Our City, Our Story

MIFA welcomes acclaimed journalist Andrea Elliott and Dasani Coates, the young woman featured in Elliott’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival & Hope in an American City.

Elliott spent eight years following Dasani’s life, from her childhood in a New York City homeless shelter to her experience at an elite boarding school. Invisible Child brings to light the daily impact of poverty and the tough choices so many families face, while also highlighting the strength and promise in young people like Dasani.

Now in its sixth year, Our City, Our Story brings together hundreds of friends of MIFA each year to explore the issues that shape our city, such as poverty, inequality, opportunity, and the role we can all play in addressing them. It is MIFA’s signature fundraising event and a chance to hear from national voices whose work reflects MIFA’s mission: supporting the independence of vulnerable seniors and families in crisis through high-impact programs.