Lehman College President José Luis Cruz was honored for outstanding community service as a KHCC Catalyst at the annual Kingsbridge Heights Community Center Annual Benefit.
The event, emceed by News 12 the Bronx’s Jessica Cunnington, featured cocktails, food, a performance by Darryl McDaniels of Run DMC and a presentation of this year’s honors. In addition to President Cruz’s recognition, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and his family, and the Bronx Opera were celebrated for their service to the greater Bronx community and to the community center.
“Lehman College and the Kingsbridge Heights Community Center have much in common,” President Cruz said. “Our longstanding service and commitment to our communities is one, with Lehman celebrating our 50th anniversary, and KHCC marking its 45th year. We also share a deep appreciation of the power of education and opportunity. For years, KHCC has provided Lehman students with unparalleled learning experiences. Our students, in turn, have helped deliver vital services to KHCC’s clients. We both look forward to many more years of service, in partnership, to the borough we call home.”
The partnership between the City University of New York’s only four-year college in the Bronx and the Kingsbridge Community Center helps Lehman’s impact stretch far beyond the campus borders and provides an education whose benefits are felt across the greater Bronx community. Lehman students frequently serve in various roles at KHCC, bringing their valuable experiences in the classroom with them to serve the greater community. Together, the two institutions collaborate to improve the education and well-being of Bronx residents, working towards a better future.
Serving residents of the Bronx for the past 45 years, the Kingsbridge Heights Community Center provides Early Childhood, After School, Teen Center, College Direction, ESOL, Changing Futures and Special Needs services to promote the education and health across the lifespan. The annual benefit gala raises funds to allow for continuation of the critical programming KHCC provides, supporting over 4,500 youth and their families and helping build a vibrant Bronx community.