NJ Education Report

BRICK Education Network, the Newark-based charter management organization, partnered with Macy’s and UPS this past weekend to host a Pop-Up Coat Shop in Newark’s South Ward. There, in the midst of a cold pandemic winter, they distributed 1,900 coats to Newark residents. Over 800 people attended the event, which is part of the South Ward Gives Initiative  to help the community during this challenging time.

BRICK sponsored and led the Pop-Up Shop at Achieve Charter School in Newark. Through its partnership with Harlem Children’s Zone, BRICK purchased the coats from Macy’s at a deeply discounted rate, which UPS then delivered to the school.

“The COVID-19 crisis has had a devastating impact throughout the Newark community, but especially in the South Ward,” said Dominique Lee, Founder and CEO of BRICK Education Network. “BRICK was excited to work with our outstanding partners, Macy’s and UPS, to help our friends and neighbors during this difficult time.”

Macy’s set up a pop-up shop in the school to create a positive shopping experience for families looking for a coat, and had 20 volunteers available throughout the event. “Community is at the heart of our team here at Macy’s,” said Sam Di Scipio, Macy’s senior director of corporate communications, giving and volunteerism. “We’re honored to partner with BRICK Education Network and UPS to support the community, especially during this challenging time.”

In addition, approximately 5,000 masks were distributed at the pop-up shop to help South Ward families combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The masks were distributed in conjunction with BRICK’s participation in the Harlem Children’s Zone’s national #StayCoveredTogether campaign. #StayCoveredTogether is a nationwide COVID-19 relief and recovery initiative dedicated to providing personal protective equipment (PPE) to hard-hit communities of color and educating residents about the proper way to wear masks. BRICK is one of a handful of organizations across the nation to participate in this critical campaign. Since the campaign began in September 2020, BRICK has distributed over 50,000 masks toward the goal of delivering 200,000 PPE items to Newark residents by June 2021.