Celebrating 190 years of helping New York City children, adults, and families find positive paths forward!
March 2021 – March 2022
On March 7, 1831, the Leake & Watts Orphan House opened its doors at the site of longtime partner Trinity Church in lower Manhattan. Over the next century, the orphan house would move uptown near the current-day site of St. John the Divine and then to a 40-acre campus in Yonkers along the Hudson River. Read more about our rich history here.
As society and the city of New York have evolved, so have we. From our earliest experience meeting the needs of children in the most crucial time in their lives, in their greatest moments of need, Rising Ground had grown by our 190th anniversary into a leading nonprofit human services organization with more than 55 programs across New York City. Today, we provide children, adults, and families with the skills and resources to overcome various forms of adversity and find positive paths forward.
Beginning with a kickoff anniversary celebration in March 2021 and culminating in a celebratory Anniversary Gala in March 2022, we hosted a year of special events commemorating 190 years of helping New Yorkers in need. These events celebrated our mission and explored our impact on the lives of New Yorkers since 1831. Our yearlong celebration included a lecture series, the premiere of a video showcasing our rich history, and more. See below more about all we did to celebrate this milestone in our long history of providing hope and opportunity for New York.
Special Events
On March 8, 2021, we launched our yearlong 190th Anniversary celebration with a special virtual kickoff. Watch the video and hear from members of the Rising Ground family at www.RisingGround.org/190kickoff!
Throughout 2021, Rising Ground and Trinity Church co-hosted a series of virtual discussions featuring experts in various fields discussing the history of Rising Ground, our role in the evolution of human services, the social issues we address, and our place in the history of New York City.
Watch videos of these discussions at
www.RisingGround.org/190Discussions!
Please enjoy “190 Years of Hope & Opportunity,” a commemorative video showcasing our rich history from the opening of the Leake & Watts Orphan House in 1831 to the multi-faceted organization providing positive paths forward for more than 25,000 New Yorkers each year. We premiered the video at the Director Guild of America New York Theatre on September 22, 2021. See photos from the premiere here.
Learn More
To learn more about sponsorship and partnership opportunities or for more information about any of our 190th Anniversary activities, please contact H. Aldervan Daly, Executive Vice President for Institutional Advancement at ADaly@RisingGround.org or 212-602-5847.