Friends of Mustard Seed Communities will host its 25th annual luncheon benefiting Mustard Seed Communities on Sunday, September 20, 2015, 12:30 pm, at the New York Hilton and Towers, 1335 Avenue of the Americas (Sixth Avenue at 54th Street), New York City. Tickets are $140.00 each and are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law with proceeds benefiting Mustard Seed Communities’ initiatives supporting orphans, children with special needs, families with HIV/AIDS, and other vulnerable persons in the Caribbean, Central America and Africa.

This year’s event honors three individuals for their philanthropic activities and in particular their dedicated support for children in need and community empowerment.

About Honorees

Andrea Bullens

Andrea Bullens, Marketing Professional and community activist will be honored for her relentless support of community causes and specifically for her years of ardent support of Mustard Seed Communities. Andrea has forged a career as a successful marketing and promotion executive. After college she spent several years working with advertising powerhouses like Young and Rubicam, Lockhart & Pettus and companies such as McGraw Hill and Diageo. She left corporate America in 2003, to open her own Marketing and promotion company – BullZii Marketing LLC. This firm creates and executes marketing, publicity, advertising and promotion campaigns particularly for Caribbean-based companies wishing to promote their products and services in North America. Today, BullZii’s client list boasts some of the most known Caribbean brands including LIME (Cable & Wireless), GRACE Foods USA, XOOM.com, Jamaica Biscuit Company, LASCO, West Indian Biscuit Company, Bermudez, Wisynco/Bigga, TRU Juice, Caribbean International Network (CIN TV), Linstead Market Foods, Tastee Cheese, Foska Oats, Spur Tree Spices, National Bakery and more.

A cultural activist, Andrea has been an integral part of several major cultural initiatives. She co-founded and co-produced Caribbean Lifestyle TV which was aired on various cable channels in the New York area and U.S. Virgin Island between 2007-2011 and covered social and political issues, sports, music, theatre, business and entrepreneurship, and community events of interest to the Caribbean and its Diaspora. Since 2011, she has been a Co-Producer and Marketing Director for Groovin’ In The Park Concert, this annual concert has grown to be the largest outdoor concert in Queens, NY, showcasing internationally famous Reggae, Pop and R&B artists to crowds of over 20,000 annually.

Despite her professional schedule, Andrea has been an ardent supporter of many community organizations and initiatives, often leveraging her connections to secure corporate support for many of these organizations. Friends of Mustard Seed is particularly grateful to Andrea for her passionate and consistent support of its efforts and the mission of Mustard Seed communities.

Sabrina Hosang-Jordan

Sabrina Antoinette HoSang is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) Caribbean Food Delights (CFD) and a director of the Vincent HoSang Family Foundation (VHFF). HoSang is an award winning young professional entrepreneur and business strategist who is recognized for her superb leadership ability from the business community and numerous civic and community organizations. Some of her accolades include the 2014 Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business Award, the Caribbean Life 20 Under 40 Award, Rockland Economic Development Corporation (REDC) 40 Under 40 Award, Women of Great Esteem (WGE) Award from Q-Kingdom Ministries, Jamaica’s Consul General’s Award, Community Leadership Award from Jamaica College Old Boy’s Association of NY and the Dynamic Woman Award by Assemblyman Nick Perry. For being a model team builder and motivator, she was inducted as a Business Visionary by Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CACCI). This young business leader not only lends her expertise and time to the VHFF, but also to various community organizations whose mission are geared to individual and community empowerment. She is an active board member of the Lehman College and Rockland Community Foundations and Rockland County’s largest food pantry, People to People.

Louis Carr

Louis Carr is President of Broadcast Media Sales for BET Networks, a unit of Viacom Inc. and the leading provider of entertainment for the African-American audience and consumers of Black culture globally. Mr. Carr is responsible for the strategic plans to generate revenue for BET Networks, the company’s flagship; CENTRIC, their flanker network for a mature audience and BET.com, the largest portal for African-American content online. In 2003, he launched BET’s Black College Tour for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Currently it is the largest Black college tour in the country. Mr. Carr is also President and CEO of TV, LLC which is a real estate company that owns, manages and invests in multi-family apartment buildings in Chicago. He started this company in part to help redevelop inner city neighborhoods in the Chicagoland area. Additionally, he is Chairman of the Louis Carr Internship Foundation which provides paid internships for students of color at some of the leading media and marketing companies. Mr. Carr started this foundation as a personal example of how individuals can contribute to improving diversity in corporate America.

The 25th Annual Benefit Luncheon attendees will be hosted with an array of music and lifestyle entertainment. Performers from Jamaica’s “Powerful Women and Men Perform for Charity” will entertain with a selection from the 2014 edition of its highly acclaimed annual performance. Fashion expert and author, Walter Greene, once again curates a celebration of this year’s fashion must-haves in, A New Wave of Elegance, a showcase of designers from the Caribbean. Other highlights of this year’s event will be a book signing for “Island Reliquaries: Voices From a Jamaican Past” authored by Margaret Reckord -Bernal, and a benefit exhibition of paintings by noted Jamaican artist Michael Escoffery.

Once again there is an outpouring of support for the Mustard Seed Communities in the form of donations for the benefit’s silent auction; in addition this year the organizers are pleased to announce the Friends of Mustard Seed Raffle Grand Prize is a trip for two to Jamaica with three nights at Sandals Resort, donated by Caribbean Airlines and Sandals Resort. The contribution for raffle tickets is $5.00 each and $25.00 for a book of six tickets.

To book your seat at this year’s luncheon contact the benefit chairperson Daphne Mahoney at 212-477-2848. Visit www.mustardseed.com to learn more about the foundation.