News
April 4, 2019Member Spotlight: Crystal Alesio, President/Founder, Community Miracles in Action
In this week’s member spotlight, we spoke with Crystal Alesio, President/Founder, Community Miracles in Action.
Community Miracles in Action (CMA) is a nonprofit organization located in Cohoes, NY and was founded by Crystal Alesio in March of 2018. CMA was created to provide a safe place for teens to go where they can connect with adults who care, set and achieve goals, all while building relationships with others who have similar interests. Says Alesio, “From the onset of my career I have been on the front-line providing opportunities to youth and families. Even as a young professional, the more youth I met, the more I recognized the level of investment it takes in a young person’s life to set them up for success. Community Miracles in Action came about because I recognized that outside of school, there was nowhere for the youth in my community to go, for free, to have access to the type of programming CMA offers.”
At its launch, CMA started with robotics, DJing, and electronic music production workshops; however, Crystal saw potential for more. Guided by the interest and passion of local teens, CMA Launched Louder Dreams Entertainment.
Louder Dreams Entertainment was launched in November 2018 and provides workshops including lyricism, production, recording, music engineering, licensing, publishing, and live events with the goals of increasing entrepreneurship and professional interpersonal skills. Currently, Crystal works with Kendall Williams aka “Theory”, a music producer/singer/songwriter who is extremely passionate about providing a growth environment for Capital Region teens.
Louder Dreams has expanded rapidly in the first three months of operation. They have a walk-in population of nearly 30 teens a week during drop in programming. CMA also has agencies throughout the capital district that serve youth in care utilizing Louder Dreams Entertainment for club nights and special outings.
Louder Dreams is available to ALL youth grades 6 and up. Research demonstrates that music education can be a powerful tool for improving well-being and academic performance of youth, particularly those from economically disadvantaged background. Louder Dreams is designed to utilize hip-hop music as a medium to combat potentially negative outcomes, while building confidence.
CMA is run entirely by volunteers and funded from corporate sponsorship, grants and special fundraising initiatives. They are always looking for additional sponsorship and volunteers so they can continue to expand programming. Volunteer opportunities include service on the Board of Directors, clerical support, cleaning and maintenance, teen center supervision, assisting with the backpack program, event assistance and grant research/ writing.
Crystal is part of the Capital Region Chamber’s Leadership Tech Valley Class of 2019, a graduate with a degree in Human Services from SUNY Empire State College, holds the New York State School Age Care Credential and serves as a School Age Care Credential Endorser throughout NYS.
When she’s not working, Crystal can be found reading, cooking and going on adventures with her teenage daughter. If she has any extra free time, Crystal enjoys working out at Orange Theory Fitness, kayaking, hiking, live music, and road trips in her Jeep.
Crystal has made a lifelong commitment to creating opportunities for young adults. She realizes as a leader and a professional, investing in our youth is an investment in the future of our communities. Crystal resides in Cohoes with her 14-year-old daughter Jaylynn.
Crystal says she joined the Capital Region Chamber because she knows that running a small business is not a one-person job, especially an organization that invests in underserved populations. “The resources made available to me and my team since joining the Capital Region Chamber have made us more efficient. Whether it’s the Business After Hours networking events or just placing a call to a chamber Ambassador when I reach a dead end, the Chamber team is always ready to invest their time, talent and member resources to make sure that CMA succeeds.”
