Haley House threw a fundraising party on Saturday, June 1, cordoning off Montgomery Street between Dartmouth and Clarendon Streets for an afternoon of music and dance performances, snacks, a wide array of auction items, children's activities and information and demonstrations of Haley House activities.

The festivities began with a performance by the JP Honks band, followed by introductory remarks and performances by the band JP Honk and Lil Phunk, a youth dance squad that performs at Boston Celtics games, followed by music throughout the afternoon by DJ Troy Anthony of Platinum Music Group, who spun a mix of soul, R & B and jazz classics for the rest of the afternoon.

Haley House urban farm coordinator Anna Pierce-Slive handed out flower and vegetable seedlings and talked to guests about Haley House's farm on Thornton Street near Dudley Square.

Pierce-Slive said that school and neighborhood groups do much of the work at the farm, learning about urban farming as they cultivate the crops. Produce from the farm is used in the soup kitchen and in the café. A few tables away, Elizabeth "Zizzy" Murphy, a Haley House "live-in" worker from Cleveland, had the crowd-pleasing job of dispensing free FoMu ice cream to guests.

Haley House director of development Mary Lou Bozza, approximately 40 400 guests attended, at which the suggested donation was $10.00 for adults with free admission for children. The proceeds were still being tallied at press time, but Bozza said in a follow-up email, "We are hopeful that we hit our goal thanks to the generosity of local businesses who sponsored and donated prizes, food, drinks, etc. and our neighbors who attended."

Bozza added that funds come from a mix of business donors, including Above and Beyond Catering, Kings Bowl America, Union Park Pizza, Suffolk Construction, The Wine Emporium, Metropolis, and many more, the auctions and the suggested donation from guests, which was $10.00 for adults and free for children. Bids in the silent auction, comprising an art auction and an auction featuring a variety of items and experiences, were accepted on-line and in-person.

Artwork to be auctioned off including paintings, serigraphs, sculpture and textiles were on display at the block party, and Haley House staff provided iPads to facilitate on-line bids. A wide array of imaginative auction items included a basket of produce and tour of Haley House farm in Roxbury; a jewelry set from Second Sun Creatives; a gift card and basket from South End Formaggio; a cashmere poncho from Sara Campbell; tickets to an A.R.T theater performance and a gift certificate to Delux Café; an "artsy stay-cation" comprising an overnight stay at Revere Hotel, gift card for the Beehive and passes to the Institute for Contemporary Art.

Proceeds from the event will support Haley House's Soup Kitchen, urban farm, education and training programs, affordable housing, and the re-launch of Haley House Bakery Café in Dudley Square, expected to open this fall.
Among the guests were longtime community activists and colorful personalities Jovita Fontanez, a cofounder of South End Community Health Center who also helped organize Casa Esperanza's Latinas y Niños Center; Chris Cato of Youth Build Boston and the Eagle Eye Institute; and David Kay, a co-founder of One Hood Peace Basketball League.

A long-time South Ender named Robert, whose six-month old black Great Dane puppy, Riley, drew a lot of attention, shared his experiences as human services director at Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA) under legendary director Jorge Hernandez. Robert recalled the renovation of the former church at 85 West Newton Street that was converted to the Jorge Hernandez Cultural Center, now Villa Victoria Center for the Arts, and the efforts of the Broom Brigade, a group of residents concerned about the litter and other effects of a liquor store adjacent to the Blackstone School who cleaned up discarded bottles and other trash around the liquor store daily.

After the event, Bozza wrote, "The block party is always one of the most fun events of the year for the Haley House community. We love seeing so many friends, old and new, gathered together, enjoying each other's company, good food, entertainment, and helping to support our daily work. It's a true team effort!"