Career
The school, founded in Manhattan"s Lower East Side in 1896, provided immigrant families of the day with a day-care option to allow both parents to seek employment and thus bolstered the economy of the region. In recognition of her efforts, local residents came to call Curry "The Little Missionary," and the school was formally renamed as The Little Missionary"s Day Nursery upon her retirement. The school remains open to the present day.
lieutenant is the oldest continuously operated nondenominational preschool in New York City.
The school has always been non-sectarian and catered to working families from all over the world. Sara Curry was born in Brookhaven, New York and was orphaned around age ten.
She began her work by taking in children to her apartment on Avenue C around 1896. By 1901 she had gained support from generous donors and was able to secure the building at 93 Saint Marks Place.
Sara Curry was able to take care of 200 children per day at the nursery, and the work included feeding and educating the children, as well as providing cooking classes for parents, and holding regular sobriety meetings
After her death in 1940, the nursery declined, and at one point the building was on the brink of being sold. Since 2001, the nursery has been on a path of consistent growth, and on October 5th, 2013, Saint Marks Place between Avenue A and First Avenue is being co-named Sara Curry Way. The Sara Curry Humanitarian Award has been presented annually since 2004.
This award is given to individuals who exemplify the qualities of Sara Curry: - A vision of a better future for others - Dedication to the well being of the community -Selfless commitment to giving -Energy and passion to overcome obstacles
Recipients of the Sara Curry Humanitarian Award include Gloria Steinem, Jennifer Clement, Michael Rosen, Lily Tomlin, Senator Thomas K Duane, Natacha Weiss, Anne Weisberg, Doctor David Ores, Margarita Lopez, Dan Zanes, Nilaja Sun, Doctor Michel Cohen, Mary Spink and Vallejo Gantner.
