SUMMER STREETS = SUMMER CAMPS
Make one city, one summer, Endless possibilities bigger please.
● ABOUT SUMMER STREETS
Summer Streets: Where Violence Ends and Community Begins
Just a year ago, West Brighton, Park Hill, Mariners Harbor, Stapleton, and Richmond Terrace were known more for police tape than playgrounds. Staten Island was facing a 129% spike in youth-related violence, and families were afraid to step outside. Gunshots echoed louder than laughter. Parents kept their kids indoors. Trust in safety—and in one another—was unraveling.
Then, Summer Streets happened.
In partnership with the NYPD, Urban Hope NYC shut down entire blocks—not to investigate crimes, but to restore peace. Over the course of eight weeks, we transformed these high-risk zones into Safe Zones—where kids danced in the streets, families gathered for free meals, and neighbors became family.
Helping a Child Grow
Support a Child
The results were nothing short of miraculous:
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Zero shootings in all five neighborhoods during the entire Summer Streets initiative.
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A 90% drop in violent incidents compared to the previous summer.
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NYPD officers on-site not as enforcers—but as coaches, teammates, and mentors.
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Over 3,500 kids and parents engaged in activities from bounce houses to basketball tournaments to VBS-style lessons of faith and purpose.
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Through Jesus Week, we conducted over 1,000 relief outreaches
Stories That Move the Heart
We met Josiah, age 10, who told us this was the first summer he was allowed to ride his bike past his building. “Mom said the street was safe again because you guys were here,” he whispered.
Or Mrs. Rosa, a grandmother from Stapleton, who hadn’t walked her grandkids outside after 6 PM in two years. “Now we have music. We have light. You brought joy back to this block,” she told one of our volunteers with tears in her eyes.
This wasn’t just about recreation—it was restoration.
Families were eating together on the sidewalk. Teens were stepping up as junior volunteers. Local pastors prayed with NYPD officers at every event. And across every location, you could feel it—hope was rising again.
● A SUMMER OF LEARNING, GROWTH, AND ADVENTURE
SUMMER STREET SCHOOL & COMMUNITY OUTREACH
AGES
Our Sumer Street welcomes children ages 5-12 to join in the fun and learning. For younger children (ages 3-5), they may attend with an older sibling to ensure they are properly supervised. Summer Street is designed to foster friendships, build confidence, and introduce kids to the love of God in an engaging way.
DATE & TIME
Summer Street takes place every Tuesday through Thursday from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Each day is filled with enriching activities such as games, crafts, Bible lessons, and fun social interactions. This schedule gives kids the perfect opportunity to learn and make lifelong memories in a structured, safe environment.
DATES & LOCATIONS
Our Summer Streat will be held across various locations in Staten Island. Each neighborhood will host a VBS on the dates below:
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July 12–14: West Brighton
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July 26–28: Stapleton
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August 2–4: Mariners Harbor
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August 9–11: New Hope CC
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August 16–18: Todt Hill
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August 23–25: Park Hill
We aim Summer accessible to families throughout the community, offering kids in different areas the chance to participate in this exciting program.
Why It Matters
Kids who witness violence are twice as likely to struggle in school and three times more likely to experience mental health issues. But when they're surrounded by mentors, joy, and safety? Everything changes.
Summer Streets gave them something no report could measure: a summer filled with freedom, laughter, and belonging.
This is what happens when faith meets action, when communities unite with law enforcement not in opposition, but in shared mission.
We’re not just reducing crime—we’re reviving hearts.
We’re not just making streets safer—we’re making families stronger.
We’re not just running a summer program—we’re rewriting the story of our neighborhoods.
Let’s keep going. Because every child deserves a street they can play on—and a future they can believe in.
