On May 5th, over 300 guests gathered at the West End House to celebrate our young people’s achievements. Led by emceeJohn Berman, anchor of CNN Early Start and a third-generation “West Ender,” the theme of this year’s celebration was “The Best Me, Builds a BetterUs.”

Throughout the evening, we highlighted how we guide each of our young people to reach their full potential, leading to an even greater impact on the community at large. The event featured two outstanding performances by our teen vocalists and dance troupe, and included a video tribute to honor the legacy of alumna and staff member Dawnn Jaffier, who became an innocent victim of violence last summer. The evening’s most inspiring moment was when our youth speaker, Kristiana, shared her powerful story of how West End House staff gave her the support and strength to
overcome personal challenges and pursue her goals.

“West End House inspires me to keep pushing in my own life to try and make a difference, said Kristiana. “I thank West End House for giving me the resources and support to become the person I am today, and the person I am still becoming.”

Our Annual Celebration raised a record-breaking $450,000, including $115,000 raised that night to match a challenge grant received from President Obama’s Social Innovation Fund via The Boston Foundation for our college persistence program. Special thanks to presenting sponsors New Balance Foundation, Lewis Family Foundation, and Genzyme, as well as our Event Committee, Board, sponsors, and guests for making this event a great success. Click here for more photos from this year’s event.