Celebrate 30 Years of Service at Greater Newark Conservancy’s City Bloom Luncheon

For 30 years, Greater Newark Conservancy has provided programs and services that contribute to a cleaner and greener city, better health and nutrition for Newark residents and new opportunities for people returning to the community from the criminal justice system.

You can support the continued good work of the Conservancy, which has earned a 4-star rating for sound fiscal management from Charity Navigator, the nation’s premier charity evaluator, by purchasing tickets for the Conservancy’s City Bloom Luncheon on Thursday, May 11, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at Nanina’s in The Park in Belleville. To reserve tickets online, visit www.citybloom.org/luncheon or call 973.642.4646 for more information.

Keynote Speaker Jeff Hobbs is the New York Times best-selling author of “The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace,” a story about Hobbs’ college roommate, an academic all-star with a bright future that ended all too soon because of his ties to crime and violence in the streets of his hometown of Newark.

Two special honorees will also be recognized at the luncheon benefiting the Conservancy’s Newark Youth Leadership Project (NYLP); Dr. Robert L. Johnson, Dean of Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (www.njms.rutgers.edu/) and Newark’s RBH Group, LLC, represented by founding partner and CEO Ron Beit (www.rbhgrp.com).

NYLP is a year-round program for high school students from Newark and college students from around New Jersey. It emphasizes job training and seeks to improve conditions in the urban community by increasing employability and earning potential. NYLP’s three major goals are development of leadership skills, educational and career enrichment through instruction, tutoring and field trips, and development of employment-related skills.

“Since 1999, programs like NYLP have helped the Conservancy touch the lives of thousands of young adults eager to learn about the environment and urban agriculture, with many continuing their educations at top colleges and universities and finding successful career opportunities,” noted the Conservancy’s Executive Director, Robin Dougherty.

“As we celebrate our 30^th Anniversary this year, we hope the luncheon and our honored guests will bring together longtime supporters and new to help continue Conservancy programs that provide our young people with an education that takes them beyond the conventional classroom.”

For more information about the City Bloom Luncheon, including sponsorship opportunities and the event journal, visit www.citybloom.org/luncheon. You can also visit the site to learn about other programs and services or volunteer opportunities, or follow the Conservancy on social media at Facebook.com/GreaterNewarkConservancy, plus Twitter and Instagram - @Citybloom87.