We Are Newburgh Gives Back to the Community

By Journalist Ms. Jones

NEWBURGH – Have you been seeing “We Are Newburgh” t-shirts and hoodies all around town and on social media? Or a man hustling them out of the trunk of his car? That’s Joe Alvarez, founder and president of We Are Newburgh, a grassroots organization that began in 2013 that focuses on helping the community.

So far Alvarez has sold over 5,000 shirts. Alvarez uses the money to feed hundreds of people, but he doesn’t do it all by himself.

“A lot of our members are so passionate… That’s what I love about our team.… I can’t do it alone,” said Alvarez.

We Are Newburgh is having their Annual Back to School Event on Sunday, August 27 at Downing Park from 11 am to 6 pm. They will be giving away 5,000 backpacks, pencil kits, and calculators. Chef Cutty will be cooking up jerk chicken, curry chicken, stew chicken, hamburgers, and hot dogs. There will be plenty of musical entertainment, including gospel artist Ralph Williams, and rappers Meaty Bone and Coley. There will also be face painting and bouncy houses.

“The backpack drive is because I understand the financial state of Newburgh. If you have three kids and you have to buy three book bags… and the minimum price for a book bag is $24… Then you have to buy calculators, pencils, erasers, sharpeners… Then the school sends you a list to buy paper towels, napkins… Then you have to buy sneakers, pants… shirts… and you are working a minimum wage job… or you are a single-mom… That’s a hefty financial burden,” said Alvarez.

Alvarez understands the struggle all too well.

“If you have to go to school with a Walmart bag with your books in it… it does something to your self-esteem. As a child, we were very poor… I have seven sisters. I was the only male. I had to wear blouses to school sometimes,” said Alvarez.

This year’s sponsors include Fidelis who is donating backpacks, Dreyer Law Firm is donating food, Pepsi is donating beverages, McDonalds is donating iced tea, United Way is donating 300 notebooks, and Planned Parenthood Mid Hudson Valley is donating pens and pencils for the backpacks as well as balloons to give out at the event.

If you would like to donate school supplies to We Are Newburgh for their Annual Back to School Event, they we be accepting donations on Friday, August 25 at the Newburgh Activity Center, “The Rec,” at 401 Washington Street starting at 5 pm. They need binders, folders, loose leaf paper, notebooks, rulers, and crayons. They also need people to assist with cleaning 600 pounds of chicken.

The We Are Newburgh Kickball League keeps the kids off the streets.

“We play every Saturday from 12-3. It is absolutely free for everybody,” said Alvarez. It is for all ages. They play at “The Rec.” Unfortunately, the season is over. However, they will be playing a championship game at the Annual Back to School Event, so bring your sneakers.

Everyone is welcome to play.

“We have We Are Newburgh Kickball League t-shirts which are absolutely free because local businesses sponsor teams,” said Alvarez. Some of the businesses are J&F Pizzeria, Color Cube, and Shapiro’s Furniture.

“I’m just trying to keep a kid from going to prison, keeping them alive… I want them to educate themselves… break the cycle… We didn’t have male role models growing up,” said Alvarez.

Contact We Are Newburgh at www.wearenewburgh.com or their Facebook page for more information about donating, volunteering, and events.