Our gratitude cannot be measured, thank you
A message from Howie Sneider, Executive Director, The Steel Yard
Dear Yardie,
You have helped us get through an unprecedented year, with your gifts, encouragement, and friendship. You have found the time and resources to extend your support to the artists and residents at the Yard, and our gratitude cannot be measured.
We wish you a Healthy Holiday and New Year and are asking again for you to remember the impact of your partnership with the Yard.
This is a hard time to serve the community, with competing crises and needs, but the Steel Yard has continued to do so. Leading with our values, finding new strengths.
This past August, students from a local high school literally shed tears of joy to see one another, as they assembled for their first day of socially distanced welding and jewelry classes at The Yard. Just weeks later, we welcomed job trainees for our new workforce training program. Thanks to strong local investments, to create COVID safe public spaces, we had enough contract work to pay three of them as apprentices in our Public Projects department.
Throughout all of this our staff and community continually experimented and iterated, with new programs like Camp Sparkle, welcoming a creative group of LGBTQIA+ youth to embrace their passion for the industrial arts. We added outdoor power to support expanded foundry programs and outdoor courses and we continue to address and improve accessibility issues in the shop.
People and Partnership are the true strengths that emerged from this year of uncertainty and crisis. We paid teachers despite the shut-down and ensured the shop is COVID safe so we are able to host a robust residency program. We held food drives with the Elijah Project, helped people complete the census, supported local BIPOC owned businesses at the Fair-Trade Market, and once again opened our doors as a polling station.
While this year has brought many accomplishments, we find ourselves (like so many others) in need. Your support gives us strength, and we depend on that generosity to help us serve artists and the community. Please send your gift today and help The Steel Yard to make us all stronger!
On Behalf of the Staff, Board, and All of the Yardies,
Thank you and Stay Safe!
HOWIE SNEIDER
Executive Director
The Steel Yard
