The foundation upon which New York City was built contains a vast amount of intersections of different communities and credences, all contributing in the spirit of mutual aid. While the COVID-19 pandemic has strained that foundation more than ever before, it allows those very ideals to shine as bright as ever.

These ideals were in full display in July. The Cosmos, alongside their supporters - including local artists, teachers, musicians, and psychologists - aided in a two weekend beautification project with their partner, the Coney Island Lighthouse Mission. Led by Reverend Vincent Fusco, The Mission was founded in 2000 and to aid any and all members of the Coney Island community experiencing food insecurity. Currently the largest food provider in the area, Reverend Fusco says the need for aid for the Mission is greater now than ever.

“We served over 3,000 individuals a week before the pandemic, and now we serve an excess of 5,000 a week,” said Reverend Fusco. “There’s been a substantial increase in food insecurity in our community, which we’ve tried to cope with through our volunteers and social distancing. We have a large, diverse community here in Coney Island - and 30% of the people we serve are children and young adults.”

The Cosmos were first connected with The Mission through the Alliance for Coney Island in 2017, and - through supporter and club led events alike - have built up their partnership with the mission since.  There was no better display of that relationship and the diverse nature of the club’s supporters network than July - where two unique days of mutual aid and community support shone through in their own way.

(Photo credit: Dylan Rubin / Stori Group)

On Day One, leaders of Brigada 71, The Glitter Goddess Collective, and other support groups joined members of the Cosmos in cleaning the lot adjacent to the mission. Two hours of group effort saw rubble and trash cleared, the metal grate cleaned, and old paint peeled. A newcomer to the club, Vincenzo Candela, stood side by side with supporters and staff alike in the efforts - a choice he didn’t think twice about.

“I always enjoy giving back to the community that I am a part of,” said Candela. “It’s especially important after all that has happened in Coney Island this year. If you’re healthy and able, you should try to lend a helping hand to those who are less fortunate.”

“When the supporters sent around an invitation to pitch in, I wanted to meet them and support their efforts,” added Candela. “I loved meeting them - a few have helped my girlfriend and I settle into our move here from Charleston. They’re all genuine, kind people and I’ve been overwhelmed by their support of the New York community.”

The efforts of Day One in this project to beautify the mission and invest in the Coney Island community were not only essential in and of itself - but directly paved the way for Day Two.

(Photo credit: Dylan Rubin / Stori Group)

The following weekend, the impact on the Coney Island community went beyond the cement walls that corner the Mission. Led by The Glitter Goddesses and famed New York City artist Marco Santini, 2114 Mermaid Avenue became a hub for creativity, art, and freedom to flow for the children that have lost their after school program due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Founded in 2014, The Glitter Goddesses are a community of artists, educators, therapists, and healers whose self-described mission is “exploring the intersections of learning, play, liberation and social, emotional, spiritual growth."

“Any time we hear of an opportunity to get involved, especially with children - we are there,” said Genevieve Marino, a music teacher in the Bronx. “Seeing an opportunity to get children in Coney Island involved and expressing themselves through art, we wanted to volunteer our services and ideas. It’s funny that this intersects with the Cosmos, but the connection is so natural. There’s a clear link between team sport - connecting and working on one’s craft - and art, music, and movement.”

The Goddesses used their expertise to guide the children to express themselves through art, music, and mindfulness. By painting rocks for the garden next to The Mission that serves them, the children of Coney Island not only were able to express themselves, but make an impact by aesthetically giving back to the organization that aids them year round.

Beyond the children themselves, the Goddesses involvement represented a one of a kind intersection of sport, fan culture, art, and mindfulness. Not only was investing into the community through sport and art important, says collective member Aline Kovacs, but the relationship on display was of equal importance.

“There’s a dynamic relationship between soccer clubs and communities where volunteer work and community outreach is prevalent,” said Kovac, a social worker. “To see this in New York City is awesome - as artists and educators, the Glitter Goddesses are always interested in contributing to these relationships. It was amazing to see the intersection of so many different types of creatives and individuals who solely want to help and do good and bring people together.”

(Photo credit: Dylan Rubin / Stori Group)

Alongside the collective stood Marco Santini, a New York City artist who took an unconventional route to his current role. A classmate of Alecko Eskandarian during high school, Santini was a star wide-receiver before tearing his hamstring - leading him to begin dabbling in art as a form of expression. Santini’s road is littered with sports later in life as well, working two Olympic Games - reporting from Turin 2006 and doing Corporate Events for NBC during Beijing 2008. Detours in marketing and branding came before Santini went all in on art in 2016 - capitalizing on the popularity of his wedding portraits and their expression of love as “the intersection of reality and one’s craziest dreams."

However, Santini found his life’s purpose in 2018 - to be a “Conscious Creative” and spreading a message of love, positivity, and wider unity through his work. His One Love series of stickers and murals has driven his work in recent years, showing that - “We are all different, we are all the same - and that’s beautiful.”

Santini and his message were on full display on Day Two, as he painted a brand new mural on the metal grate of The Mission. Beyond giving the mission a mural that looks nice, Santini wanted to make sure those that the mission served were represented as well.

“With all of my murals, I try to represent the community with it,” said Santini. “The languages I use, the words of positivity are important. I’ve talked to people at the Mission and done research into what languages are spoken in the area so they can be included. I wanted to create something colorful and dynamic, yet approachable. You walk down the street with a lot of tan and brown and grey, but I want a bright burst of color to greet and excite people not only with colors but the message itself - unity, diversify and love.”

The mural not only represented a full circle for Santini’s personal involvement in sports, he has some historical ties to the club he reconnected with for this project.

“The first soccer team I probably ever heard of was the Cosmos,” said Santini. “My dad had a Cosmos Pelé jersey growing up, and my best friend had a massive Pelé poster in his room. It was amazing to get back into the sports world through the Cosmos - they’ve been awesome in this process.”

With athletes and artists alike pitching in, the Coney Island Lighthouse Mission beautification project was completed. With the first of many community aid projects completed, the club is grateful to The Mission for their service to the Coney Island community.

“The Coney Island Lighthouse Mission does essential work for the community,” said Cosmos COO, Erik Stover. “New York has been hit hard by the virus which has made The Mission even more important as food banks and community centers have closed. We’re proud to have supported this event. The Cosmos care about New York City, and we hope this beautification project brings more attention to The Mission’s efforts.”