People Having Fun at ERDA Merchants Association 1st Annual Block Party 6/18/2011

ERDA organizes Merchant Association to strengthen community, residents, business, and to support job growth in LIC

Storage Deluxe, Member of ERDA Merchants Alliance, serves pop-corn at the Block Party 6/18/2011   (L) Bishop Mitchell Taylor, Founder of ERDA (R) Fritz, WunderbaBar German Grill & Bierhaus   Performance by ERDA's Next Level     Full video coverage and follow up Q&A are available in the left column in 6 segments of approximately three to five minutes each. Greetings by ERDA at 1st Annual Merchant Association Block Party 6/18/2011 Richard Seetram, Property Manager, Storage Delux. Member of ERDA Merchant Association Bishop Mitchell Taylor, Founder of ERDA at 1st Annual Merchant Association Block Party 6/18/2011 Performance at ERDAs 1st Annual Merchant Association Block Party 6/18/2011 High energy dancing at ERDAs 1st Annual Merchant Association Block Party 6/18/2011 Festivities and Dancing at ERDA at 1st Annual Merchant Association Block Party 6/18/2011

Long Island City, New York June 18, 2011 - The East River Development Alliance places another pillar as its foundation by organizing local stores and business owners as part of a new ERDA Merchants Association. The new ERDA Merchants Association, in co-operation with NYC Avenue, Department of Small Business Services, hosted its first Annual Block Party on 11th Stree between 37th and 38th Avenue in LIC on Saturday, June 18th. Companies and merchants participating included Storage Deluxe, WunderBar, Catholic Charities, Friendly Chinese Food, and The Floating Hospital. Fifteen ERDA LIC Merchant members of the Association came out to be with the local community members.  Richard Seetram, Property Manager for Storage Deluxe on 21st says that "The Merchants Association is a group of businesses, small business owners, entrepreneurs, and other businesses from Queens Plaza North and 36th Street, Vernon Blvd, and 37th Street. Businesses and Merchants in that area are trying to get together to see whatcan be done to grow those businesses".  Seetram also say that Storage Deluxe wants "...to give back to the community because they draw quite a few patrons from the Queensbridge and Ravenwood area". Rev. Bishop Taylor says that for the last seven years ERDA has always been an alliance that included businesses.  "This year", he says, "we really made a concentrated effort to organize all of the merchants in our neighborhood. We worked for twelve months to get to know each other, share resources, share ideas which culminated in this wonderful event at the WunderBar. We closed the street.  Twenty-five businesses in the community are celebrating their unity because we believe that we are better together".  He adds that he his really interested in helping people reach their goals, and that ERDA is now working on ways to support entrepreneurship.  Taylor says, "We are helping people open businesses, because we are not going to solve this unemployment problem with just more employment. There is going to be a need for people to start more businesses and put more people to work". Food was served by WunderBar German Grill & Bierhaus, the DJ Al Phonix played great music for all ages to enjoy, and a performance by ERDAs Next Level highlighted the afternoon. OurLIC attended and presents video of the block party, and interviews Bishop Mitchell Taylor, Founder of ERDA, along with merchants and residents as part of this article.  Watch here for HIGHLIGHTS and comments. ___________________________________________________ Founded by Bishop Mitchell Taylor in collaboration with public housing residents, the East River Development Alliance (ERDA) is a community-led and community-based economic development organization in Long Island City dedicated to transforming and improving public housing neighborhoods and providing residents who live there with the tools and resources needed to achieve self-sufficiency and economic mobility. ERDA achieves these goals through employment, financial education and counseling, college access and educational advocacy, public benefits counseling and tenant advocacy, and community economic revitalization initiatives. More information at www.erdalliance.org.   For more information, please contact ERDA 718-784-0877 Storage Deluxe, Member of ERDA Merchants Alliance, serves pop-corn at the Block Party 6/18/2011 (L) Bishop Mitchell Taylor, Founder of ERDA (R) Fritz, WunderbaBar German Grill & Bierhaus Performance by ERDA's Next Level Richard Seetram, Property manager, Storage Deluxe, 39-25 21st Street, Long Island City, Member of ERDA Merchants Association Bishop Mitchell Taylor, Founder of ERDA inside the WunderBar German Grill & Bierhaus, Member of the ERDA Merchants Association, Interview with OurLIC NEWS (L) Miriam Villanueva Constituent Liaison Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer (C) Lydia Green, Liaison Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer (R) Cynthia Davis, Director of Outreach, The Floating Hospital Friendly Chinese Restaunt, Member of ERDA Merchant Association Tony Navarrete, ERDA Project Organizer of Merchants Association with partner Nichole Tienya Smith, Manager, Queens Library At Long Island City (21st Street) nearby the Block Party offers Community Day at the Library The Floating Hospital, a member of the ERDA Merchant Association Signing up at The Floating Hospital, a member of the ERDA Merchant Association April Simpson-Taylor, Queensbridge Old Timers' Committee Nichole, ERDA Project Organizer of Merchants Association with partner Tony Catholic Charities Friendly Chinese Restaunt, Member of ERDA Merchant Association Catholic Charities Catholic Charities Inside WundaBar German Grill & Bierhaus, Member of ERDA Merchant Alliance The Floating Hospital, a member of the ERDA Merchant Association

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