Street Corner Resources - Media Hero of the Year

Company: Street Corner Resources, New York City, NY
Company Description: Street Corner Resources (SCR), founded by CEO Ms. Iesha Sekou in 2005, has a mission to help combat gun and gang violence in Harlem, creating a more peaceful and productive community. Street Corner achieves change by offering the community greater access to resources including real employment, education, training, and other supportive services for teens and young adults as they strive for success.
Nomination Category: COVID-19 Response Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Media Hero of the Year

Nomination Title: Iesha Sekou

The organization Street Corner Resources (SCR), founded by CEO Ms. Iesha Sekou, has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic to impact the lives of many New Yorkers. This organization started in 2005 with a mission to help combat gun and gang violence, creating a more peaceful and productive community. Street Corner achieves change by offering the community greater access to resources including real employment, education, training, and other supportive services for teenagers and young adults as they strive for success. Iesha Sekou and the Speak Peace Forward Team (SPF), one of Manhattan’s Cure Violence Programs, plan events for the community to engage in, develop connections with leaders of the community, and utilize these networks to advocate for positive change in Harlem and in all of New York City.

The team has Outreach Workers and Supervisors, Violence Interrupters, and Hospital Responders, always prepared in their matching Speak Peace Forward uniforms, in the office and on the streets. SPF team members work with Harlem Hospital to implement a Hospital Responder program, where victims of traumatic violence are engaged with by SPF responders to reduce the trauma experienced by both the victim and their family and friends. Their mission is to heighten the public’s awareness of gun violence and educate people on the methods they can use to increase their own safety as well as the safety of the community.

Though the organization’s focal work was preventing and interrupting violence, once COVID-19 hit, Street Corner Resources quickly shifted their focus and took on the fight to prevent the spread of the virus in addition to violence. Since COVID-19 and quarantine became a part of our world, SCR has developed a new job opportunity: becoming a member of the Social Distancing Team. Employees now take on the job of distributing free masks and gloves to the community, connecting its members to COVID-19 testing centers, and encouraging everyone to mask up and stay safe. This includes physically taking to the streets to provide resources, even extra cups to help prevent cross contamination by sharing, and encouraging people to maintain a six feet distance from others.

This article along with our social media updates provide evidence of our persistent work in the community. The things we catch on film to share with the world are beautiful and the truth is that the work continues long hours after the cameras turn off. COVID-19 has affected every New Yorker in some way, directly or indirectly. Street Corner Resources engages and provides support through resources for all those in need.