sneaker Drive during Suicide Prevention Month.

Hiiii splashy readers this weekend was nothing short of AMAZING! On Saturday September 30th at Bakery HNY sneaker store [1457 Amsterdam Avenue] the #iSmileForAngele 1st Annual Kick Back Against Bullying Sneaker Drive was held. The mission of the event was to service children within our communities and school system who maybe homeless or living in shelters by providing new or gently used sneakers as we fight to prevent bullying. The reassurance of confidence starts within our children knowing they are important and valued.

Bakery HNY

Donated kicks

Donated kicks

I am excited to type 325 sneakers were allocated to 3 shelters in Harlem. Upon delivering the donated sneakers I learned that many families were displaced due to a huge fire over the weekend. That made me feel good knowing that families will benefit from all of the contributions. The day was filled with laughs, support and most of all love. I grew up in Harlem and my mother has always instilled that helping others in need is a blessing as you are so fortunate in life. Every donated sneaker was accompanied with an inspirational note to reassurance the recipient that you are worthy and you will rise from your present circumstance.

My support system entrepreneurs Gracie and Latoya.

Everyone came together from a simple idea that was executed by teamwork. I am still in awe and glad that I can be of assistance in any way possible. If you have a goal, write it down, build a team and DO IT! I could not have completed my mission without the help of Gracie Cedres, Latoya Wyman, Kathleen Delva and Cheo owner of Bakery HNY; they all were key component parts alongside every single person who donated their new/gently used sneakers and new socks!

Cheo and Kathleen posing in Bakery HNY sneaker store with some of the donated kicks from the event.

It was a great day at the start of the event it drizzled a little bit however, the love of giving back outweighed the rain with sunshine. The day was beautiful as kid’s joined and learned the importance of helping others in need. Papa John’s pizza was sponsored by Indie Brokers and it was nice to see children interacting with adults playing charades.

Overall, the event was a success and it just goes to show how a simple idea can take off with support from your community. The donations will allievate parents, bring smiles to children’s face and make the donators feel impactful that their contribution helped. I will continue to team up with other driven entrepreneurs to ensure we do our part in seeing that there is change with gestures, education and fun in the community.