Harlem: Cathedral of St. John the Divine

New York City

2018 - Present

Advisory Board Member,

A.C.T., Cathedral of St. John the Divine

As a Board Member, I supported the A.C.T. program of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, in developing stronger connections with the community and co-creating community events which achieved over 1,000 attendees.

The Challenge: Increasing Community Presence

Alongside the Executive Director, Dr. Gowers, and Advisory Board, we boldly redefined what ACT meant to the Harlem community. We wanted to find a way for the Harlem to community to know that ACT was there to be a support system to families. While Dr. Gowers increased the impact of youth programming, the board focused on expanding our reach.

Outcome(s)

  • Addition of community-strengthening events

    • Carnival in the Cathedral: Transformed the cathedral into a carnival space with bounce houses, face-painting, clowns, and educational mini-workshops

    • Rollerskating in the Cathedral: Seized the holiday spirit by adding an indoor ice-skating rink

    • Family Movie Night: On the cathedral lawn, we featured family-themed movies on a 25-foot screen

    • Average Event Attendees: 500-1,500

Errol OltonComment