Senate Resolution No. 454

BY: Senator PARKER

HONORING Diane Adlam upon the occasion of her
designation as recipient of the PASEsetter Award by
the Partnership for After School Education on
February 28, 2023

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize that
the quality and character of life in the communities across New York
State are reflective of the concerned and dedicated efforts of those
individuals who would devote themselves to the welfare of the community
and its citizenry; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Diane Adlam upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of the
PASEsetter Award by the Partnership for After School Education at its
30th Anniversary PASEsetter Awards Benefit on Tuesday, February 28,
2023, at Cipriani, New York, New York; and

WHEREAS, Diane Adlam is receiving this prestigious award for her
role as an afterschool educator whose commitment, energy and creativity
has had an indelible impact on the children and youth of New York City;
and

WHEREAS, PASE is a child-focused organization that promotes and
supports quality afterschool programs, particularly those serving young
people from underserved communities; Diane Adlum truly exemplifies this
vital organization's mission of delivering consistent, high-quality
programming to youth and increases their capacity to meet the needs of
their communities; and

WHEREAS, For over three decades, Diane Adlam has strived to give
kids the bright light of hope through her work in the fields of social
work and youth development; and

WHEREAS, As a teenager, Diane Adlam felt at home at the Madison
Square Boys and Girls Club; after graduating from high school, she began
working there and rose through the ranks, eventually becoming the
Program Director; throughout her tenure, she served as a dedicated
mentor and role model to hundreds of kids; and

WHEREAS, After 15 years at the Boys and Girls Club, Diane Adlam
worked as Community Liaison for New York State Senator Kevin S. Parker
and served on the ACS Governing Board of Childcare and Head Start; and

WHEREAS, In 2009, Diane Adlam established her own charity
organization named Giving Tree-Jamaica, which promotes and provides
resources for early childhood education in impoverished areas of
Jamaica; and

WHEREAS, Diane Adlam currently serves as the Program Director for
Woodside House's Cornerstone Community Center in Queens, where she has
been employed for the past 8 years; and

WHEREAS, Throughout her career in the service of youth development
thus far, Diane Adlam has proven time and time again that she will go
above and beyond for the children and families that she serves; after
getting her license in food preparation, she cooks dinner for an average
of 80 kids per day at the Woodside House Cornerstone Community Center;
and

WHEREAS, During the COVID-19 pandemic, Diane Adlam fought to keep
the Center open as a safe place for children to learn on days when they
could not be in their physical classrooms, providing technology,
supervision, and guidance; she went door to door to bring program
supplies and academic workbooks to families to ensure that their
children could continue to learn remotely; and

WHEREAS, Diane Adlam earned her bachelor's degree in Child
Psychology from Brooklyn College, a master's degree in Clinical Social
Work from Fordham University, and a Certificate of Non-Profit
Management from Columbia; and

WHEREAS, In addition to the thousands of children she has helped
nurture, Diane Adlam is the loving and proud mother of two sons, and the
soon-to-be mother of adopted siblings; and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when
individuals of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our
attention, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens
of the great State of New York; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Diane Adlam upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of
the PASEsetter Award by the Partnership for After School Education; and
be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Diane Adlam.