Before the holiday season, Councilwoman Rita Joseph hosted a coat drive providing essential warmth to families in need this winter season. With support from NYCares, who collected coats and donations, the coat drive achieved its goal of handing out over 1,000 coats to vulnerable New Yorkers and families. The event was enlivened with a musical guest provided by MLife Music Group.
The Coat Drive kept its word to hand out up to three coats per family. In Rita Joseph’s own words: “a coat is not a luxury.”
Councilwoman Rita Joseph’s commitment to civil advocacy began in her teens. As a young immigrant to the States from Haiti, she created the group Haitian Enforcement Against Racism. At just 19 years old, she organized her first rally to speak out against the “bad blood rule” that barred Haitians from donating blood. Over 150,000 people attended, and the goal was successfully achieved.
Now the city council member for Flatbush, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Kensington, Ditmas Park, and Southern Crown Heights, Joseph’s focus is on improving public schools, fighting for affordable housing, combatting the climate crisis, and achieving real criminal and social justice reform for New Yorkers. Hope For Them & Mike Jean Honoring Councilwomen Rita Joseph for Outstanding Community Work.
“If we invest in children we’ll have a better city, a better country, a better nation.” She said upon receiving her gift.
The event was held on Saturday, December 17, 2022 at the Boys and Girls Club on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, a district Rita Joseph represents. MLife Music Group organized musical entertainment from jazz artist Dave Drake.
“Jazz is such an expression of hope,” Dave Drake says about his work and why it was such a good addition to the coat drive.
MLife founder and CEO Mike Jean regularly partners with organizations and events with philanthropic goals. MLife label, also rooted in civil advocacy, is committed to representing artists with messages that are emotional and uplifting. Previously, the label brought its roster of talent to events like TEDxWaterstreet, the Clinton Foundation Dinner, and Denise Rich’s Cancer Research Gala. For the coat drive, Mike Jean brought along Dave Drake and Joseph Theus as a special guest.
