Chatpati Mela,

About the event

    The Chatpati Mela is an annual street festival that showcases the vibrant talents and food of the South Asian community in our city.  The event attracts around 2,000 community members and we reach an additional 20,000 individuals throughout New York City through our media outreach.  The event includes cultural performances, authentic South Asian food, and numerous booths that highlights the communities’ vibrant strengths, such as local henna artists, children’s activities, ethnic fashions, and much more. We also ensure that our services are highlighted and the issues that we are advocating for in our communities. This event is attended by people of all ages. We mostly see South Asian families and lots of teenagers cheering on their friends who are performing. 

This is a special year for us as we celebrate our 15^th year anniversary; that is 15 years of providing comprehensive community development services to low-moderate income immigrant New Yorkers. Being one of the fastest growing immigrant populations in our city, our events capture the diversity of the South Asian community and provides the space for celebrating their achievements. We invite our corporate, non-profit, and local small business partners to take part in this exchange where our community can become acquainted with the services that are available to them in their communities. This is an excellent opportunity to tap into the emerging new immigrant population of New York and establish the relationships that will foster economically stable, sustainable and thriving communities. Your commitment will be highlighted during the event and also at our “Architects of Change” Annual Reception, which brings together the who’s who of the South Asian community in New York and is a prominent venue for our sponsors to deepen their relationship with our community in a meaningful way.   

Chhaya CDC was founded in the year 2000 by a group of community development leaders advocating for the housing needs of New York City’s South Asian community. The South Asian community is one of the fastest growing immigrant populations in the city. They face numerous challenges ranging from a lack of affordable housing, unemployment and underemployment, language barriers, and face discrimination and legal hurdles that prevent them from fully participating in civic life.

Our mission is to work with New Yorkers of South Asian origin to advocate for and build economically stable, sustainable, and thriving communities. Chhaya carries out its mission by providing free direct services that include housing counseling, employment readiness workshops, community organizing, research and policy, as well as both local and citywide coalition-building. Our work is able to impact a range of positive social outcomes that includes higher civic engagement, community pride and ownership, as well as the mental health and well-being of the South Asian population. Since its founding, we have served thousands of individuals throughout the five boroughs of New York City and helped them become active citizens in their communities. Through our programs in civic engagement, housing, and economic development, Chhaya aims to develop a framework that will achieve long-term stability for our clients, giving them the tools and resources that will enable them to create positive and lasting change in their lives.  

    We sincerely hope that you will provide us with your critical support in celebrating not only our own accomplishments, but also the achievements, strengths, and talents of our community members, and addressing the issues that most deeply affect them in our events this year. 

    Our  work has been prominently highlighted in both local and national media outlets such as the New York Times and the Times Ledger. Our outreach activities reach an estimated 4,000 South Asian New Yorkers, and an additional 100,000 New Yorkers throughout the city. Some of our program accomplishments in the last year alone have been:

·         Assisting 40 first time homebuyers in the purchase of their homes;

·         Prevented over 30 foreclosures for homeowners who were at risk of losing their homes and livelihood.

·         Placing 20 percent of career advisement clients in living wage jobs;

·         Launching the first Peer Lending Circles in New York City with $16,000 loan volume generated with zero default rates helping build credit for low-income families.

·         Running a women’s empowerment program, called “Saathi”  with 32 enrollees;

·         Organizing more than 135 tenants through building-wide organizing and in housing court, as well as assisted 33 low-to-moderate income tenants with eviction prevention and repair advocacy.

·         Registering 170 new South Asian voters and reached 4,000 through our Get-Out-the-Vote Work

·         Gaining 30 organizational endorsements from housing advocated, government agencies and community groups for our Basements are Safe for Everyone Campaign.

·         Holding Annual Chatpati Mela which celebrates South Asian Arts and Activism; attracting more than 1,500 community members. 

Here's a short clip of our last year's Chatpati Mela : https://vimeo.com/48406525

Why should you sponsor?

Aniqa Nawabi

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