Further enhancing the company’s mission of transforming communities
The Zara Charitable Foundation was established in 2020 with the aim of giving back to the communities in which we operate. The foundation aims to further advance Zara’s mission of positively transforming local communities by supporting charitable organizations and events that benefit community residents in crucial areas such as emergency aid, healthcare, and education. Our work includes providing relief to victims of a multi-building fire in Richmond Hill, donating a $42,000 student counseling center to York Early College Academy in Jamaica, NY, and supporting local organizations such as The Showing Hearts Foundation, dedicated to uplifting the underprivileged, and more.
The Zara Charitable Foundation is tax-exempt (status pending) under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code EIN 85-1044871
Better facilities for ‘tech’ students as GTI gets new $200M building
As Guyana’s economy transforms, there is a greater demand for workers with technical skills and the Government Technical Institute (GTI) is now better equipped to continue responding to this demand with a new $200 million state-of-the-art building.
The facility, named the Ken Subraj- Zara Technical Centre, was constructed through a public- private partnership between the government and the New York-based philanthropist Ken Subraj.
The facility costs $200 million. The Ministry of Education contributed $20 million while Mr. Subraj, a GTI alumnus, contributed a $180 million sum.
New report highlights food insecurity in Queens
According to a new report by the Zara Charitable Foundation, 25% of families in Queens lack reliable access to nutritious food.
“I think it’s no secret that food inflation is a serious threat that a lot of our local communities are facing. We see it firsthand,” said Amir Sobhraj, a board member of the Zara Charitable Foundation.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 10% of children nationwide face food insecurity. In Queens, that rate is double.
“We know that the need is unbelievable. Children are the first ones to suffer. Second ones are the seniors and young families,” said Pedro Rodriguez, the executive director of La Jornada Food Pantry.
The organization distributes food daily at different locations around Queens.
“It’s incredible how inflation has destroyed, you know, so many households,” Rodriguez said.
According to the new report, more Americans are facing food vulnerabilities over the last few months since federal pandemic-era food relief programs ended.
Families who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits saw a reduction at the start of the year. Meanwhile, nonprofits are also feeling the impact.
“The food that is available to be given out has been cut. You know, quarter. So we right now, we are giving out 25% of what we used to have during the pandemic,” Rodriguez said.
New Yorkers in need of assistance can visit foodhelp.nyc.gov for information on food pantries around the five boroughs.
Zara Charitable Foundation, Mannan Supermarkets launch program to fight food insecurity
To combat food insecurity among children, Zara Charitable Foundation announced a new 12-month food program for families in Queens. Mannan Supermarkets will distribute food donations to families the Gaton Foundation serves.
“Food prices are increasing at the same time inflation is eating away at the value of money at the same time, food benefits are vanishing, making it three times more expensive for families to afford to eat healthily,” said Mahinur Rahman of Mannan Supermarket. “When Zara suggested we work together to secure fresh, culturally relevant food to help people make ends meet, we were proud to supply the need.” This announcement comes after the federal cuts made to nutrition
programs–mainly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).
The U.S. Department of Agriculture states that 432,960 children in New York City face food insecurity, a higher rate of which are families of color. According to Feeding America, one in five children in Queens face food insecurities. The program had started on March 1 and caters to over 200 families through Richmond Hill High School. These families can receive foods such as lentils, roti, tortillas, rice and more.
“Many families are struggling to put food on the table and after both SNAP and WIC resources got reduced, we knew how important it was to step up and help hardworking families maintain access to fresh, nutritious food,” said Tony Subraj of Zara Charitable Foundation. The two organizations will keep the program active seven days a week in its 12-month plan, with volunteers distributing food to families’ doorsteps.
South Queens assemblywoman hosts turkey giveaway at Woodhaven office
Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, in partnership with the Zara Charitable Foundation, distributed more than 180 turkeys to residents at her district office in Woodhaven on Friday, Nov. 18.
Residents were lined up outside of Rajkumar’s office, located at 83-91 Woodhaven Blvd., to receive a free turkey for Thanksgiving.
Rajkumar organized the event after the cost of Thanksgiving dinner reached a record high this year. With an overall inflation rate of 8%, Rajkumar and the Zara Charitable Foundation refused to allow deserving families to go without a turkey feast this holiday.
Taking a free eye clinic to Moruca
Residents came out from all corners of the sub-region in Region One (Barima/Waini) to access the services which they’d otherwise have to spend thousands of dollars for. For a simple eye test, for example, residents would have to spend money beyond their means on just transportation alone.
Having the service come to their own community, therefore, was a welcomed relief, and the number of persons who turned up was so great that many felt the work couldn’t be completed in just one day.
Like The Movie “The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind”? Here Are 100 Things You Need To Leave A Lasting Legacy With A Social Impact Cause In Real Life
Becoming a successful team requires more than just seeing and swinging at the ball. There are 5 foundational principles upon which to build an effective organization to make a lasting impact. They include:
Values & Vision — At Zara Charitable Foundation, we value happiness, and our vision is to fulfill a moral responsibility through quality service.
Strong, Talented Teams — There was no room for laziness in our farming family and that attitude translates into our belief in recruiting strong, talented teams whose efforts will convert this vision into action, guided by our core values.
Continuous Planning to Stay Prepared — Every detail matters. Every scenario must be thought through. At Zara, we “Focus” on relentlessly planning our goals and staying “Hands On” in executing operations to achieve key results.
Prevention is Better Than the Cure — Discipline and determination are huge factors in staying ahead of problems.
User Friendly — Always be kind. People remember how you make them feel. Treat others how you like to be respected and the universe will reward that positive energy. – Jay Sobhraj
Jay Sobhraj Of Zara Realty On How To Leave A Lasting Legacy With A Successful & Effective Nonprofit Organization
Interview with Jay Sobraj for Authority Magazine.
Great article for someone who wants to set aside money to establish a Philanthropic Foundation or Fund, what does it take to make sure your resources are being impactful and truly effective?
In this interview series, called “How To Create Philanthropy That Leaves a Lasting Legacy” we are visiting with founders of Philanthropic Foundations, Charitable Organizations, and Non Profit Organizations, to talk about the steps they took to create sustainable success.
Backpack Giveaway Event
Earlier in the week, we donated 300 backpacks and school supplies to The Children’s Church of Tabernacle of Emmanuel Full Gospel Assemblies. Yesterday, we stopped by to help out with the distribution of these backpacks and school supplies. The best part of this event was talking to the children and their parents and hearing about the impact that this little gesture has had on them. The church continues to be grateful for our donation, as we are grateful for the opportunity to help. We both expressed our mutual desire to work together on future projects. Mayor Bill DeBlasio also sent his well-wishes and, through his representative, presented us with recognition awards. We are appreciative and are humbled by these awards. The Zara Charitable Foundation thanks everyone involved in making this event a success and takes this opportunity to double down on our pledge to give back to the communities within which we operate.
New guidance suite at the York Early College Academy in Jamaica
We spent $42,000 to create a new guidance suite at the York Early College Academy in Jamaica. We have also pledged to provide three students with $1000 per year scholarships. The suite will enable students to seek mental health resources confidentially—previously, students had to seek services in classrooms filled with peers. The new office space will also host peer mediation sessions where kids will learn how to resolve conflicts and de-escalate crises through cooperation and communication.
Safety First
We are continuing in our efforts to protect our resident community as best we can. Last Thursday and Friday, we distributed 7300 high quality medical masks to all of our residents. With this small gesture, we hope that we can make it a bit easier for our residents to stay out of harm’s way during this Covid-19 pandemic. Please wear your masks in all public spaces where social distancing isn’t possible, as is recommended by Governor Cuomo’s edict. Please also continue to follow all guidelines by our health experts. If you are part of our resident community and have not received a mask, please reach out to your building superintendent as soon as possible. In addition to this donation, we continue in our aggressive campaign to sanitize our buildings, by regularly disinfecting common areas such as lobbies and hallways, paying special attention to high touch surfaces such as doorknobs and elevator buttons. Please continue to stay safe.
Thanking Our Health Care Workers
Thank you to all our health care workers! We stopped by @jamaicahospital with 3000 masks and 300 cookies, and Elmhurst Hospital Center with another 3000 masks and 300 cookies to show our solidarity with the brave men and women who are so selflessly taking care of the ill in our communities at this time. Special thanks to @chipnewyorkcity for their participation
A Specials Thanks to Our Front-Line Heroes
We cannot help but admire the courage and dedication of our local front-line heroes. We hope that our little gesture made a small but positive impact in your lives. Thank you! ❤️ .
Flashback Friday- Remembering Ramadan Celebrations
On this Flashback Friday, we remember last Friday, May 22nd (the last Friday night of Ramadan), when we partnered with the Jamaica Muslim Center to hand out 300 iftar meals to our muslim friends and neighbors in our community. Swipe to the end for some words from two of Zara Realty’s principals. #fbf #ramadan #muslim #islam #eid #zararealty #zaraluxuryapartmentsandhomes
Masks Giveaway
We received a ton of positive feedback from our residents regarding all the masks we delivered to their doors. So, we decided to do it again. We gave away another 7500 masks to our resident community. If you are a Zara tenant and have not received a mask, please reach out to your building superintendent and masks will be provided to you and your family
PPP Donation
We continue on our mission to donate personal protective equipment to local schools in our neighborhood.
Shiloh Baptist Church
Record turnout at Shiloh Baptist Church for I Daneek Miller’s Turkey Giveaway event. Zara Realty is a proud sponsor.
Turkey Giveaway
This week, we distributed over 300 turkeys to our residents, directly to their doors. We appreciate you ♥️
Holiday Gift Cards
We also distributed 200 gift cards, worth $25 each, to residents to purchase much needed groceries this holiday season.
Catholic Charities Christmas Toy Drive
The Zara Realty Charitable Foundation will be donating 200 toys to Catholic Charities’ Toy Drive For Families In Need. Stay tuned for more updates!
#zrcf #zararealty #zaraluxuryapartments #catholiccharities #queensny #holidayseason #toys
Coalition Kids Holiday Float and Community Giveaway
Yesterday, we donated over 200 toys to The Coalition Kids Holiday Float and Community Giveaway. Thank you for the opportunity to participate. Happy Holidays🎄and stay safe!
Zara Holiday Toy Giveaway
With the Covid-19 pandemic and economic downturn, 2020 has been a tough year for all of us. We feel your pain, and understand your hardship. We continue to be here for you, no matter your circumstance. We’d like to take this opportunity to extend our sincerest gratitude to you and your family for being part of the Zara Family. We wish you and your family a happy and safe holiday season.
Laptop Donation
On Thursday December 10 2020, a six-alarm fire destroyed six buildings in Richmond Hill, Queens New York. Yesterday, The Zara Realty Charitable Foundation together with the @georgesubrajfamilyfoundation donated 13 Chromebook laptops to the children and family of those affected. With remote learning required during the pandemic, this donation will ensure they do not fall behind in their schoolwork.
York Early College Academy Scholarship
The Zara Charitable Foundation recently awarded two $1000 scholarships to Alicia Majid and Lorraine Benn, two graduating seniors at York Early College Academy in Jamaica Queens. Lorraine wants to become a doctor and Alicia wants to have a career in public service. Both students graduated with an A average. The Foundation donated a $42,000 student counseling center to the academy last year.
