thank you for your support!

Youth Communication’s 3rd Annual Spring Benefit
celebrated 45 years of elevating youth voices

Thank you to the YC community for rallying with us on May 15, 2025, for YC’s third annual Spring Benefit. Your support of our mission enables us to provide transformative opportunities for marginalized youth, fostering their voices and social and emotional skills for brighter futures. Due to the generosity of our compassionate friends, we surpassed our goal and raised…

Words can’t fully express our gratitude. Your belief in the power of young people’s voices fuels everything we do. Because of our supporters, we can continue to offer transformative programs that help NYC teens grow as writers, thinkers, and leaders.

To revisit the energy, connection, and joy of the evening, we invite you to browse the photo gallery from the Spring Benefit. It captures the heart of the event and the impact we’re making together.

On behalf of everyone at Youth Communication — and especially the young people whose stories and futures you’re helping to shape — thank you. We are deeply grateful to have you as part of our community.

We’re already looking ahead to next year’s celebration!
we hope you’ll join us once again

Thursday, May 14, 2026
Riverside Church’s Assembly Hall

Youth Communication’s 3rd Annual Spring Benefit honored five important New Yorkers:

Betsy Cohen
Transformational Leadership Award
Youth Communication
Executive Director

Rita Joseph
Youth Ally Award
NYC City Council Member and
City Council Education Chair

Joshua Laub
Education Partner Award
Office of Safety and Youth
Development Director, NYCPS

Shawn Dove
Distinguished Alumni Award  
New Profit Managing Partner

Yousef El Emary
Rising Star Alumni Award  
Citi Wealth Management Analyst

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Arlen Benjamin-Gomez – Nina Link – Vivian Louie – Bis Mekbeb
Leah Modigliani – Lourdes Rosado – Troy Williams

BENEFIT HOST COMMITTEE

Diana Autin & Keith Hefner – Arlen Benjamin-Gomez & Danny Jiminian
Peggy Farber – Betsy Cohen & Geoffrey Greer – Angelina Darrisaw – Anne Herrmann
Maris & Paul Feinstein – Barbara Haws & William Josephson
Julie Jensen – Jen & Steve Kasoff – Nina Link – The Louie Family
Bis Mekbeb – Leah Modigliani & Nicky McGrane – The Ouimette Family
Lourdes Rosado & Jan Boswinkel – Hiroko Tanji & Kenneth Schlapp
Ursula & Buzz Tenny – Amira & Troy Williams

YC STAFF

Lori Rose Benson – Betsy Cohen – Janill Briones-Lopez – Tara DeWorsop  – Hande Erkan  – Kinyanna Evans – Tim Frerick – Janelle Greco – Keith Hefner – Carolina Hidalgo – Samantha Lilienfeld – Joanne Narrido – Cecilia Pou Jove – Virginia Vitzthum

 BENEFIT VOLUNTEERS

Atl Castro Asmussen – Lucy Baptiste – Ericka Francois – Allison Hazel – Rachel Hyatt  –  Jennie Morrison – Phoebe Ye – Gabrielle Pascal – Arham Tajwar – Marlin Xie

SPONSORS & PARTNERS