BECOME A SPONSOR


By becoming a class Sponsor, your generous contribution covers tuition assistance and program costs for an entire class of students for nearly a decade. A Sponsor can be an individual or a group of individuals willing to secure funding for students and build personal relationships. We welcome the support of corporations, foundations, as well as civic and religious organizations.

Please contact us to learn more about becoming a Sponsor.


Meet our Sponsors


Sponsors from all walks of life have stepped forward to start "I Have A Dream" programs. Here are some of their stories:


jeff_gural.jpgJeff Gural
"I Have A Dream" - Chelsea-Elliott I & II


Jeff Gural, Chairman of Newmark, sponsored the first housing-based "I Have A Dream" program in the nation, and went on to sponsor a second class of Dreamers in the same public housing development.  He also serves as the Board Chair of "I Have A Dream" - New York Metro Area. 

"It is rewarding seeing kids who have made it through college and who have gotten good jobs. There is a satisfaction you get in seeing how their lives turn out, especially seeing them since they were first and second graders and now are grown ups."


harold_friedman.jpgHarold Friedman
"I Have A Dream" - Ravenswood


In 1993, Harold Friedman became a Sponsor of an “I Have A Dream” Program when he decided to sponsor 80 third graders living in the Ravenswood Houses in Long Island City, Queens.

Mr. Friedman has been the CEO of National Elevator Cab & Door Corp., a manufacturer of architectural products to the elevator industry, since 1972.

When Mr. Friedman was in high school, he helped out in his father’s carpet store on Steinway Street in Queens. One of his jobs was to lay carpet or linoleum. He remembers measuring apartments and laying floors at the Ravenswood Houses. This is the reason that Mr. Friedman chose Ravenswood Houses as the community to sponsor his Dreamers.

To achieve improved academic performance among his Dreamers, Mr. Friedman enlisted the support of the Principal of PS 111, the Superintendent of School District 30, and obtained approval from the NYC Board of Education to have the Dreamers assigned to attend PS 76, a magnet school, during their 5th and 6th grade years. Two dedicated classes were established, with two NYC Board of Education teachers and two assistant teachers, who were provided by Mr. Friedman and who were graduates of prior “I Have A Dream” Programs.

In 2004, Mr. Friedman, family, teachers, staff and supporters celebrated the high school graduation of the Ravenswood Dreamers.  In honor of his dedication, commitment and generosity to the Dreamers and families, Mr. Friedman was presented with a plaque by Dreamer Saul Arvelo who said “10 years is a long time to patiently stick to an endeavor. In a few years we hope to show our appreciation for all that he has done and continues to do for the Dreamers and their families, by presenting him with copies of our college degrees.”
     
Currently, sixty Dreamers are attending colleges, universities and vocational programs throughout the city and the country.  One Dreamer is serving in the United States Marines Corps.

On August 12, 2004, Mr. Friedman was given a proclamation by the Mayor’s Office in recognition of his commitment to his Dreamers.  He continues to serve on the Board of Directors of the “I Have A Dream” Foundation – New York Metro Area.  He is actively involved in other worthwhile endeavors including being “Principal For a Day” at IS 104, where most of the Ravenswood Dreamers were students, and at PS 17 in Queens. Since 2004 he has also participated in the Baruch College Executives On Campus program by mentoring students enrolled in the Graduate Business School.

Regarding his experience as a Sponsor, Mr. Friedman says, "I am amazed by the effectiveness of the Sponsor, staff, parent and Dreamer relationship. The combination of trust and long-term perspective build the good will and energy to achieve our goals. Simply put - we are all Dreamers."