Volunteers Beautify Children’s Center in West Harlem

More than 40 Columbia University and Lend Lease volunteers spent a day at the Graham Windham Manhattanville Cornerstone After-School Center in West Harlem painting rooms, installing tiles and cleaning entranceways.  Their effort was part of Lend Leases’s annual Community Day, held on October 17.

Volunteers worked in shifts to refresh the Graham Windham Center, including scraping, patching and repainting the entrance ramp, painting the entrance bench and wall, cleaning and painting the weight room, installing tiles and touch-up painting in the music room, and painting the kitchen, computer room hallways and director’s office.

Through a variety of supportive, educational and recreational opportunities, the Graham Windham Manhattanville Cornerstone After-School Center provides children in the community with a safe, structured and fulfilling environment to spend time after the school day ends.  The center offers educational services such as homework help, Regents prep and SAT tutoring within a facility that also features a diverse set of activities including a large gym, a stage, two computer rooms, a weight room and a kitchen.

“Columbia is proud to join Lend Lease in supporting the local community and giving the Graham Windham Manhattanville Cornerstone After-School Center a physical touch-up to match the strength of services that it provides to neighborhood children each day,” said Philip Pitruzzello, vice president of Manhattanville Development at Columbia University.  “Community Day is one of many ways that we join together with the community.”

“At Lend Lease, we believe that it’s our responsibility to deliver environmental, social, and economic value wherever we operate,” said Steven Sommer, Principal-in-Charge.  “Community Day’s purpose is for Lend Lease to establish lasting partnerships with the local communities in which we have a presence.”

For the last six years, Lend Lease has worked with Columbia to help sustain, beautify, and restore sites in West Harlem as part of Community  Day.

This article originally appeared on the Columbia Manhattanville website.